Be a friend of the Earth: Buy your furniture at auction

Buying used is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. That can go even more when you go for something that been in use for 100 years or more. By their very nature, antiques are the sustainable choice when you’re buying for you and your home.

Below are some great reasons to buy vintage and antique pieces along with a few examples from thesaleroom.com to get you inspired.

Antiques are green

This Georgian mahogany chest has an estimate of £100-200 at David Duggleby on June 27.

Don’t just take our word for it – ‘Antiques Are Green’ is also the name of a movement to promote the sustainability of the heritage industry. In one of its scientific studies it demonstrated that a Georgian chest of drawers has one-sixteenth the carbon footprint of its new flatpack alternative.

Intrigued? There are plenty of examples of Georgian chests on thesaleroom.com, including this four-drawer mahogany example which has an estimate of £100-200 at David Duggleby on June 27.

Recycle old, recycle new(er)

You don’t have to look centuries back to make a sustainable choice. You’ll get the same sustainability satisfaction with 20^th century piece, while still ending up with something unusual or even unique.

If you’re after a bit of quirky elegance, you could check out the French games table going under the hammer at Locke & England on June 11 with an estimate of £80-120. The surface flips over to reveal baize surface and guinea wells perfect for poker night.

This Arts & Crafts writing table is offered at Duggleby Stephenson of York on June 19 with an estimate of £300-400.

Or you could get into the craze for collecting Arts and Crafts style furniture such as the oak writing table on offer at Duggleby Stepenson of York with an estimate of £300-400.

Second-hand is an alternative to mining

William George offers this 18ct white gold diamond ring. Bidding starts at £3750.

Did you know that, according to some estimates, 20,000lbs of rock typically need be mined to get five carats worth of diamond? Any mining project takes a lot of energy, so when shopping for jewellery you’ll be doing your bit for the environment when you consider buying a pre-loved ring – and if the mining argument doesn’t convince you, maybe the reduced price tag will.

William George offers various pieces of modern, second-hand jewellery on June 14, including an 18ct white gold diamond ring with shoulders set with 1.38ct stones. Bidding starts at £3750.

This emerald ring is offered at Fellows on June 11 for £600-800.

You’ll feel especially 'green' if you opt for a emerald, such as the 1.98ct example in this diamond cluster ring, which has an estimate of £600-800. Fellows offer it on June 11.

To learn more view our buying guides for diamond rings and jewellery with coloured gemstones.

Antiques are resilient

This 18th century oak blanket chest has at estimate of £100-150 at Batemans on June 13.

You can also be bold and go for something really historic. Don’t think that because a piece is old, it’s fragile. In fact it’s usually quite the opposite – if a chest, bed or cabinet has lasted for decades or centuries suggests it was made by talented craftspeople, has been well cared-for by previous owners and is likely to last for years to come.

Take this 18^th century oak blanket chest, for example, which has lasted with its beautiful carving for more than 300 years. It’s hinges and lock have been replaced, so that it’s ready to go as-is. Estimated at £100-150, it is ideal for storage at the foot of the bed or elsewhere in the home and goes under the hammer at Batemans on June 13.

If you’re inspired and want to learn more, check out our buying guide for antique furniture.

Fight fast fashion

Dreweatts offers this Prada Saffiano black leather clutch bag with an estimate of just £100-200.

It’s no secret that the fashion industry uses huge amounts of energy and resources for its product. In 2017 it was estimated that it took 2720 litres of water to produce a single shirt. Vintage clothing and textiles show up regularly at auction, from dresses to coats to shoes and other accessories.

Dreweatts includes a few handbags in its June 15 sale, such as this Prada Saffiano black leather clutch bag which has an estimate of just £100-200.