Khoury bows eco-friendly collection

Winslow is Khoury’s debut after its total conversion to eco-friendly processes.

“We feel it is the direction furniture is going to take, and we were looking for a niche market,” said Dan Khoury, president.

“It’s a trend in this country that indoor air quality is six times worse than outdoors, and a lot of it is due to carpet and furniture that emit formaldehyde.”

In the past two years, the company has taken a path to eliminate formaldehyde from any of its manufacturing processes — and is one of the first companies in the U.S. to do so, Khoury said.

Khoury’s furniture has lead-free, water-based stain and paint finishes, offered in 15 colors. The pieces are domestically made of wood from managed forests.

“People take extra measures that what kids play with and sleep on are safe,” said Khoury.

He pointed out that some retailers are going green in their stores, and are carrying such things as all-cotton textiles, which are not petroleum based.

“(Our furniture) has been tremendously received, and we’ve gotten new customers this market, all new retailers who are going in that green direction.”

A member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Khoury’s furniture is registered and can count toward a building or home’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification points.

The LEED Green Building Rating System encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development. Points are awarded for features like domestic manufacturing, lumber from local forests, rapidly renewable materials, certified wood, and composite wood that doesn’t contain added formaldehyde resins.