We at Expressions Furniture use only recycled and repurposed wood—from recycling plants to dead trees in and around our neighborhood, we strive to be as environmentally savvy as possible. In light of this consciousness, we want to be completely transparent about our furniture-building process. So, without further hesitation, here are the processes that produce our tables, chairs, and other furniture items.
SOURCING—All of our wood is locally sourced. We often purchase from mulch factories or scavenge the area for already-dead or fallen trees. Additionally, we utilize tree trimmings and leftovers from routine tree removals. We use a pickup truck to haul the wood back to our workshop, which exists in the back of our store.
SHAPING—Upon arriving at our workshop, we utilize a bandsaw to cut the tree into planks roughly 3.5” in width. We do this all ourselves; if we used larger, fresher trees, we may need physical help in order to secure and move this wood. However, we only ever take what we can handle, thus eliminating the creation of waste.
PREPPING—The wood is then dried. This is an essential step in the process, as wet or moist wood will decay, crack, and shift in ways that later affect the furniture shape and design. This takes a lot of time; without the use of a kiln, it can take up to a year for each inch of thickness. Our kiln speeds the process exponentially—our drying process takes only weeks.
BUILDING—Once the wood is dry, it is ready to be turned into furniture. After meticulously designing the perfect piece (we love custom work), the planning, shaping, and creating process begins.