No matter how minimalist your home may be, we all have stuff to store — so check out these sustainable dressers, wardrobes, armoires and other storage furniture to help you keep everything stored away in style.
What Makes Dressers and Storage Furniture Sustainable?
As with anything in sustainability, there are various approaches that can make something “sustainable”.
Secondhand
With over 12 million tons (or 24 billion pounds) of furniture getting wasted each year in the United States alone, it’s definitely a great idea to look used when possible!
Secondhand not only helps divert furniture from the landfill, but reduces the need to extract new materials, whether that’s metal, wood, cotton, or increasingly, petroleum for synthetic fabrics and plastic.
Responsibly Sourced Wood
Most storage furniture is made from wood (or engineered wood). While wood is a natural material, we also know that deforestation is a massive issue.
So, look for domestic or certified sustainably-sourced wood when purchasing wooden furniture. The largest most common certification is FSC-, which stands for Forest Stewardship Council, Certified.
Even better is if you can find furniture made from reclaimed wood! This is basically upcycled wood that is being repurposed. Ttis reclaimed wood can come from old barns, ships, factories, warehouses, or even wine barrels!
Non-Toxic Finishes
Unfortunately, many wood finishes contain harmful petroleum- and chemical-based solvents which can emit VOCs, or volatile organic compounds.
While the toxicity is most severe during application and does reduce with time, the chemicals can build up in your home, so you may feel most comfortable minimizing risk of VOCs.
Why does this matter? Well, the EPA reports that indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air — largely due to what we bring into our homes, from furniture to household cleaners.
Look for low-VOC finishes, water-based finishes, or plant-based oil finishes. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s guide to wood stains and finishes for more.
Where Can I Find Sustainable Dressers and Eco-Friendly Storage Furniture?
Well, we’ve done the hard work for you and curated furniture brands with sustainable dressers, armoires, wardrobes, shelving or other storage furniture.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links. As always, all brands meet strict criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
Places to Find Secondhand Dressers and Storage Furniture:
- Garage sales and estate sales (check EstateSales.net!)
- Facebook Marketplace
- OfferUp
- AptDeco
- Kaiyo
New Sustainable Dressers, Wardrobes, Armoires, and Storage Furniture:
1. Avocado
Beautifully designed and built to last, Avocado Mattress uses either sustainably-harvested hardwood (solid walnut or maple) or reclaimed wood for their sustainable dressers, nightstands and other storage furniture. They also have bed frames if you want a matching set in your bedroom.
Everything is made in the company’s own FSC-certified Los Angeles woodshop.
Categories: Dressers, Nightstands
Price Range: $750+
2. Maiden Home
Elegantly handcrafted by expert furniture craftspeople in North Carolina, Maiden Home has beautiful sustainable bedroom furniture, including solid wood dressers and nightstands.
The dressers are made-to-order from solid wood and low VOC finishes.
Maiden Home is a woman-owned direct-to-consumer furniture company dedicated to creating timeless, quality furniture made with responsibly sourced materials.
Categories: Nightstands, Dressers
Price Range: $2,900 – $5,275
3. Medley
Medley’s sustainable storage pieces like their dressers are handmade to order in California. The wide dresser pictured here comes in maple or walnut sourced domestically in the US.
The tops and sides are solid wood and plywood is used elsewhere (as is typical with furniture with drawers). The piece is finished with non-toxic natural beeswax.
Categories: Dressers, Credenzas
Price Range: $995+
4. West Elm Sustainably Sourced Collection
West Elm is getting serious about sustainability with eco-friendly storage furniture that’s GREENGUARD Gold Certified, crafted in Fair Trade Certified facilities, made from responsibly-sourced wood, and/or Contract Grade (i.e. high quality + durable).
Categories: Dressers, Nightstands
Price Range: $599+
5. Thuma
Designed for maximum functionality and versatility, Thuma’s 100% upcycled solid wood and Greenguard Gold Certified dressers give you endless options.
Configure a couple drawers for a nightstand and add on more drawers vertically or horizontally for a full dresser that can fit any space.
The modular setup may be especially useful for families with evolving needs or those who are moving frequently. You can add on more drawers if your needs grow or separate a large dresser into two smaller ones — the options really are endless.
Price Range: $790 – $3,495
Categories: Modular Storage: Dresser, Nighstand, Multipurpose Storage
6. Masaya & Co
Originally founded as a reforestation project, Masaya & Co is committed to responsible sourcing for all of their sustainable storage furniture. Each piece — from bookshelves to credenzas — is constructed by skilled artisans in Nicaragua from 100% solid wood. Masaya & Co’s furniture is available in teak, mahogany, or walnut and most items are made to order.
Price Range: $940+
Categories: Dressers, Credenzas, Shelves, TV Stands / Media Cabinets
7. Crate & Barrel FSC-Certified
Crate & Barrel has a vast selection of FSC-certified wood storage furniture, including dressers, chests, and full wardrobes or armoires.
You’ll find an array of woods and finishes as well, from weathered rustic natural wood to dark espresso-finished wood.
Price Range: $499+
Categories: Dressers, Nightstands, Armoires & Wardrobes
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21 Best Places to Find Sustainable Furniture
