Most furniture industry folks will let you in on the secret that the best American furniture is handmade in North Carolina. Maiden Home works directly with these expert workshops to bring you luxury quality sofas at a significantly lower price. The styles are also meant to last with designs that nicely bridge modern and classic style.
Best For: Eco-conscious designs with an extensive repairs policy
Started by two college friends with early entrepreneurial impulses, Sabai launched with the concept of bringing eco-friendly designs to the flatpack D2C market. Everything’s made from recycle, upcycled, or plant-based materials and packed without plastic, plus available for repairs and trade-ins down the line. Its current range is fairly limited, but always growing, and includes cushy couches in a range of swatches and curvy table silhouettes.
Best For: Attractive, affordable sofas
If you’re on a strict sub-$2,000 sofa budget, but obviously don’t want to give up a luxe look, Castlery is a great place to start. Then, check out all the other home categories they’ve got covered.
Best For: Globally-sourced, socially-conscious design
These days, we’re all thinking more critically about how the products we buy line up with our values. Goodee is a next-gen retailer that vets the materials, supply chain, labor standards, ecological footprint, and business practices of each of their vendors. In fact, each product description includes a row of handy icons noting which causes each maker advocates for, so you can shop not just for style, but also for substance.
Best For: Limited-batch, fair-trade design
Have you ever traveled and wanted to bring back a piece of local style but run out of checked bag space? The Citizenry works to scratch that itch by collaborating with artisans around the world to design pieces that blend local craft and contemporary style, which are then produced in limited batches according to fair trade standards.
Best For: Collectible, IYKYK, designs
Green River Project is the brainchild of Aaron Aujla and Benjamin Bloomstein, which is known for its artful design practice and place in the Bode universe (Aujla is designer Emily Bode’s partner). The studio frequently creates collaborative pieces for Bode installations and stores. And while prices are inquiry only, which does not bode well for the wallet, given the influence Green River Project is having on the design world, maybe it’s better to think of it as an investment.
Best For: Indecisive, picky folks who want to ball out on a budget
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