Furniture made from endangered tropical hardwoods (teak, mahogany and the like) threatens wildlife habitats around the globe. But furniture made from landfilled doors makes the world a better place - and your living room truly unique.
"People are excited that we've taken something ugly and made it beautiful and functional," says Christi Weber, a designer with Madison Environmental Group. Weber and her colleagues rescue old commercial wood doors from teardown sites and landfills, and turn them into kitchen islands, coffee tables, consoles, dining tables and more.
Fullcircle Furniture, as the line is called, features nontoxic finishes and uses local craftsmen as builders. The sleek pieces appeal to people who like nice furniture but want to feel good about where those pieces came from.
Says Weber, "Our clients seem most excited about the recycled aspect of our work - they're very aware of consumption and the waste that goes with it."
The spare, clean designs play up the simple geometry of the once-inconspicuous doors. Each piece features a filled-in, sanded-over doorknob as a trademark. Customers, says Weber, love to tell their friends the story of the office door that got "a second life as a dining room table."
RESOURCES:
Fullcircle Furniture, 25 N. Pinckney St., Suite 310, Madison; 608-280-0800; www.fullcircleinteriors.com
