The Paperpedic Bed by Karton is a system of intricately folded and tabbed paper panels that connect to form a sleek and modern bed frame.

A Chicago Tribune series that launched this week reveals that the reason why chemical makers make millions off their products to furniture companies is part fear and part tactics learned from the tobacco industry.

Benedicte de Blavous Moubarak founded 2B Design in 2004, with the idea that she could bring together people who may practice different religions, but were marginalized, often because of disabilities, and could not find gainful work. The result are pieces that reflect Beirut’s glorious past.

One of Bosnia’s promising industries is furniture. The industry is a natural fit: Bosnia is well forested, and its people have a long history of craftsmanship. The Yugoslavia of Josip Tito, however, sowed the seeds of the Bosnian furniture industry’s challenges.

IKEA has received a fair share of criticism over the years, but there is evidence that the furniture giant undertaking improvements on the sustainability front. The company has tinkered with renewable energy, is phasing out flame retardants in its furniture, and in Sweden it is making a counterintuitive business move: customers in its home country can now sell the store’s used furniture on IKEA’s Swedish site.