Reclaimed woods claim spotlight in Atlanta
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, January 18, 2010
ATLANTA —
Reclaimed woods and other environmentally friendly materials took center stage at last week's International Gift & Home Furnishings Market here, on pieces including dining tables, hall consoles and occasional tables tables.
The reused materials came from a variety of sources ranging from barn doors and telephone poles to decommissioned Chinese junks.
Halo Styles' $999 Axel coffee table has a top made from wood taken from a former junk, while its $4,900 double pedestal Old Grand Library Table that seats 12 is made with wood from old barns in Northern England.
A new company called Gabby — Décor With a Story offered a line of Old World and European influenced buffets, entertainment consoles and hall and dining tables made with reclaimed elm and pine from old buildings.
“Every piece looks different and has character,” said company Vice President William White. “It will not be like what everybody else has. You can see where the wood has been. It has a story to it.”
Many vendors with reclaimed woods said customers value the look and history behind the materials more than their environmentally friendly nature. Still, White and others tout the green benefits too.
“Consumers are interested in the look, but we're going to tell the green story,” he said, adding that the sustainability angle partly has to do with the durability of the pieces. “The idea behind green is that it is something that you will keep awhile.”
At the Palecek showroom, many customers were drawn to the look of pieces made with natural materials such as bamboo and seagrass.
“People respond to that for the same reason they buy art,” said Palecek President George Van Ess. At the same time, he said, many customers also like the green nature of the company's products, including its use of water-based finishes.
This market Palecek offered 30 new pieces, 20% of which were furniture and the rest home accents.
Among its signature pieces was an $899 side table with a petrified wood top supported by a stainless steel base. The top — a cross-cut section of a petrified log — has rough edges and a heavily sanded surface with a polished look. A $1,999 hall table on a stainless steel base has a top made of pieces of polished petrified wood cut into rectangular sections.
Van Ess said he was pleased with the show, noting that traffic was “excellent” and average order size was up from the last two Atlanta shows. Buyers were “very careful” at the earlier shows, but are becoming more willing to place orders, he said.
“People come in here and see new and exciting (product) and they want to be part of it.”
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