In an era where sustainability continues to resonate with environmentally conscious consumers, a furniture company has emerged to address this growing concern with a unique business model in the furniture industry: upcycling.
TXTUR, a new direct-to-consumer American furniture manufacturer, has a unique customer ownership concept. When you’re done with that dining table, sofa or set of chairs, the company will take it back and refurbish it as upcycled furniture, taking back what might otherwise end up in a landfill. “We create stylish, comfortable, truly high-quality furnishings and make ownership easy, flexible and changeable while substantially lowering environmental impact,” says TXTUR President Greg Terrill.
TXTUR customers have the freedom to update their home furnishings, or even to move without moving their furniture simply by returning the pieces to the company for a credit toward new pieces. Based in Roanoke, VA, at the company’s workrooms, returned furnishings are disassembled and remade into like-new furniture in popular finish combinations. They are available as Upcycled Stock for discounted sale. The process reduces environmental impact through reusing materials at their highest value and keeping them out of the landfill. “More than 12 million tons of furniture end up in U.S. landfills every year, and the furniture industry is going to have to evolve into a circular economy. We’re excited to be on the front lines of that, setting an example,” Terrill says.
TXTUR has sprouted as a division of private-label contract furniture company Chervan Furniture, which has made its products in the United States for three generations. “It’s been an interesting evolution,” Terrill adds. “What we make goes into such demanding environments. We started looking at our furniture and thought, ‘How can we tell people we’re making something better and not disposable?’ We can take our furniture back and make something else from it. We’ve always been sustainably minded.”
How It Works
Each piece at TXTUR comes with an upcycle grade. The upcycle grade is identified by a lifestyle management number on each piece. A newly created piece of furniture would be Grade 1, for example. Customers can scan the tag on their furniture and put in an upcycle request when they are ready to move on to something new. TXTUR then picks up the furniture. Depending on the grade of the furniture and how long it has been in the consumer’s possession, the customer gets a graduated credit toward their next purchase with the company. “As a manufacturer, we can give our furniture a second life and not waste these valuable materials. It’s a win-win for our customers. It gives them the flexibility to change their style and look,” says Terrill.
While most of the products on the new company’s website are currently new, or Grade 1, as the process gets underway, there will be more available in later upgrade cycles, which will provide consumers with discounts as well as the credits they get for returning furniture.
Upcycled furniture is treated to ensure sanitization before it is refinished. “No surface you touch gets passed on to the next customer,” Terrill notes. All furniture is heat-treated, wood is refinished, and all foam and fabrics are replaced. “An upcycled Grade 1 piece of furniture can see a 30 percent to 45 percent discount from the price of a new piece. TXTUR has also partnered with performance fabric company Crypton, and leather provider Moore and Giles for its upholstery, ensuring more longevity for its products.
In addition to offering enduring craftsmanship and finishes, TXTUR’s furniture is designed to have a timeless feel through a broad array of wood and upholstered seating as well as many unique tables. Collections fall into three aesthetic categories: Urban Loft, Ocean Sands and Modern Lodge. Completely produced in the United States, the line offers fashion flexibility as well with 14 finishes and 70 fabrics to choose from.
While the company’s current focus is direct to consumer, it has also launched a design partner program. “We’re offering designers the ability to COM, COL and custom finish,” Terrill notes. “Designers can open an account with us that gets them a dedicated customer service line. There are two levels of discounts they get depending on design/specify, and we handle logistics. There’s more of a discount for those who handle the last mile delivery so we can help them save even more.”
This ambitious new business model, launched just months ago, is designed to provide flexibility to those who want quality furniture with the option to easily change their aesthetic, knowing their current furnishings won’t impact the environment. Fast fashion furniture isn’t designed to last and “subscription” furniture feels borrowed, Terrill says. TXTUR is designed to offer the consumer ownership of quality, made-to-order furniture with the flexibility to change it up, knowing the environmental impact will be minimal.
For more information, visit txtur.com
