About the FurnitureOnce the pioneers had
established land claims their thoughts turned to building homes for
their families and barns for their livestock. This generally meant
Douglas Fir from the immense British Columbia forests. Huge trees were
felled and milled to supply the growing demand on the prairies. The
quality of this wood is still admired for itís strength and durability
and homes built from this lumber still stand true today. I discovered
the quality of this wood quite by accident and was immediately struck
by the beauty of the grain. While reading a recent
issue of Readers Digest I came upon an article that confirmed my reason
for building from this wood. Chris Godsall, CEO of Triton Logging in
B.C., said: "Today's second-growth trees are cut down at a relatively
young age, while they consist primarily of juvenile wood with widely
spaced growth rings. The old-growth species lived much longer and laid
down more mature wood, with three to four more times as many growth
rings per inch. The result is a finely grained, scratch resistant,
visually stunning and generally denser wood than anything else on the
market. Furniture and musical instruments made from this wood have the
same fine grain and texture as those made 100 years ago, because
they're from the same growth forest." I have been
fortunate to obtain permission from a number of friends to salvage much
of the lumber from these turn-of-the-century homes destined to be
burned down or demolished. I believe this wood to be as hard as many
hardwoods with a grain quality that will leave you
breathless. The furniture I build is built without
plans, coming totally from my imagination, much the same as an artist
painting a picture. The result is truly a guaranteed, (I hate this
term) one-of-a-kind piece of furniture. Because my furniture is built
from salvaged wood, there will be any number of nail holes and marks on
the wood that will not compromise the structural integrity of the
piece. I strive to retain as much of the ageing process that the wood
has undergone as possible. After completion, the piece is stained and
finished with two coats of tung oil. All other woods used were salvaged
from the same sources and wherever possible, hardware used is actual
period. In the case of painted furniture, all
finishes are used as salvaged and are not repainted. The alligator
effect on the paint is due to years of varying temperatures in the now
unheated homes and create their own antique beauty. Whatever your
style, I believe my furniture will fit with any decor, beautiful to
look at and built to last. Garden benches and tables
are also available.
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