As an ever-increasing number of businesses look for ways to be more eco-friendly, wooden furniture can be just one component in a commitment to all-wood architecture, a discipline that maximises the use of timber for construction, and timber-derived products wherever possible throughout the building.
In a Masters thesis at the Delft University of Technology, Anne-Louise Bergkamp explains that simply using wood as part of a mix of conventional building methods is only half of the solution - and that truly maximising the use of the material as far as possible is the real definition of 'all-wood' architecture.
She concedes that certain aspects of a building cannot be achieved using wood - for example, the provision of services like electricity and the internet requires cables and fibre optics, while transparent glazing in the windows needs glass - but that there are options such as wood-fibre insulation to tackle other challenges in the property.
"Therefore, a definition for all-wood architecture is formulated as follows: All-wood architecture is achieved when both structural work and finishing, except installations and services, are established in wood or wood-based products and no measures are taken to conceal the product surfaces," she writes.
Later in her thesis, she pictures a variety of wood-built premises and properties, complete with wooden furniture and other wooden fixtures and fittings, as examples of this approach taken to its fullest extreme.
Under Ms Bergkamp's definition, the timber used should not be painted - instead, it is left untreated so that the natural colour and texture of the wood is visible - although in commercial premises this would present clear problems in the event of spillage or heavy use.
Wooden furniture often has relatively minimal surface treatment, however, allowing it to adhere largely to the principles of all-wood architecture, but with greater longevity against dirt and stains, enhancing its sustainability rather than harming it.
And with the option to replace wooden table tops with fresh timber if they become heavily damaged or simply worn out over time, it's a great way for businesses to economise, rather than having to spend more to become more eco-friendly.