Urban Hardwoods Gives Local Timbers a Second Life

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Jim Newsom always knew he was a “wood guy.” In the late 1990s, he began to salvage beached logs from the shore of Seattle 's Elliot Bay , turning them into decking planks. In 2002, he expanded his efforts and founded Urban Hardwoods. The Seattle, Washington-based company reclaims local fallen or diseased trees and, depending on their condition, transforms them into furniture, cabinetry, and flooring, or into raw lumber. The aim is not only to reuse the resource, but also to “reconnect people with creations from their natural environment,” Newsom says.

The process is straightforward. Homeowners call the firm to remove a tree; its workers examine it, then strategically cut it in order to preserve as much of the wood as possible. After milling it into slabs, the company air-dries it—a process that can take up to several years—before placing it into a wood-drying kiln for another two to three weeks to sanitize it and get it to an ideal moisture level.

From here, Urban Hardwoods either 1) works with the homeowner and/or various designers, architects, and developers to shape the wood into a customized piece of furniture, or 2) sells the wood as raw material, either in large slabs or in a more refined form, such as lumber. The company also offers a “whole log” selection, where the milled wood from a given tree is kept together until sold. This option allows for optimal matching of grain and color for such projects as tabletops.

With Urban Hardwoods, Newsom has found his purpose and passion. “Many of the trees in the Seattle neighborhoods have been around for a long time and are special to the residents,” he says. “It can be disheartening when one in a front lawn, for example, needs to be removed. So when I can return it back to the surrounding homes in the form of tables and chairs, it means a lot.” Urban Hardwoods; 206-766-8199, urbanhardwoods.com. —Décor Darling

Comments

[justin hoo]

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