Harden Furniture, McConnellsville, N.Y., will introduce at Fall High Point market a collection of “green” upholstery that will complement its line of wood furniture certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

The new upholstery line features eight organic, recycled or otherwise chemical-free fabric covers.


“The frames and covers are as environmentally responsible as we can make them, and we are sourcing compatible foam for the cushions,” said Vice President of Design Beth Penley. “Harden is responding to consumer demand for better and safer products, especially at the high-end of the market.”

Textile mills and other suppliers have been an integral part of establishing the new direction, Penley said.

“It’s exciting to see change happening at every level of the supply chain,” she said. “We think this is just of the beginning for so-called eco-conscious furnishings.”

From Craftex Mills’ Meridian collection, Harden will offer its dealers and interior design customers a textured stripe made from post-consumer plastics and recycled cotton; from Cone Mills, another post-consumer product boasts a contemporary or transitional look in black and natural hues; and from Marlatex, Penley chose a 100 percent cotton woven, free of chemical finishes. Two new leathers in oyster and ebony, which use natural, recyclable dyes, are also featured. Two sofa and three chair frames will be shown at the Market.

Harden’s new green line will be shown in the company’s permanent showroom at 200 N. Hamilton St., as well as Harden’s 300-square-foot outpost in Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.’s EcoStyle Pavilion, located at the Suites at Market Square.

Long considered an environmental steward for its forestry practices, Harden Furniture began its Sustainable Forestry Initiative certification process in 2000. Harden-managed forests supply the company’s Upstate New York-based factory with a majority of the timber that becomes furniture. Harden employs various conservation practices in its factory and was an early adopter in avoiding chlorofluorocarbons-producing foam in cushion production.

Company President and CEO Greg Harden has a seat on the New York State Environmental Board and is active with the nascent Sustainable Furniture Council. Early in 2014, Harden Furniture established the Living Canopy Project, an environmental and youth education outreach program.