From Fast to Slow Furniture: 4 Sustainable E-Shops Worth Knowing

There’s this memorable episode of Friends – you know, the ‘90s sitcom that basically raised us – where Rachel decorates the apartment she shares with Phoebe using furniture from a major chain store. Phoebe, proudly anti-corporate and totally against anything mainstream, is told it all came from a flea market, and she totally buys it. That is until, during a casual stroll, she walks past the store window... and bam! There goes the furniture in her home, front and center, like a catalog shoot.

This funny episode is also surprisingly relevant today. Fast furniture has turned our homes into copy-paste versions of each other. One scroll through TikTok and you’ve basically toured 50 identical living rooms.  

Beyond Personalization: The Real Problem with Fast Furniture

Fast furniture is the home equivalent of fast fashion: it is built quickly, sold cheaply, and discarded just as fast. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans threw away more than 12 million tons of furniture in 2018 – over 80% of it ended up in landfills. [1] And it’s not slowing down. In 2021, the fast furniture e-commerce market was valued at over $27 billion, with projections hitting $40 billion by 2030, according to Next Move Strategy Consulting. [2]

And its impact goes even beyond the environment. Fast furniture can also pose serious risks to our health. Some of it contains toxic materials, including so-called “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, which have been found in certain cheap products and can linger in our bodies and homes for years. [3]

4 Conscious E-Shops for Slow Furniture

Whether you're combing flea markets, supporting skilled artisans, or exploring curated online e-commerces, there’s a growing world of physical and online spaces committed to furniture that’s better for your home and the planet. Here are four of our favourite e-shops and brands redefining what it means to furnish slowly and meaningfully.

1. The Citizenry
Take The Citizenry, for example. They partner directly with artisans around the world, using only local materials and time-honored techniques. The results are beautiful handmade pieces like woven chairs from Oaxaca and leather ottomans made with ethically sourced hides.

2. Slowli Concept Store
Then there’s Slowli Concept Store, based in Italy’s South Tyrol. They keep it local and natural, crafting elegant lounge chairs from untreated ash or walnut and cozy poufs dyed with pigments from regional sheep farms. 

3. Etsy Reclaimed Furniture
Etsy, too, is a goldmine for one-of-a-kind reclaimed furniture. Think rustic barnwood dining tables built from salvaged timber, or vintage industrial shelving made with repurposed metal pipes. It’s conscious shopping with a side of story.

4. ECONYL® e-shop
And the ECONYL® e-shop, where circular design meets serious style. Here you can find your favorite carpet, like The Ravenna rug by SynSisal® that feels like sisal, but it’s made from regenerated ECONYL® nylon. For lovers of contemporary art, there’s a limited-edition collection by artist Stefano Arienti, who reimagines an enormous Roman Empire map into 32 unique, museum-worthy rugs. And for minimalists, Phoenix by New Weave, which offers low-pile, fully recyclable geometric rugs. 

Think Twice, It’s Alright

Rethinking your space doesn’t mean throwing it all away and starting over. Sometimes, it’s just about upcycling that old TV cabinet or buying that one thing you actually need: a rug that adds warmth, a chair with character, a few plants to bring the room to life. It’s about choosing quality and uniqueness over quantity. 

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