Desperately searching for a chair constructed from surplus automotive parts? How about some recycled-paper wall hangings? Or a table made from scrap wood? No? Well, what if that chair were an incredibly comfortable lounge with hip, modern lines; and the wall-hangings were cool 3-D patterns in fabulous textures and colors; and the table were chic, impeccably crafted, and striated with a rich variety of woods? Sound more enticing? 

V2 3-D wallpaper by Mio Culture

Welcome to the world of sustainable design. At a time when cars can run on electricity, recycling is the law in many places, and organic fair-trade items are increasingly appearing on supermarket shelves, it's no surprise that stylish, environmentally friendly home furnishings are garnering newfound attention and enthusiasm. From biodegradable pet accessories to organic cotton hand towels to sculptures made out of discarded chopsticks, if you want something, chances are you can get it in an eco-friendly version. And for today's savvy consumer, choosing to buy "green" requires no sacrifice of style and no compromise of convictions.

"We come from the perspective that everyone knows the environment is screwed up," explains Josh Dorfman, the 34-year-old founder and CEO of Vivavi, a Brooklyn-based company that retails sustainable furniture and home accessories from a variety of designers, work that expresses what he calls the "eco-modern aesthetic." "We are not forcing education down anyone's throat," he says. "Instead, we are offering opportunities to take some action in your own life." 

Dorfman believes that the younger generation is, like himself, less militant about saving the environment than they are market savvy. Instead of protesting, they vote with their dollars. Wired magazine recented dubbed them "Neo-Greens."

Sushi daybed, made from water hyacinth

It's a theme Dorfman discusses on his weekly radio program, The Lazy Environmentalist (it airs on Sirius satellite radio and Lime.com), which offers ways consumers can more make eco-friendly decisions about their homes and lifestyles. "People are busy, and when they make a choice about a product, they like to know that what they are doing is of benefit somehow."

Dorfman suggests that the "psychic value" of these products supports the market:"When your dinner party guests sit around your reclaimed-wood dining room table, how good do you feel? There is positive reinforcement from the product itself. Now consumers can see their choice of design as a reflection of themselves: of their lifestyle, or the lifestyle they aspire to."

What sets this current trend apart from past ecologically minded incarnations is that today's young designers are focused less on "green" and more on style. They grew up in a world where nature no longer feels as endlessly abundant as it once did. And they are responding accordingly, creating work in ways that even the most die-hard environmental activist would approve of. But rather than wearing their green pedigree conspicuously, as earlier generations did (think pod-shaped electric cars and earthen homes), designers are focusing on making desirable products.

The Knock-down/Drag-out bed from Material Furniture

"First and foremost, if things aren't beautifully designed, they are just not interesting to us," says Dorfman. "The real innovation and the real story today is the ability to offer the customer aesthetically great design and to have that along with environmental stewardship."