As I ease into my twenties, I realize how much impact my daily choices are affecting the world I live in. The food I eat, the kind of transportation I use, even the furniture I put in my house—all of them have a lasting consequence known as a carbon footprint. And while, our daily individual efforts seem futile against a backdrop of oil spills and melting polar ice caps, there is hope if we, as a community, commit to strive for the greater good.
Thankfully, we can do it in style.
In particular, furnishing a space doesn’t require an earthy hippie vibe in order to lessen one’s carbon footprint. Thanks to Filipino furniture and home décor makers, being eco-friendly can now be chic.
Upcycling, a trend in furniture that repurposes a defunct piece, is something locals have been doing for years.
Resurrection Furniture, a company based in Quezon City, has turned an old piano into a striking bench. The Cristal Glass Project turns empty liquor bottles into lamps. And, stranger still, Habil Crafts turns moss (yes, moss) into beautiful wall hangings.
While a product that’s marketed as upcycled or “green” doesn’t necessarily make it good for you and the environment—I’m looking at you “all-natural” chips—it provides a better alternative at the very least.
It’s easy to get lost in this vast world of furniture choices. Showrooms like the one in Cubao’s 10A Alabama, and local style-stalkers like Curated Goodness PH will give you the low-down on hip Philippine craftsmanship.
It has never been easier to have it all: style, function, and (at least when it comes to furniture) a clearer conscience.
Art by Dorothy Guya