“Demolish another building, it just gives us more to work with!”

John Stein is into demolitions, but not in the way one might think.  The founder and president of California-based Kirei USA has a knack for finding the possibilities inherent in the unwanted.

This vision shows clearly in every Kirei product, including the newest line, Windfall.  These engineered panels are produced in partnership with Windfall Lumber, which takes Douglas & Hemlock Fir from deconstructed buildings in the Pacific Northwest and brings the reclaimed wood to fresh, new life.

“It’s great to reuse demolition material that would otherwise take up space in the landfill,” says Mr. Stein.  “Having it become beautiful wood panels is even better.  This is old-growth wood that just can’t be found any more, and we get to bring it to designers.”

Windfall is manufactured in the United States using low-VOC adhesives.  The reclaimed wood is milled into strips of differing width, which are then randomly stacked to form the panels and cut to size.  Panels are available either solid or 3-ply with a NUAF/FSC-certified core.  They may come unfinished, with a clear coat that shows off the natural grain, or stained and prefinished in Anthracite, Mocha, Ivory, and Leather colors.  The result adds to any interior.

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Usefulness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

Jacob Ruch has a knack for bringing out both characteristics in his work.  Curbside cast-offs, salvage yard finds, construction refuse – all find a place at Reason Furniture Design, where the proverbial sow’s ear is transformed into… you know.

The company is named for Jacob’s great-uncle, Reason Ruch, who was, according to the artist, “extremely independent and self-sufficient, an excellent craftsman who could make wonderful things with very limited resources.”  Jacob strives to make his business emulate those qualities. Read the rest of this entry »

The little wooden robot sits there, head cocked, arms outstretched, vacant drilled eyes staring into space.  Its expression is puzzled and innocent.  It looks like it wants a hug.  It’s cute.

Sometimes, in the earnest seriousness of striving to live green, we forget our sense of humor.  Marjolaine Poulin of M Design hasn’t forgotten… and she loves nothing better than to make other people smile, hence the little army of wooden robots marching out of her workshop in El Salvador.

Marjolaine (“Mao”) has taken scrap wood & discarded furniture and raised them both into art.

A native of Quebec, Canada, Mao splits her time between Montreal and El Salvador, always looking for inspiration.  Her introduction to woodworking came in 2004 in Guatemala, where she learned classical bamboo carpentry from a Taiwanese master.  Shortly afterward she began crafting her own designs hoping to promote bamboo’s many advantages as a building material in Central America.

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“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

~Henry David Thoreau

"Seconds Count" by Jason Wilbur

In the face of natural disaster, where others see devastation, Joy Feuer – and the many artists & volunteers who work with her – see opportunity for transformation and renewal.  Life is often about new beginnings.  Since 2008 Joy’s non-profit organization, ART From the Ashes, has been helping communities and individuals rebuild from the ashes of their former lives.

The concept for ART From the Ashes came to life autumn of 2007, during one of the most destructive fire seasons in the history of California.  AFTA was created to use the cathartic properties of art as a means of supporting the renewal of lives devastated by wildfire.  Members travel to a disaster site and from it reclaim materials – burnt wood, ruined household goods, architectural elements, anything that inspires – to be transformed into works of art and later sold at an exhibition-auction benefitting the effected community.

Joy Feuer, photo by James Carbone

The process is deeply meaningful for Joy.

“We have seen up close and personal the powerful connection and healing properties that our art programming has on communities in Southern and Central California,” she said.  “In the wake of disaster…watching what occurs to people and places, in that moment, you are there as well.  Its human nature to want to help in any way possible. In the actions of ART from the ashes, we can provide resource and support to communities in need.  Art provides a connection, provokes inspiration and invites hope.  There are no boundaries geographically or creatively.  Our desire is to honor this and expand our mission to help as many people as possible.” Read the rest of this entry »

The latest installment in a series of artisan profiles by contributing writer Emerald Atkins.

