Custom leather sofa from Pine Street Natural Interiors

A few weeks ago one of my clients asked me if there was such a thing as a leather sofa without toxic chemicals. She knew leather sofas are usually filled with toxic polyurethane foam and fire retardant chemicals, plus there are more chemicals used to tan the leather.

I hadn’t heard of a nontoxic leather sofa, but I asked my friend Rowena Finegan, owner of Pine Street Natural Interiors, and she said she could make one for me, and yes, there IS natural leather!

Rowena has developed her own line of custom upholstered furniture called Inside Green.
Here are the materials used to make an Inside Green sofa:

• • FSC certified Wood Frames and Legs: Wood frames are made from sustainably grown Alder from well-managed American forests

• Non-toxic Fasteners and Finishes: Each piece of wood is fastened with steel screws, and double-doweled with non-toxic, water based glue. A combination of hemp webbing, jute, and hemp burlap finish out the frame.

• Cushions: Layering of your choice of wool fibers, or organic goose feathers and down, with 100% pure natural latex padding. Premium quality wool batting comes from regions where the soil is continually turned, pesticides are forbidden, and sheep are still herded with the use of guardian dogs. Goose feathers and down are sourced from farms that raise geese for food consumption—completing a vertically integrated business model which is both financially and ecologically beneficial to local economies and the end consumer. The totally chemical-free feathers and down are separated by hi-tech machinery and are washed in biodegradable emulsifiers before being packed into 250-thread-count, 100% organic cotton covers.

• Pure, Petroleum-Free Latex: The foam that both covers the frame and is used for the cushions is natural latex, harvested from an environmentally friendly renewable resource procured from rainforest trees.

• Upholstery: organic cotton/hemp canvas. All fabrics presented with the line have been laundered in chemical-free vegetable-based laundry detergent and are either certified organic or have been produced using chemical-free base cloth and vegetable or low impact dyes.

• Finishes: WOCA natural oil stain—plant-based, sustainable, and non-polluting and contain no artificial pigments or preservatives. Along with being a naturally durable substance, oil-based stain also protects against scratches and indentations better than a standard urethane finish.

A sofa can be built in any size or style using these materials, and you can also get it upholstered with the healthiest leather I’ve seen.

EcoPell vegetable-tanned leather is made in Germany. Rowena loaned me a sample book and swatches to take to my MCS client and she had no reaction at all. The swatches actually just smelled like natural leather—no chemical smell. See all the leather colors and weights you can choose from.

This leather is regularly tested for chemicals frequently found in leather and publishes their test results. It has been certified by several organizations as being particularly environmentally-and allergy-friendly.

There is actually so much information about any and how this leather is good you just need to go to their website and read all about it.

This exceptional leather sofa is not inexpensive, but it CAN be made—in any size, style, and color that you desire.

Add Comment