Eric Manigian: Creating Contemporary Furniture with Old Wood
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 06.21.07
TreeHugger is always saying how green it is to reuse something to give it a second life, or reclaim a material previously used for one purpose, and use it for another. Brooklyn designer Eric Manigian thinks the same way; combining modern, minimalist design and heirloom-quality hand craftsmanship with wood sourced by reclamation or other recycled method. Built with longevity in mind, according to Manigian, his "furniture is made from hand-selected wood from small millers who receive fallen, diseased, or discarded trees. In this way, we can give new life and meaning to the tree in the form of furniture." His work includes just about everything TreeHugger likes to see in furniture: sustainably-sourced wood; versatile, clean shapes; and craftsmanship that might allow the wood to last longer as a table than it did in its previous life as a tree. More examples of his thoughtful work, which consists mostly of tables, is after the jump; he's also happy to chat about custom work. ::Eric Manigian
Bandwidth low table in solid oak and ash
Deuce table in solid walnut
Riley end tables in spalted maple
Being an avid Treehugger, I can't help but cringe thinking about the faces owners of some of these tables are gonna make when they hit their knees at the sharp and unforgiving edges....oh my!
Actually, I own the Riley tables shown here, and they're entirely a pleasure to own. Our little boy loves to push them around, too.