Salvaged materials, new purpose—a bench built from what others discarded.
The Challenge
Create a meaningful gift using only reclaimed materials. No new lumber, no purchased hardware. The constraint wasn't budget—it was principle. Every piece needed a previous life.
The Approach
Sourced salvaged lumber and reclaimed hardware from demolition sites and secondhand stores. The design emerged from the materials themselves: dimensions dictated by the longest straight-grained boards, joinery methods chosen based on what the weathered wood could handle.
Simple rail-and-slat construction with through-tenon joints. The patina was preserved rather than sanded away—visible history is part of the piece.
Outcome
Still in use. The weathering has continued naturally, and the bench has developed the kind of character you can't manufacture.
