Maku Furnishings: Surf-Inspired Modern Furniture
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.25.07
We're fans of this Lounge Chair made from sustainably-harvest teak by Maku Furnishings. Founded by two "Global Surfers, Travelers, Marketers and Lifestyle enthusiasts", Maku Furnishings offers "non traditional furnishings for a modern world." Their surf-inspired aesthetic is tempered by a distinctly modern feeling that yields a pretty unique set of products; Maku calls them "experiential, organic, and relevant to passionate lifestyle participants and design enthusiasts."
Sustainable Wood Furniture for All Occasions
They have a range of products that include seating, tables and "entry", which is a small collection of ornate (but pretty cool) doors. The Lounge Chair, combines understated simplicity with sleek sophistication to create a chair that looks as relaxing as it feels. All of Maku's products are made from sustainably-harvested teak from Indonesia (we expressed some concerns about Myanmar's teak trade, but this operation appears to be on the level), and they're also proud members of 1% for the Planet. They made a recent appearance at ICFF in New York, but their home-base is Carlsbad, CA and their furniture is available at two shops in southern California, as well as one in Portland, OR. Hit the jump for more photos of their work, and check out their website for more info. via ::Apartment Therapy LA
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I am not convinced that any sustainable teak is coming out of indonesia. Greenpeace UK says 90% of indonesian teak is illegally harvested and threatening orangutans,. It would be nice if they gave more information about where their wood came from and who certifies it.
**Author's comment**
Hey Lloyd,
You're right; it would be nice if Maku gave us some more details -- I emailed them to see what they had to say. Meantime, I was interested to see that the Rainforest Alliance has made some headway in Indonesia.
-CD
I think the term "green" is being applied more loosely everyday. I would want to see certification of sustainable harvesting by a 3rd party organization before I bought these.
Hi Everybody,
Sorry for the delay in responding to your questions about certification of the woods we use. I just returned from nearly 3 weeks in Indo inspecting production as well as getting a few waves in Bali!
You are correct that there is no longer certification of woods within Indo due to illegal logging. However, we go to great lengths to insure that our woods are procured through the proper channels. This process includes purchasing directly through the Indo Ministry of the Interior and more specifically the Dept of Forestry. To take things a step further either myself or a high ranking member of our production staff go to not only inspect the plantation but we also specifically tag the wood we are purchasing and then personally follow it through the entire process from Procurement at the plantation, transport to the mill, then kiln, and ultimately back to our production facility.
This is the only way we can be 100% sure that our woods are sustainable plantation grown products and the cost to have somebody follow the process in person is quite high but with out a doubt worth it. As a side note, all of our doors are made from 100% reclaimed woods and we are exploring the possibility of expanding that into our collection of furniture.
When I started this company one of the key parts of our DNA is making sure we are a good steward to the earth. Having grown up in a small resort town in Colorado and then moving to the beach nearly 20 years ago, I understand first hand how products, pollution, etc effect not only our economy but more importantly the environment. While I cannot claim that we are a 100% green company (After all who is...?) we are making strides to offer conscious consumers an alternative product that leaves a smaller footprint than our competitors.
While I agree that the term "Green" is being used loosely these days it is important to understand that regardless of what products or company I am with I have always taken this philosophy and we didn't necessarily intend for this aspect of our company to be a key marketing story as this is just part of the way we live... I guess in the end it is good to see that more and more companies are striving to be more aware of how their products affect the environment.
If anybody would like more specifics feel free to email us with any questions - info@makufurniture.com and be sure to check out our blog for updates on trips, production, and general happenings. http://makufurniture.blogspot.com/
Cheers,
Johnny