Re-imagining! Old discarded wood > Beautiful new furniture
mebl/transforming furniture

Reimagining beautiful new furniture out of old, discarded wood can be transformative in myriad ways. These range from sparking creativity…to mobilizing a unique design aesthetic…to unlocking hidden stories…to advancing a more sustainable environment and economy. In the words of wise artisans and some far-sighted organizations and companies on whose shoulders we stand:

– “There is magic in taking something old and re-imagining it as something else. A designer’s passion makes something handmade very very personal…Emotions shift to ‘I love this thing.’” (1)

– “Sustainability is not separate from good design–we are frustrated at seeing an emerging category called ‘Green Design.’ Just consider the user…and impact on the environment.” (2)

– “Reclaimed wood has a life force that a newly cut-down tree just doesn’t have…” (3)

– “These materials are storytellers. Historical materials connect us with a narrative larger than ourselves. They remind us of past people and distant places.” (4)

– “Our mission is to restore the unseen beauty in the broken.” (5)

– “Our pieces will continue to develop their histories as modern artifacts in the lives and environments of our customers.” (6)

– “Bottom line: Reclaimed wood is as “green” as it gets. By choosing reclaimed, you will be helping to save our precious natural wood resources and preventing new landfills…” (7)

– “We urgently need to shift towards a more resource-efficient economy. Reduce our ecological footprint, chang[e] how we produce and consume…recycle and reduce waste…” (8)

mebl would love nothing more than to put you in touch with the furniture makers on display to explore, order or potentially commission pieces.

Sources: (1) Claire Pijoulat, Wanted Design, 11/5/2015; (2) Inhabitat.com, El Segundo, CA; (3) Ethan Abramson, Brooklyn, NY, quoted in Dan’s Papers 8/16/2013; (4) The Hudson Company, Brooklyn, NY; (5) Beyt by 2B Design, Beirut, Lebanon; (6) District Mills, Los Angeles, CA; (7) Revient, North Wilkesboro, NC & Bend, OR; and (8) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

About mebl/transforming furniture:

This showcase is presented by mebl/transforming furniture, a new Brooklyn-based social enterprise. mebl’s passion is beautiful high-quality furniture, handcrafted from old used wood.  We promote talented furniture-makers and encourage more sustainable practices across the industry. Our aim is to bust through narrow perceptions of “reclaimed wood furniture,” expand this marketplace, and make you and the artisans really happy.

The furniture on exhibit comes from around the globe, the US and Brooklyn. The 100 furniture-makers included are from 22 states, 15 countries, 5 continents and one borough of New York City!  All build furniture by hand. Almost all are independent artisans or small workshops; a few build, by hand, at a larger scale.

“mebl” means furniture in the Yiddish language, while the letters M, B and L are root letters of the word “furniture” in more than thirty languages around the world, ranging from Albanian (mobilje) to Portuguese  (mobília)  to Spanish (mueble) to Turkish (mobilya) to Uzbek (mebel).

For more information or to schedule a visit, please contact Michael Hirschhorn at michael@meblfurniture.com or visit www.meblfurniture.com