Wood finish off gassing

I purchased some new Amish wood furniture and it is has a bad off gassing smell. They used catalyzed varnish. I'm very concerned about ordering additional bedroom furniture and having this smell in the bedroom and breathing it and it getting into the clothes. What do other furniture builders use that doesn't off gas and is more eco friendly? Any recommendations and advice is appreciated. I've thought about ordering some furniture unfinished and having a professional apply a different finish, but I'm not sure the best product to use.

Any kind of finish is going to off-gas, however it usually dissipates fairly quickly. If you find it bothersome, then let it air out in your garage or basement for a few days before bringing into your bedroom. Otherwise, if ordering from a store, ask them to unbox it and leave it out of the packing for a week before delivery.

Shellac is one of the most benign finishes out there, it has very little odor and is an organic material combined with alcohol. It's a more involved finish to do correctly though and shellac has no water resistance.

Don't order unfinished furniture, it expands and contracts in odd ways during shipment, new furniture should always have a sealer on the wood even if its just a single coat of clear shellac.

I've never seen an Amish shop that works in shellac shellac however - only real woodworkers do <wink>