— Check out products made from bamboo.

It's a fast-growing wood, so bamboo forests replenish themselves quickly. And it requires little pesticide or fertilizer. It works well for lightweight items like decorative tables, but may not be a great choice for something heavier. "When it's used in things that need a lot of strength, you need lots of resins and fillers to make it strong enough," said Snoonian, of Plenty. Those resins and fillers, she said, may not be environmentally friendly.

— Consider buying a product made from reclaimed wood — wood that previously had been used to make something different.

"Whether it's a whole building or parts of a building or wood used from one piece of furniture to the next," Snoonian said, "there are a lot of ways you can repurpose wood that has that history."

— Also, ask about the type of paint or stain used to finish the piece of furniture. Look for low-VOC (volatile organic compound) or HAP (hazardous air pollutant)-free finishes. They give off less gas, which protects the air quality in your home and benefits the environment.

— Don't let cost worry you.

Sustainably harvested wood products aren't necessarily expensive, Miller said. "It's not just high-end manufacturers that do this. Among lower-end retailers, Ikea uses a lot of sustainable wood products," she said.

And consumers don't have to sacrifice style. Take, for example, the furniture made with sustainably harvested wood by Connecticut-based retailer ducduc, which merges eco-sensibility with sleek, modern design.

In a further nod to environmental sensitivity, ducduc finishes their products with non-VOC (volatile organic compound) and HAP (hazardous air pollutant)-free paints.

Focusing on these issues will soon be crucial for retailers in today's eco-conscious world, said ducduc's CEO, Philip Erdoes, in an e-mail interview. "Being smart green is very soon becoming 'the price of entry,' not just an idea," he said.