Have you ever wondered what materials will be used to make furniture in the future?

As a naturally renewable and malleable material, wood is a popular sustainable choice for making the chairs, tables, and cabinets that fill our homes, workplaces, and vacation homes. However, much of the wood furniture manufactured and distributed today is not biodegradable. There are so many wooden furniture coated with polyurethane. A type of liquid coating applied to minimize the wood’s exposure to solvents, water, and abrasion. However, polyurethane, a kind of plastic, slows down the wood’s ability to decompose.

Wood is a low-carbon alternative to conventional materials, and it has a natural aesthetic. It can connect people with nature, adding warmth and authenticity to modern living spaces. As a result, the future of wooden furniture might involve more modular and customizable designs, allowing users to adapt pieces according to their preferences and needs.

The way wood is processed is changing rapidly. New technologies are making it easier to produce beautiful, durable furniture with a smaller environmental footprint. Biotechnology and carbon-neutral production methods reduce emissions without compromising quality. And with the help of AI, manufacturers can now design products that use less material, last longer, and waste nothing.

The future of furniture seems to be heading in a direction where existing materials are enhanced with new ones, and where recycling is creatively used to produce bolder and more creative forms. It is also possible that the future is one of closer collaboration between furniture designers, researchers, architects, and material suppliers, where innovative material discoveries exist alongside greater consideration of where materials come from and where they end up.

–sh