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Pete Spurrier

Hong Kong's Chief Executive-elect, Leung Chun-ying, may or may not do something about the city's air pollution, but at least you can play your part to make sure you don't bring needless pollutants into your home when furnishing a new flat.
Some retailers in Horizon Plaza specialise in natural materials. At Zense on the 26th floor, for example, all the furniture is green in that it contains no toxic items such as phthalates or heavy metals, and is low in odour and volatile organic compounds.
Kokoon Beds & Bedding, on the 11th floor, says it offers Hong Kong's largest range of children's furniture made of solid wood. Choosing solid wood furniture over that made of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) or veneer, which use an array of chemicals to bind wooden and non-wooden materials together, is a natural start. 
'One question we are frequently asked by parents choosing furniture for their kids is whether the paint is safe,' says Kokoon's Moira Roberts. 'The question should really be whether it is made of 100 per cent solid wood.'
Kokoon's range of children's furniture, which meets European safety standard EN71 Part 3, is available in its natural pine colour or whitewashed. 
'The natural pores of the wood allow our safe and water-based finishes to travel and dissolve among the grains of the wood, as opposed to MDF or veneer, where the paint will remain stuck on the outer layer,' Roberts says. 'If you were to compare MDF children's furniture, which has a large share of the market as it is cheaper and easier to produce, with 100 per cent solid wood furniture, the latter is far superior in terms of its natural properties and safety. It is also inherently stronger.'
The company is also exclusive distributor for Kelly & Windsor's Australian-made pure alpaca quilts, pillows and underblankets. Alpaca is a high-quality natural fibre said to be as soft as cashmere, but produced in much lower volumes, and it is free of chemicals in its production. The lightweight summer alpaca bamboo quilt is made from a blend of alpaca and bamboo fibres.
'Bamboo is a sustainable and natural fibre,' Roberts says. 'It is highly absorbent, naturally breathable and anti-bacterial. Combining the two natural fibres, the result is an exceptionally soft and lightweight quilt.' 
The alpaca range of products is Oeko-Tex-certified - a European rating system for textiles that pose no risk to health. 
Bumps to Babes, a mother-and-baby superstore that has a branch on the 21st floor, also stocks a range of children's bedroom furniture - single beds, bunk beds, truckle beds, mattresses and co-ordinating items such as wardrobes and bookcases - from European manufacturers including British brand ASPACE. 
'Wherever possible, ASPACE uses natural timber in its furniture, which benefits the aesthetics of the products and has numerous practical benefits,' says Bumps to Babes' Lucy McLennan. 'The New England bunk bed from ASPACE is made from solid European beech sourced from Slovenia, which possesses the oldest and best-managed beech forests in Europe. The careful choice of materials and the way they are processed, including traditional joining that works best with solid wood, results in a sturdier, stable bed that will finish beautifully.' 
All ASPACE furniture is made for children, while every design decision has been made with the user in mind. Paints are non-toxic and the high sleepers and bunk beds conform to European Union safety standard EN747. The manufacturer makes every effort to source wood only from Forest Stewardship Council-approved sources - forests that are responsibly managed and sustainable. 
Okooko, on the 27th floor, is the place to go for all things Kiwi: its furniture is made exclusively in New Zealand, with a focus on natural and sustainable materials.
'All our products are 100 per cent natural or organic,' says Okooko's Dondy Poernomo. 'We are trying to be as green as possible. For example, our mattresses are made of natural latex, organic wool, cotton and bamboo fibre.' Bamboo grows naturally without the need for pesticides, which means it is naturally hypo-allergenic and resistant to dust mites, fungi, mould and mildew.
The Bodyfit Energise is a 100 per cent natural latex mattress. Its elasticity provides gentle orthopaedic support for the entire body, helping to maintain correct spinal alignment. The Energise is said to prevent restricted capillary blood flow, the main cause of muscle aches and restless sleep. Okooko uses New Zealand native timbers such as Rimu and Tawa. 
'One range we are really proud of is the TRACE collection of bed frames and furniture,' Poernomo says. 'This is made from reclaimed Rimu wood that has been rescued from old commercial buildings in New Zealand. Rimu always has a really good look and texture.'




Greener and safer products