Being green is getting easier. Once thought of as the bastion of liberals and the otherwise naive, environmentalism is approaching mainstream status. Attractive, sustainably-produced designs line shelves at Target, and average homeowners contemplate how FSC certified woods and Energy Star appliances can affect their carbon footprint.

As eco-consciousness sheds its crunchy reputation, it lays down roots for growing long past trend status. The manufacturers dedicated to responsible design will stick around well after the hacks are weeded out. But for now the trick for consumers is to figure out who's walking the walk and who's just flapping their lips. To help out, PURE CONTEMPORARY's gone through the throng of green products. We've paid attention to production, sustainability and of course, style, to bring you the best green pieces for updating your home the modern way.

First a few ground rules...

We're only looking at furniture here, not building materials, appliances or bathroom fixtures. So really think about your purchases. The effect of buying a new sustainably-made, cradle-to-cradle sofa may be negligible depending on factors such as where it's coming from and whether you're tossing out a perfectly good, new model you already have. Finally, recycle or donate what you don't need.

Moving on to the good stuff. We've got the best pieces for Eating, Lounging Around, Working and Sleeping.

EATING GREEN:

Team 7 makes the list for its craftsmanship, style and commitment to sustainability. They use solid hardwoods (these pieces will last forever) from sustainable-certified forests and produce their pieces using only ultra low VOC products, no chemicals, no PVC. We chose the company's Cubus dining table, but we easily could have picked just about anything else, like the Loft bench. Check out the full product line at Team 7.

Kids start off so unpolluted. Furniture made without nasty glues or high VOC finishes helps keep them that way. Brooklyn-based

Argington produces modern furniture for kids with FSC-certified woods and non-toxic finishes. The family run business also coordinated efforts with energy efficient production facilities to develop manufacturing processes that maximize yield and minimize raw material waste. We love Argington's Babylon Chair because it symbolizes the company's environmental commitment so well: it's adjustable, to grow with a child and work at a variety of table heights; is made of FSC-certified birch; and protected with a non-toxic, water based finish.

Adults looking for a dining chair may be better suited to one from Uhuru. The designers build each piece by hand in their Red Hook, NY studio with a dedication to sustainability that dictates materials used (Uhuru's currently into reclaimed Heart Wood, taken from NYC buildings that are being torn down) and how and where they're made into a new product.

Using 1" steel with a seat and back made of solid wood, cotton webbing, or felt, Uhuru created the 1 x 1 dining chair, a classically minimalist design with enough options to give it a strict modern, or relaxed organic look. The images below show the 1 x1 in just a few of its eco-responsible incarnations...

LOUNGING AROUND:

There's nothing new about the bean bag chair. But resized to create endless opportunities for creative lounging, and made out of recycled materials - this time leftover automobile upholstery - today's bean bag, the Pouf by Waste, shown here in blue, is a modern lounging necessity.

For the more traditional modernist, that's one who's looking for an actual chair, check out Viesso. The site is fully automated for custom design of truly eco-friendly furniture. Just browse, choose the layout of your piece, then decide how serious you are about going green by selecting from all the available options for cushion fillings and upholstery. The finished product ships in three weeks. Shown at right is Viesso's Blumen, which can be configured as a loveseat, sofa or sectional.

Cisco Brothers also uses a customization model to meet customers' needs, and it manufactures with its own "Inside Green" technology. With Inside Green, Cisco makes furniture with sustainable or reclaimed woods, covered in natural upholstery like flax, hemp, jute, or yak blend, constructed of biodegradable, non-toxic materials, and complete, sustainable, socially-responsible production from, as the company says, “seed to shelf.”

WORKING:
When it comes to the office, Steelcase leads in environmentally aware design. It's the largest purchaser of U.S. wind power credits in the office furniture industry, helping to eliminate more than 61 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. That in addition to its "cradle-to cradle" and indoor air quality certifications, end of ownership services (how to recycle your old Steelcase products), LEED commitment and eco-friendly facilities.

Steelcase creates company office environments, task and exec seating, surfaces and more, but we can't get over its Think chair. This thing is intelligent enough to understand how you sit and adjust itself accordingly, and thoughtful enough to measure and minimize its lifelong impact on the environment. It also looks great, (above left).

Our favorite desk is Knu's number 4. It's U.S. made, FSC-certified, built with zero-VOC water-borne PVA adhesives, and stands on fully recyclable brushed stainless steel legs that are already 40% recycled. This is a simple and straightforward design with room for stashing only a keyboard. Perfect for minimalists.

Brave Space Design capitalized on the addictiveness of modular design as exemplified in the game Tetris. The company came up with the Tetrad shelving system, a do it yourself, real life version of the game where consumers choose which shapes to stash where. Tetrad is available in many different sizes for the buyer to configure and they're all made with FSC woods and water-based adhesives.

SLEEPING:
When it comes to creating attractive bedroom furniture that meets strict sustainability requirements, we can find no one better than Design Mobel. Working exclusively with sustainably harvested wood from well managed native forests, and planting a tree for every system sold, Design Mobel remains committed to environmental stewardship.

Plus, no one would ever get rid of one of these beds-- each one is specifically customized to the buyers' bodies. Questions about allergies, preferred sleeping positions, heights and even the distance between the base of your neck and the tip of your shoulder determine the perfect mattress, overlay, and bed slat system for you and your partner.

The company provides the same attention to detail with the matching bed tables, mirrors, dressers and accessories. For style, quality and a clean, green conscience, Design Mobel is resting easy at the top.