A Modern Ethic

  • Style Isn't Enough

    Minimalist, modern, and Scandinavian style is in popular and many companies can deliver on the aesthetic. It’s important to consider whether the material quality and workmanship can last. It’s common to produce goods made from engineered materials which combine resins, plastics and some amount of compressed wood particles to create a great looking product. These materials won’t last for long term use and when disposed of won’t biodegrade quickly. The plywood I use is made from Maple or Birch and soy based adhesive. It will decompose when its useful life is over and leave less of eco footprint.

    Detail of a Maple Cut Chair

  • More Sustainable packaging

    Furniture shipping in particular contributes to a significant amount of waste. Most commercial distributors use large amounts of plastics in their packaging in order to reduce the chances of damage. I use all paper and cardboard packaging and cushioning when shipping my furniture and it’s very hard to do. No question it would be cheaper and more effective for me to use bubble wrap but I’m committed to all paper based packaging because I believe it’s better for the planet. I consider paper from trees a renewable source and composting the used packaging to be a sustainable packaging lifecycle.

  • Choose closer

    I think we should chose products made nearby when possible in order to reduce shipping emissions and support local labor and communities. I’m located on the West coast, so if you live near me my products are an ideal choice. If you’re far away consider if a local builder near you produces goods that are of comparable quality and support their work. I use local suppliers for my packaging and hardware. The maple plywood I use comes from the USA, the birch plywood comes from the Baltic states in Europe as the birch forests there are plentiful and sustainable.

  • I try to use the cleanest materials and finishes as possible. I think about the end of life for my products and how they will decompose back to nature. This influences the finishes I use, the glue, and the packaging. I design my products to ship as efficiently as possible to reduce the pollution the delivery companies create on their way to you. Every small part counts.

  • I do all I can to reduce the occupational hazards for myself so that I can keep doing this for a long time. This is another reason to use non-toxic finishes and polishes and adhesives. It also means implementing good dust collection and monitoring equipment to reduce airborne particles that I breathe. The main equipment that I use for cutting is a computer driven CNC which greatly reduces the chances of injury vs traditional table saws and joiners.

  • The continuing narrative of non-toxic finishes and polishes continues here. There’s very little odor when you open my packages in your home. I use only paper based packaging so you could compost the packaging in your garden or put it in your recycling bin.

 

Why Plywood?

 

Here’s my view. Traditional furniture it built from nearly all hardwoods like maple, ash, and oak. These trees take a long time to grow large enough to be harvested. As more and more consumers have a taste for quality furniture, more and more of these old trees will be cut to satisfy that desire.

But there is an alternative. Plywood uses faster growing species, cut in thin strips and laminated together to form sheets. I use the highest grade plywood that’s intended for cabinetry, called baltic birch. It’s from the baltic region of Europe where birch forests are plentiful and sustainable. When you look at the edges of this plywood it has many leaves of pure birch sandwiched together. I celebrate these edges by showing them off in the pieces instead of covering them with edge banding.

Plywood is a modern material that results in a minimalist, clean aesthetic. It’s popular among modern architecture and cutting edge interior designs. Using more plywood in furniture benefits the environment as it uses more sustainable, faster growing trees and reduces demand for the old slow growing varieties. I love the result of this material and I know you will too.