California Doug Fir in South Africa? See for yourself at the Wooden Duck, which designs and sells furnishings made from recycled wood . The first shipment of furniture from Durban, South Africa made from old growth, recycled California Douglas fir, has just arrived. History buffs, listen up. From 1860 to 1880 a lot of iron and gold ore-processing plants were erected in California. The raw materials would arrive from Africa by ship (there were no metal processing plants in Africa at the time), and fir trees were cut down for ballast in the returning ships. The wood was discarded in the port of Durban and used to build warehouses. Now those building are being torn down and the wood is being salvaged. Wooden Duck owners Eric Gellerman and Amy Ferber commissioned the South Africa manufacturers to create dressers, tables, beds, and chairs from the old lumber according to the furniture company's specifications.
" I sent them our designs mostly a mixture of Craftsman, Mission, and some Shaker and with the help of technology (digital photo-imaging), they were able to produce exactly what we wanted," says Gellerman. The result is beautiful, newly made furniture with a weathered look and an antique pedigree.
The Wooden Duck
1823 Eastshore Highway, Berkeley, California 94710
(510) 848-3575
www.thewoodenduck.com