Sustainability: How antiques can help restore the planet to health

The ultimate green buys: Furniture and pieces with provenance come with a long life cycle and preserve scarce resources

This set of six chairs including two carvers made just €22 at the South Dublin Auctions sale last Sunday.

Who would have guessed that the salvation of the antique furniture market might be in salvage. In a world where fast fashion needs to be reconsidered and sustainability is on the up there is more room than ever before for products that are restored or recycled.

As well as a long lifecycle an antique piece preserves scarce resources. Old furniture was created with hand-operated tools, glues and dyes from natural sources using the ultimate green practices.