Zola
Over the last 14 years, Artistry Interior Furnishings has been hand-crafting upholstered furniture for Interior Decorators & Designers in Oregon & Washington. When my wife Kate & I purchased the business in 2004, our lifelong concern for the environment prompted us to examine the many chemicals inherently present in the manufacture of conventional home furnishings that we, our staff, and our customers were being exposed to. After some initial research, it became apparent that there was not only a significant presence of toxic chemicals, but that alternative materials were available that were being largely ignored by the industry as a whole. We were already well on our way toward implementing the use of these alternative materials, when Hurricane Katrina struck and created a instant shortage in the availability, and a sharp rise in the price of Polyurethane Foam (a key ingredient in conventional furniture). This shortage, caused by the damage to many of the petrochemical plants along the Gulf Coast inspired us to accelerate our plans to refocus the business to the production of environmentally friendly, non-petroleum based, chemical free home furnishings. Thus Zola was born.
As our quest for alternative materials continued, our market research showed us that the limited selection of eco-friendly furniture that was available in the market often fit the preconceived notion of “green” products in general. Most of the designs were either somewhere between an old pair of Birkenstocks and a bean bag chair, or they were just a readily available and conventionally styled wooden frame, upholstered in white cotton or a basic hemp fabric. As a supplier to the Interior Design Trade, we felt strongly that our eco-friendly furnishings needed to meet the same design criteria that we currently offer our clients. Just because someone wants green furniture, doesn’t mean they don’t want style and comfort. By working with a small group of Custom Textile Manufacturers and Importers who had stepped up to the challenge of making both fashionable and eco-friendly fabrics, we were able to combine these materials with our new line of designs to produce what we hope you will find to be a beautiful blend of nature and design.
As our company has grown, so has our offerings. We are proud to represent a number of other companies that share our taste for style and our commitment to the environment.