The Point of Being Plastic-Free

We rarely think about our furniture as something chemically active. While a finished piece may look completely settled the day it arrives, synthetic materials used in its construction keep doing something sinister for years after they're unboxed. Long after that new furniture smell has faded, tiny particles and compounds continue to be released into the air of the room.

Researchers reviewing indoor air quality have found microplastics accumulating in household dust and air, much of it shed from synthetic textiles, foams, and coatings used throughout modern furniture. Separately, a controlled study measuring chemical exposure from upholstered furniture found that certain flame-retardant compounds continue releasing into the surrounding air and household dust well after a piece is installed, not just during the first few days most of us associate with "off-gassing."

It's worth asking how your furniture is quietly contributing to the air you're breathing, year after year, without you ever making a decision about it.

Solid wood is different. There's no foam breaking down, no synthetic fiber shedding, no flame-retardant coating slowly releasing into the room. This iconic material actually enhances the air around it.

The stool, built from solid teak, takes it to another level when you use the built-in essential oil diffuser. Rather than off-gassing harmful chemical compounds, the solid teak sits inert while your favorite essential oil fills the room with calm.