Why buy new, when older is better built and Eco-Friendly?

This is an Article I really enjoyed and felt a pressing need to publish on our website. I would like to give special thanks to Vicky Sanderson for the story and all she does to produce products that are appealing but yet eco-friendly. Since EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC has begun to go Green it has been nothing short of amazing how we can utilize pieces of wood or scrap in another job, or to build a special, unique piece of furniture. Most kitchen cabinet companies just take town the old cabinets and throw them away where they will wind up in a landfill, unless they are of some value and the contractor decides to keep them to sell. If I were to tell you we weren't the same way I would be lying. However, today we operate quite differently we remove every cabinet with kids gloves and decide which ones are salvageable and which aren't. The ones that are we take back to our shop, clean them and do any minor repairs. Then when normally sand them down and re-stain or paint them and add new hardware (handles, pulls, hinges) and give them away FREE to a needy family. So many people think they are brand new cabinets, you would be surprised what a fresh coat of stain or paint can so! We do it with everything from clothes to children's toys. If you are a Church or non-profit agency in need of such things please contact us and we can arrange a schedule for when you can pick up such items or help us distribute furniture, televisions, and kitchen cabinets. To me it's all about doing the next right thing!

Christopher Purnell
President
EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC
www.ezfurnitureassembly.com



Vicky Sanderson
Special to The Star

One of the biggest trends in home decor is a movement away from slick composite and laminate materials toward wood that looks like it has lived a little.

Richly grained, weathered timber is turning up everywhere – in flooring, furniture and tabletop pieces – while wood-inspired design is showing up as a graphic element in textiles and wall coverings. At the same time, eco-friendly and sustainably produced housewares are becoming more desirable in decor and design circles.

The two trends merge nicely in furniture and accessories for the home made from "reclaimed timber" – wood that comes from existing furniture, architectural sites and urban canopies, or is surplus created in a building process.

The growing popularity of solid wood pieces with a time-worn look is no surprise to Rita Thiel, owner of JacKryn France, a boutique in Aurora that recently introduced a line of French country pieces handcrafted from reclaimed oak and pine.

Thiel says the allure of the new line lies in the simplicity of design and quality of timber, which is carefully stained and polished to create an effect called "Brocante," which Thiel translates as "country antique market."

Reclaimed pieces speak to a growing desire to own things that last, Thiel says. "People are more willing to save up slowly for a great piece because they understand that it will become an heirloom they pass on to their children," she says.

The signature pieces on display in her store work particularly well in kitchens, Thiel suggests, because they can be moved as needed, and can go with the family when it moves, as befits an heirloom.

The Brocante line includes a two-drawer sideboard with a chopping block, which sells for $1,020, while a classic sideboard sells for $1,116 and cane chairs retail for $612. For more information and for hours and location, go to jackryn.com or call 905-726-3451.

Urban Tree Salvage also makes furniture and accessories with built-in history, working with wood from urban trees that have been removed because of storm or insect damage, disease and construction, as well as timber salvaged from local historical sites.

Their serving platters are created from reclaimed slabs of wood, usually elm and maple, or occasionally birch and walnut. They're made with or without handles and finished in a food-safe hemp oil; prices start about $75. Candle holders are made of old-growth pine and hemlock salvaged from centuries-old timbers recently excavated near Toronto's lake front, at what was once known as Queen's Wharf. Four or six-piece holders sell for $20 and $25.

Later this year, Urban Tree Salvage will begin offering console, coffee and end tables made from the Queen's Wharf pine that will be shipped flat-packed for assembly. Prices start at $300. For more information, go to urbantreesalvage. com or visit 19A Malley Rd. in Scarborough 647-438-7516).

Ten Thousand Villages, a fair- trade organization that sells handcrafted goods from developing countries around the world, is a great source for wood products, including some from reclaimed timber. A teak bowl with undulating lines is made from salvaged Indonesian wood and sells for $150. For store locations or to shop online, go to tenthousandvillages.ca.

Using reclaimed materials and cut-offs seems to be a major theme at Made, a store at 867 Dundas St. W., that specializes in handmade works and small-run pieces by Canadian designers and artists.

Galiano lamps by Vancouver's Propellor Design, for example, feature biodegradable shades made from reclaimed Douglas fir and funny little twig pulls made from arbutus tree branches that came down during the wind storms in Vancouver in 2006. The lamps can be disassembled for repurposing or recycling at the end of the product's life cycle. To encourage reuse, how-to instructions for disassembly are attached to the inside of the lamp. Galiano lamps come in various sizes; prices start at about $260. To see other works go to propellor.ca.

Designers Cristina Covello and Andrew Reesor, who work with recycled materials such as plastic bags, tin cans, pop bottles and windshield glass, have added a DIY twist to repurposing wood. Their simple rePly chair is made from lowly plywood, and is also available through Made. Ambitious homeowners can download instructions for making the chair with leftover material at replychair.com

For more information and store hours, go to madedesign.ca or call 416-607-6384.

And here's a hot tip if you love modern design and like the idea of supporting new Canadian talent. Made will be hosting Radiant Dark, an exhibit of emerging Canadian designers from Feb. 20 to 27 at the Burroughs Building (639 Queen St. W.).