7 lower-carbon home companies

Why It's Good:

Much to our relief, patchouli-drenched hemp carpets are no longer de rigueur for green homes. It's never been easier to eco-chic your home in style, thanks to a bumper crop of designers and retailers who are fashioning remarkable pieces of furniture and decor using eco-forward materials and practices.

Why It's Green:

By using sustainable materials and reducing their carbon footprints through alternative energy consumption and carbon-offset purchases, this group of seven manufacturers and retailers are making it possible for us to create warm and inviting homes, while also fighting the warming of the planet. Now that's the kind of multitasking we can really get behind!

Can Home Design Fight Global Warming?

Having learned the hard way that disposable furniture is, well, disposable, I am now committed to investing in quality pieces that will stand the test of time. My happiest discovery is that a new wave of designers and retailers have made it possible for me to snag some high-impact pieces for my home that have a low-impact on the planet. It turns out that mom was right, again—investing in quality isn't just a good strategy for life, but is also an essential part of green living.—Meg Donohue

3r Living
Online shop 3R Living offers an array of eco-friendly home goods and offsets all shipping-related carbon emissions through Carbon Fund. Looking for a glamorous accent piece? Check out the Mrs. Robinson-inspired zebra-print blanket made with recycled cotton fibers.

Bentley Prince Street Rugs
Bentley Prince Street rugs' arresting prints and colors have inspired a following that includes both modernists and traditionalists alike. Kudos to the company for not just purchasing carbon offsets, but also taking the next step to actually reduce emissions: Bentley has reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills during the manufacturing process by 92 percent, and makes rug backings with post-consumer recycled content.

B Green Designs Wall Art
B Green Design's art pieces—silk-screened images of trees on sustainable plywood—are more than just a pretty way to decorate wall space. For each artwork purchased, the design group plants 50 trees in Honduras through Trees for the Future. Bonus? The art is shipped in a screen-printed tote bag perfect for reusing on your trip to the green market!

Grass Roots
Grass Roots online store features a careful selection of eco-friendly products that are shipped out carbon-neutral through the company's purchase of offsets. The company also buys 100 percent renewable energy for its Canadian stores. Check out the site's salvaged wood serving platter—perfect for green entertaining!

Knu
Modern home and office furniture manufacturer Knu scores points for not printing catalogs that kill trees (and also clutters our mailboxes). The company manufactures its (mostly) sustainably harvested wood furniture in an energy efficient facility that offsets 100 percent of its carbon emissions. All pieces can be viewed exclusively online.

Loll Designs
Give your backyard a sleek makeover with Loll's innovative outdoor furniture collection. The tables and chairs are made using 100 percent recycled plastic collected from objects like milk jugs, detergent bottles and margarine tubs. Plus, the company packages all products in recycled cardboard boxes, donates one percent of sales to environmental programs and offsets the carbon emissions related to shipping.

Shaklee Corporation
This green products company is devoted to cleaning more than your house—it buys all of its electricity through renewable energy sources and offsets 100 percent of its carbon emissions. Plus, their cleaning products are nontoxic, biodegradable and come in recyclable packaging.