Image by rraya - Getty Images
Furniture - chairs
Replacing worn or outdated furniture and household items can be fun and uplifting. But many new mass-produced items, sometimes referred to as “fast furniture” sold at big-box chain stores, are usually made with cheaper composite materials or chemical stain repellants that will off-gas once they are in the home. Off-gassing is the airborne release of chemicals and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs (architecturaldigest.com/story/what-is-off-gassing).
Much like trendy “fast fashion” clothing, fast furniture isn’t made for durability. Once worn or broken, these items are typically destined for the landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2018, the most recent data available, 9,680 tons of furniture was landfilled, up from 2.2 tons in 1960 (tinyurl.com/5xhk999p). Because new furniture is often manufactured overseas, it generates carbon emissions from being shipped across the globe.
For those that want to circumvent mass-produced furniture, home décor and kitchen items, buying used items from local thrift and resale stores is a good place to start. Habitat for Humanity ReStore, with locations in Franklin, Wauwatosa and Greenfield (milwaukeerestore.org), offers used furniture, lighting, building materials, home accessories and more. Proceeds from ReStore sales go toward Habitat for Humanity’s affordable home ownership programs.
Thrift stores such as Value Village, Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul, each with multiple locations through Milwaukee, carry furniture and home décor. Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood is a haven for shops selling used furniture and home décor: Spectre Vintage (437 E. Stewart St.), Tip Top Atomic Shop (2343 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), R Vintage N More (2653 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), Ormson Supply (2866 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), BC Modern (3116 S. Chase Ave.) and Good Land Antiques (3391 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.).
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Also on the South Side, Dupree’s Vintage (915 Milwaukee Ave., South Milwaukee) has furniture and home decor. Walker’s Point is home to several antique sellers such as Dime A Dance (1134 S. First St.) and Farm Girl Art & Antiques (803 S. Fifth St.). On the north and west sides of town, Dandy (5020 W. Vliet St.), D&R Affordable Used Furniture (5718 W. Center St.) and A-1 Furniture & Appliance (5601 W. National Ave.) offer used furniture. Out in the suburbs, there’s Antique 2 Modern Used Furniture (13819 W. National Ave., New Berlin).
Some resale stores are only open during select hours, so call ahead.
New Wares Made Sustainably
Sometimes resale and thrift stores don’t always have what we’re looking for. When seeking sustainably made new items, The Sustainable Furnishing Council recommends looking for seals of third-party certifiers, such as Forest Stewardship Council, to be sure wood used to produce the items is sourced in an environmentally sound manner. Look for furniture with little to no VOC finishes, and textiles made from natural fibers (sustainablefurnishings.org/content/questions-to-ask-answers-to-look-for).
Sustainably minded stores in the Milwaukee area that sell new furniture and home décor include La Lune Collection (930 E. Burleigh St.), founded by interior designer Mario Costantini. His collection of rustic wood seating, cabinetry, beds and more are crafted by hand in Wisconsin by skilled artisans. La Lune harvests only fast-growing and invasive wood species, and products are made as ordered.
Il Bosco (225 S. Second St.) offers environmentally conscious furniture and home goods, and repurposed or upcycled handmade stools, tables and shelves. Olsen House (4326 N. Oakland Ave.) features a curated collection of blankets and pillows, kitchenware, holiday items, vases and planters by artisans, and furniture designers with a focus on Scandinavian aesthetics.
For kitchenware and household décor, Ursa Milwaukee (2534 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) and Sparrow Collective (2224 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) has glassware, art, mugs and tea towels made by eco-conscious artists and small producers. Murray Hill Pottery Works (2458 N. Murray Ave.), a pottery studio with classes and workshops, has a small retail space with artists’ products like plates, mugs and home décor.
Green Life Trading Co. (1039 S. Fifth St., in the former Glass Pantry space), and natural foods grocers Beans & Barley (1901 E. North Ave.) and Outpost Natural Foods (multiple locations) carry kitchen items and gadgets made from recycled or responsibly sourced materials, and fairly traded items. Plowshare Fair Trade Marketplace & Education for Peace (219 W. Main St., Waukesha offers fair trade dish cloths and gifts.