The ancient Greek poets were said to be inspired by the Muses, nine goddesses who were the source of all art.

Visitors to the whyrHymer Store in Los Angeles may well believe that a tenth Muse is informing Brandon & Sundeep Morrison on their own creations.  The couple & their work have been featured in California Home & Design and California Homes.  The style of their lighting & furniture is solid yet elegant, evoking the philosophy of the early 20^th century Arts & Crafts movement yet speaking in its own distinct, thoroughly modern voice.

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The fifth in a series of artisan profiles by contributing writer Emerald Atkins.

Don’t throw away that house paint!  It can be used for art.

Cassandra Tondro, an artist living in Santa Monica, CA, knows that secret, and has been using it since 2007 to create vibrant abstract paintings.  Her unique medium comes from many sources.  Sometimes the acrylic latex paint is literally repurposed house paint, gleaned either from the mistint shelves of hardware stores or from the local household hazardous waste center.  She also works directly with her clients by incorporating leftover paint from their architectural site to create truly custom art.

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The fourth in a series of artisan profiles by contributing writer Emerald Atkins.

“Life is in the details”  proclaims a sign at the offices of Alabama Chanin

Day by day the work goes – in baby steps – business and lifestyle stitched together by patience, love, and labor into a sustaining, sustainable whole.

Natalie Chanin’s business model is organic in the sense that it grew into its present form, instead of being the product of intentional design.  From her hometown of Florence, AL, to a degree in Environmental Design at North Carolina State University, to Vienna, to New York, and home again, Natalie has traveled far – and traveled full circle – blending the sewing lore of her grandmother into a business practice which well may be the legacy of her own grandchildren. Read the rest of this entry »

Artisan Profile by Emerald Atkins

Stranger Furniture is proof that deeply sustainable can mean deeply beautiful.

When the roughness of bark and the “imperfections” of natural wood are respected and used, when the natural, intricate grain of a board is allowed to shine forth in all its beauty, when the source tree “speaks” for itself, the results are tangible.

William Stranger’s work encompasses not just cabinetry and tables but also humbler creations such as lamps, utensils, and cutting boards.  Each aspect of his work supports a goal of creating zero waste.  Recycling is practiced whenever possible; scrap wood is donated to schools and other artists; even sawdust is used as animal bedding and then composted in order to minimize the shop’s impact.  As the artist explained, these business choices spring from a commitment “to an evolution that will take us beyond sustainability.” Read the rest of this entry »

The second in a series of artisan profiles by contributing writer Emerald Atkins.

100 years ago, before “sustainability” became a concept, before the word “recycling” even existed, a traditional American craft embodied both: rag rugs, the art of creating rugs from worn clothing & cast-off textiles.   Across the country housewives melded thrift and creativity, beauty and usefulness into functional works of art.

At Lark Textile Design owner/designer Janet Thomas builds on this legacy.  In her hands, the unintended sustainably of yesteryear has become a directed goal in the production of custom hand-woven and constructed rugs.

“Although I use new materials now for my rugs,” she says, “they are industry 2nds and cast offs.  Perfectly good for walking on but not good enough for your window coverings or upholstery.  I am a scavenger at heart and that mindset makes it really easy to fit into the context of today’s sustainability concerns.” Read the rest of this entry »

I’m very pleased to welcome Emerald Atkins as a contributing blogger for TIR.  A talented writer, jewelry maker and mother, Emerald will be providing us with a series of in-depth profiles of some of the wonderful artisans involved in sustainable furnishings and crafts.   To begin the series, she has interviewed my favorite handmade tile maker, Bronwyn Simons.  Enjoy!

Quality, tradition, sustainability, an artful approach to life and business…  In Terra Home’s rural studio in the heart of Denman Island, in British Columbia, founder Bronwyn Simons pursues all these ideals.  For her sustainability is not just a business practice but a reflection of the philosophy that guides her life.

Beauty in the everyday.  Serenity in a single tile.

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