Solid Wood's reclaimed Douglas products
by Erwan Pianezza, Locronan, Brittany on 10.15.05
Bio-carpenters know about Douglas Fir species for building : highly durable, requiring very little, if none, artificial preservation treatment. At TreeHugger we were wondering "what are the furniture makers doing with Douglas Fir" ? Inexpensive, though not as hard and heavy as oak , Douglas Fir is a good compromise for good value indoor and outdoor furniture products. Solid Wood, a Canadian company, has designed this nice blend of natural materials, such as natural slates inlay.
Mitch Upton, founder of the company, is a man of knowledge : after having logged trees for years, he has turned to the process of recycling ancient timbers since the day he contracted for the dismantling of a 60 year old wooden bridge. Why not use that for new buildings ? He went on and extended his business to smaller projects, using traditional carpentry techniques.
:: Solid Wood Products (Lac Le Jeune, British Columbia, Canada)
Here in the Northwest (U.S.) where there's so much old growth Doug Fir available from dismantled houses, there is a thriving hobby and some small businesses that build with reclaimed Fir (see Refind Furniture). Fir takes on a great aged redish tone and the distinctness of old growth grain is truely beautiful.