| Before we can get into our attempt to predict the | | | | So, how is the future of natural furnitures likely to be? |
| future of furnitures, it will be important for us to be | | | | Well, for starters, natural furnitures are likely to continue |
| clear on what exactly we mean by natural furnitures. | | | | being scarcer and scarcer as the years progress. |
| Some terms can mean different things to different | | | | Most of these furnitures are products of forests. But |
| people, in different contexts. When we talk of natural | | | | we know that human populations are increasingly |
| furnitures, we are not looking at them as being natural | | | | decimating the forests. Indeed, in most parts of the |
| as against others that are 'unnatural.' Rather, we are | | | | world, the only forests that are in existence are those |
| looking at them being natural, as looked against others | | | | that are under state protection. Where a forest |
| that are synthetic, or artificial, as it were. This is where | | | | remains unprotected by state actors, we tend to see it |
| it turns out that the natural furnitures are those that are | | | | having to be decimated, to make way for human |
| made from naturally occurring materials (like wood), | | | | 'developments.' The implication here is that a time is |
| which are harvested from their natural existence and | | | | surely coming when a natural piece of furniture will be |
| directly employed into the making of the said furniture | | | | a very hard-to-find thing; the sort that people getting a |
| pieces. We are looking at a situation where a tree will | | | | hold of will feel more tempted to hoard as a keepsake, |
| be cut, and be directly sawed into the wood that is | | | | rather than putting it into practical use. |
| employed in making various furniture pieces, with the | | | | Natural furnitures are also likely to become expensive |
| only form of processing that is carried out being the | | | | over the years. This will be coming as a result of the |
| modest treatment that the wood is subjected to, to | | | | (previously alluded to) scarcity that we are likely to |
| make it less prone to pathogen attacks. In this context, | | | | experience, of the materials used in making these |
| natural furniture is quite distinct from synthetic furniture. | | | | furnitures. In keeping with basic laws of economics, |
| The latter is usually made from non-naturally occurring | | | | when a product becomes scarce, without the demand |
| materials, usually chemicals, which are formulated in | | | | for it falling, then its price has to spike. Natural furnitures |
| various ways to make the material that is | | | | are not likely to be the exception to this, and this in fact |
| subsequently employed in making the furniture items. | | | | a trend we are already seeing in various parts of the |
| So, ultimately, furnitures are those made from naturally | | | | world. |
| occurring materials- like wood, rattan, bamboo and so | | | | As the authentic materials for making natural furnitures |
| on. | | | | continue to become scarce, we are likely to see the |
| With that kind of background information, we can now | | | | emergence of a trend where more and more daring |
| proceed into the prediction of the natural furnitures' | | | | attempts to 'fake' them will be made. We are already |
| future. In doing this, we won't claim special clairvoyance | | | | seeing this with regard to the likes of bamboo and |
| powers. Rather, our prediction of the future will be | | | | rattan furnitures (where we see very real-looking |
| dependant on our study of current trends in the | | | | plastic imitations). Don't be too surprised then, several |
| furniture industry. The present, to those who pay keen | | | | years down the line, when you come across a fellow |
| attention to it, tends to be a fairly good predictor of the | | | | selling 'replica wooden furniture. |
| future. | | | | |