Mother’s Day is coming up quickly. And so is World Artisan Day! I thought I’d share a list of sustainable home décor retailers that can help you celebrate both in style. Ethically & sustainably!
Whenever I explain that I am a Sustainable Interior Designer, people immediately think that I don’t buy anything. At all. And that I make or salvage everything.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I am just very selective and conscious about what I buy, how it is made or sourced, and how it impacts our world. I mean, I have kids & a grandbaby to leave this place to.
There are very specific things I look for when I’m shopping for myself or a client. As I list some of my faves, I’ll also share a few reasons why I love them.
Just so you know… none of these are affiliate links. However, I DO source sustainable home décor from all of these retailers for client design projects and for my own home.
Ethical & Sustainable Home Décor Retailers I Love
(**Note: List is in alpha order**)
Chairish
What makes Chairish so great is that a huge selection of vintage & used home furnishings. Yep, every single item at Chairish is looking for a new home (but this is not your typical thrift shop)! Since they don’t create new items, no resources are being used. Also, they are online only so they have a smaller footprint than brick & mortar retailers.
IKEA
Yep that’s right, IKEA.
IKEA makes the list for some obvious reasons including the iconic style & affordability we’re all used to. But when we’re open all those flat boxes to put together a Billy bookcase, we don’t think about how those flat boxes & the assembly required = sustainability. And we don’t think about the person who came up the design.
A lot of designers & homeowners frown on IKEA but there are loads of great products & gift ideas to find. Of course there’s all the home furnishing, but there’s also great food, live plants (and unique planters to put them in), accessories & more! Honestly there are some things I never leave IKEA without!
Jungalow
Everyone loves Justina Blakeney right?! Well did you know that 2 trees are planted for every Jungalow purchase ?!
Jungalow is also online only – there we go with that low carbon footprint again!
If happen to not know the Jungalow story, you can learn more about Justina & the team right over here!
Local Thrift Stores
Of course it goes without saying that there are lots of unique home décor gifts & treasures to find at your local thrift shops. All it takes it a bit of time & sometimes a little elbow grease to clean things up. Nothing is more sustainable than giving something new life in a new home!
Nadeau
Their tagline is “furniture with a soul” and it most definitely is! Each piece of furniture is handmade & unique. No 2 stores are the same.
They are only in select US cities but if you sign up with them you’ll know when they are coming to a city near you. When you sign up you’ll also be notified of new arrivals.
In case you’re wondering, they do not ship. That’s a good thing though because shipping uses natural resources.
Novica
Novica is a newbie for me & I absolutely love what they stand for! Everything here is handmade by artisans all over the world. The selection is amazing AND you actually get to “meet” the artist who made the item you are purchasing!
The mask you see here was handmade in Ghana by a gentleman named Abdul Aziz Mohamadu. You can read his story & learn about his causes here.
At Novica, you can shop by category, by cause, or by region. And you can be assured that your purchase is truly helping makers & families around the world!
Reflektion Design
If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen & heard me rave about Reflektion Design! It’s is a Black female owned online home décor retailer born in Ghana.
The owner, Anitra, is all about sharing the beautifully amazing African culture with us through her collection of textiles, housewares & even clothing & jewelry. Visit her shop & I promise you will NOT be disappointed!
Everything at Reflektion Design is ethically made & fair-trade. She hand packs purchases for shipping & since the shop is online only her carbon footprint is super low.
VivaTerra
VivaTerra has everything from home décor & furniture to curated gifts. Best of all every single offering is ethically sourced from all over the world & are all earth friendly.
It is a larger retailer with a small town shop kind of feel born right here in the USA.
Sustainable Home Décor Retailers – Honorable Mention
Although not fully sustainable retailers, following are a few larger retailers that offer artisan wares and/or eco-friendly home décor options that are ethically sourced. These retailers also share a commitment to sustainability in other ways.
World Market
I love this place. I’m so glad I discovered them way before they were as globally popular as they are now because I have pieces that have lasted forever but cannot be found anywhere else! And that’s 1 of the reasons I love World Market – some items are fair-trade artisanal 1 (or a few) of a kind & others are only in rotation for a select period of time.
West Elm
This actually applies to the family of Williams-Sonoma brands. Although not a fully sustainable retailer, West Elm offers loads of sustainably sourced home furnishings & support other sustainability initiatives. And they are easy to find via the “design & values” or “Earth day, everyday” menu links.
Joybird
Joybird creates custom furniture from sustainably sourced materials. That’s great already, but they also give back to the earth by planting a tree for every purchase.
So there you have it! Ethical & sustainable shops for gifting or keeping.
Tell me… which is your favorite new shop (if you can choose just 1)?
Thank you for this! I am homesteading a piece of property in the country, and I want to do the most sustainable way possible. I plan to try to reuse any trees that have to be removed (the kudzu in some places is bad, and some trees are dead or dying. Want to recycle as many as I can). I plan to build a solar drying kiln. I like the idea of reuse/recycle as much as possible. Again, thank you.
Good for you sir! You’re welcome.