How we do it
Reclaimed materials
Much of our furniture is made from reclaimed lumber. Specifically from shipping pallets that have been carefully selected and repurposed.
Now, when you think of pallet furniture its likely your are thinking of the rough, splinter inducing pieces you saw on DIY sites and your “handy” neighbour’s yard. Bear with us a moment while we dispell you of those thoughts and lead you through our reclaimed collection.
The reason we are able to create high quality furniture from repurposed palets, is because we have a unique partnership with one of Canada’s largest pallet suppliers, City Pallets. City pallets has worked for years to make the industry more ecologically friendly and our partnership is just the latests step in that process. From redirecting and repairing shipping pallets to extend their life, to planting trees to offset the loss of forest and now to repuprosing pallets for heirloom objects, they have remained commited to espousing the same goals that we are aiming towards. A partnership with companies that are walking a slightly different path to the same goal just seemed natural for us.
Through this partnership we have an unprecedented access to thousands of shipping pallets passing through their facilty each day and we are able to carefully select those pallets that will yield the best materials for furniture. This means that the materials we are using are only those that are fit for the purposes we intend for them. We are not limited to working with the leftovers found on the side of the road, instead we are cherry picking pieces that are the right material, size and quality for our purposes.
I’m sure you may have some more unanswered questions, so we have created a little section of “Frequently Asked Questions” to address them. Please check it out if you would like to learn more about how this material can be properly used.
Locally sourced materials
Not everything we make is made from reclaimed materials. At times, the function or the general feel of the piece does not work well with reclaimed materials. In those situations we operate similarly to other furniture makers and purchase new materials. However, even then we keep in mind the goal of sustainability and work with our supplier network to source sustainably grown lumber, or if possible to source urban growth lumber.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement in the industry towards using lumber from trees that have been removed from urban areas. These may be trees that have reached end of life, or are being removed in the name of progress. Luckily there is a whole industry of people who are working tirelesly to source these logs and turn them into usable lumber, rather than having them just mulched, like in the past.
We are proud that there are many outfits in Canada that have taken up this calling and are producing lumber from sources that would have in the past been turned to waste. While these are small scale operations that are overlooked by traditionally large manufacturers, they are perfect partners for small workshops like us.
Imagine yourself sitting at a table that was made from a tree that grew in your neighbourhood and was a playfort for the local kids, a shady spot for family picknics, and now continues to be a part of your life in your home. It doesn’t get much more local than that. If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, just let us know.
