Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Design Firm Gives Wood Floors New Life

Not everyone truly appreciates great pieces of wood; even fewer will jump into a Dumpster to save them. Sharon and Ted Burdett, co-owners of Strand Design in Chicago, however, happen to be those kind of people. When the pair spotted a Dumpster full of old-growth fir floorboards that had been torn out of the building across the street, they rescued them and brought them back to their workshop. The boards were put to use in a variety of home decor designs, including the 36-inch-wide, chandelier-like Refold Lamp. Clad in 1/16-inch-thick old-growth fir veneers, the lamp's structure is made from light-colored post-consumer plastic for optimum illumination and sustainability. In the past, the pair furnished an entire office with desks made from castoff flooring, ensuring that gorgeous planks can live on. For more on the Burdetts' designs, visit www.stranddesign.org.-K.M.

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