October 7, 2026 — A family has reported experiencing severe and persistent chemical off-gassing from new Rooms To Go Cottage Colors 2.0 bedroom furniture, leading to widespread odor throughout their home and various physical symptoms among household members. The incident highlights concerns regarding indoor air quality and potential health risks associated with new furniture products.
Product Details
Incident Overview
The consumer purchased Cottage Colors 2.0 bedroom/loft-bunk furniture from Rooms To Go. Approximately three weeks after delivery and installation, the furniture continued to emit an extremely strong chemical odor. Despite extensive efforts to ventilate the home, including repeatedly opening windows and doors, circulating fresh air, and using air filtration with a VOC/activated-carbon filter, the odor has not diminished.
The strong chemical smell, initially confined to the bedroom, has reportedly spread throughout the entire home, rendering the bedroom unusable. The family attempted to identify the source by removing mattresses, but the persistent odor from the furniture remained. The mattresses themselves also retained a strong chemical smell after being in the affected room.
Compounding the concern, multiple members of the household have been experiencing physical symptoms since the furniture’s arrival. These symptoms include headaches (affecting both the parent and daughter), watery and irritated eyes, nasal congestion, sore and irritated throat, lightheadedness, and a general feeling of unwellness.
The consumer contacted Rooms To Go regarding the issue. They were informed that a return would not be accepted due to more than 48 hours having passed since delivery, although an exchange was offered. Given the severity of the odor, its spread, and the family’s symptoms, the consumer’s primary concern is the immediate removal of the furniture from their home. The incident has been reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for review, with the consumer requesting an investigation into potential safety issues that could affect other consumers.
Safety Concerns
The reported incident raises several significant safety concerns:
- Immediate Health Risks: The family’s experience of headaches, eye and throat irritation, nasal congestion, and lightheadedness indicates exposure to airborne chemical irritants. Such symptoms can be debilitating and impact daily life.
- Long-Term Health Risks: Persistent exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemical off-gassing, even at low levels, can have long-term health implications, particularly for sensitive individuals, children, or those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. These could include respiratory problems, allergies, or other systemic health issues. The exact chemical composition of the off-gassing is unknown, making a precise risk assessment difficult without laboratory testing.
- Indoor Air Quality Degradation: The widespread odor throughout the home suggests significant contamination of indoor air, making the living environment potentially unhealthy and uncomfortable. This can severely diminish quality of life and create an unsafe living space.
- Unusable Living Space: The bedroom becoming unusable due to the odor impacts the family’s ability to safely and comfortably use their home, causing significant disruption.
- Who Might Be Affected: All occupants of the home are at risk of exposure, with children potentially being more vulnerable due to their developing systems and higher respiration rates relative to their body size. Guests or pets in the home could also be affected.
- Property Damage Potential: While not explicitly mentioned as damage, the mattresses retaining the strong odor suggests that other porous materials in the home could absorb these chemicals, potentially requiring extensive cleaning or replacement, representing a form of property damage or loss of use.
What Consumers Should Do
If you own Rooms To Go Cottage Colors 2.0 furniture or similar new furniture emitting a strong, persistent chemical odor, here are steps you should consider:
- Identify the Product: Confirm if your furniture is the “Rooms To Go Cottage Colors 2.0” model or another product from the manufacturer exhibiting similar off-gassing.
- Increase Ventilation: While the reported incident suggests ventilation alone may not solve the problem, continuing to ventilate your home thoroughly can help reduce the concentration of airborne chemicals. Open windows and doors, use fans, and ensure good air circulation.
- Limit Exposure: If possible, avoid spending extended periods in rooms with strong odors. Consider temporarily relocating the furniture to an isolated, well-ventilated area (e.g., garage or outdoors if weather permits) away from living spaces.
- Document Everything: Keep detailed records of your purchase, delivery date, efforts to ventilate, symptoms experienced (including dates and duration), and all communications with the manufacturer or retailer. Take photos or videos if they can help document the issue (e.g., air quality monitor readings, if available).
- Seek Medical Advice: If you or any family member experiences physical symptoms, consult a healthcare professional. Inform them about the potential chemical exposure from the furniture.
- Contact the Manufacturer/Retailer: Report the issue directly to Rooms To Go and/or the retailer where you purchased the furniture. Clearly state your concerns about off-gassing and any symptoms experienced. Request a resolution, such as a full refund or removal of the product.
- Report to the CPSC: File an incident report with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) at www.SaferProducts.gov. Your report helps the CPSC identify potential patterns and investigate safety hazards.
Manufacturer’s Response
As of October 5, 2026, Rooms To Go provided a general response to the incident:
“Rooms To Go takes product safety and customer concerns very seriously. We appreciate receiving this and any other information regarding our customers’ use of our products. We are sorry to hear that this customer reported having this experience with one of our glass tables, and we have reached out to the customer to obtain more information. Rooms To Go is committed to offering quality products, which includes safety. We encourage anyone with questions or concerns about Rooms To Go’s products to contact us at 800-766-6786 or on our website at www.roomstogo.com”
*Note:* It is important to highlight that the manufacturer’s response mentions “one of our glass tables,” which differs from the “bedroom/loft-bunk furniture” specified in the consumer’s report. This discrepancy may indicate an internal misclassification or a generic response.
Legal Help Available
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product or suffered property damage due to a product malfunction, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced product liability attorneys at Farzan Law understand the complexities of defective product cases and can help you navigate the legal process. Farzan Law is a California based Personal Injury law firm focusing on protecting the rights of those wrongfully injured.
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Contact us today for a free consultation: 424-325-3112
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Note: This information is based on incident reports provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you find information that is incorrect, please contact us immediately so we can correct the post to reflect accurate information.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal or medical advice. This article is based on publicly available incident reports. The incidents mentioned have not necessarily been independently verified or adjudicated.