Eco-chic wood

Eco-chic wood

Angela Heck -- Home Accents Today, 1/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

The en-vogue way to source wood right now is from anywhere other than a living tree, and more adherents than ever before are getting on board the reclaimed bandwagon. Retrieved from old buildings, forest floors and piles of scrap, most of this timber was destined to burn or rot. But the trend is not merely about saving trees or using up waste. Found wood often hails from rare wood species, exhibits unique characteristics or easily lends itself to handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces. Fresh timber cannot mimic the aura of age and history which gives such warmth to even the most modern of these designs.

PALECEK

Hand-strung driftwood pieces float on a freeform metal wire frame in Palecek's Driftwood wall decor piece ($398).

MADE GOODS

Made Goods' Oliver mirror juxtaposes ruggedly handsome good looks with contrasting mid-century styling panache. The design is hand-pieced in India from railroad ties dating back to the British Colonial era ($700–$1,050).

TURNING HOUSE FURNITURE

Turning House Furniture's asymmetrical Bruges buffet boasts two doors stepping down to three drawers in solid vintage pine reclaimed from derelict mills, distilleries and tobacco warehouses ($1,999).

FOUR HANDS

From Four Hands' Bina Collection, the sleek Blake chair is made from exotic hardwoods gathered from demolished South American buildings ($463).

LAZY SUSAN

Each piece of natural driftwood is individually selected for size, shape and quality and then handcrafted into Lazy Susan's Natural Driftwood Angel Fish by Filipino craftsmen ($74).

IBOLILI

Ibolili's oval teakwood branch bowl is handcrafted in Indonesia by local artisans ($325).

THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION

This monkey wood tree fell long ago in Thailand. The Phillips Collection converted it into a striking room divider or bookcase with three glass shelves ($7,500).

GROOVYSTUFF

Reclaimed teak branches that were once destined to be destroyed as waste now form the body of this table lamp from Groovystuff's Antares lighting collection ($250).