One of a Kind

Backstory:

While driving to work in 2007, I spotted this radial slab on the side of the road where a large maple tree had been cut down and the trunk hauled away to a lumber mill and I was intrigued with its very fluid natural edge, so I loaded it up in my truck and took it to my shop, where I encapsulated it in plastic so that I could control the rate at which it could dry thereby minimizing the cracking and checking. After 13 years in storage, I decided to incorporate the slab into a piece of furniture. After many drawings and sketches, I felt that the elongated rectilinear form of a console table worked best to bring out the negative space generated by the live edge of the slab. I wanted to add a contrasting element to the slab that would interact with the negative space created by the live edge, so I cut a perfectly round hole in the center of the heartwood and gilded it to be highly light reflective and act as a portal entering another special dimension. In creating the mortices and tenon joints used to attach the slab to the top; we had to cut two pieces of the live edge off to create a flat surface to receive the top. We saved those cut offs so that we could utilize magnets embedded into both the underside of the top and the bottoms of the cuts offs to allow these pieces to be placed on the top giving the illusion that the slab actually pierces the top. They can be easily removed to allow for an uninterrupted flat surface for the top.

Philosophy:

We designed this console table to be a highly decorative and dynamic center piece in an entranceway or living room by incorporating the organic natural free flowing live edge radial slab with a very rectilinear and monochromatic contrasting top, vertical supports, and base that are further enhanced with the precious metal leaf. The use of Richlite and the discarded maple slab follows LEED Certifications, Green Practices, and Best Practices. I also designed and produced this piece to bring awareness to the public of the beauty and importance of nature by making the radial slab the focal point of the piece. This is further enhanced by the centralized circle and it being gilded with silver leaf. Also, by utilizing the Richlite Black Diamond, I wanted to make the public aware of the Richlite as a viable, sustainable, and versatile product that can be utilized in the home and office for multiple purposes.  

Materials:

Black Diamond by Richlite. Made from 100% FSA Certified recycled paper, a saved from the side of the road; radial slab of highly figured maple; silver, 12 karat gold, and Palladium gold leaf; and a moderately low VOC durable highly polished clear coating.

Construction:

Black Diamond Richlite top, base, and vertical supports with tenons into the maple slab, base and top. All of the manipulation of the materials were conducted at our studio where all of the electrical current required to run the studio and the tools and machinery was generated by solar panels. All of the fabrication was conducted by hand.

Exhibitions:

Exhibited at the Western Design Conference in 2021.Porta De Soul was a finalist in the International Society Designers Innovation and design for 2022 and it was entered in the International Society of Furniture Designers Pinnacle Award in 2022 as well as the Green Leaf Award. As is currently entered into Boston Design 2023 Week through www.ArtandObject.com. Exhibited in 2022 at Spectrum Miami through ArtBlend during Miami Art Week.

Size:

Length 54” x Width 14” x Height 37”

LEED Credit Information:

MR Credit 3:

Materials Reuse Durability is a primary attribute of Richlite. Richlite will last a lifetime – whether it stays in its original installation or is re-fabricated into another project. Richlite can be easily refinished to its original appearance.

MR Credit 4:

Recycled Content The Richlite product contains 50% to 100% of FSC® Certified fibers from post-consumer waste.

MR Credit 5:

Regional Materials Richlite products are manufactured in Tacoma, Washington. Richlite’s r50 and r100 paper suppliers and Richlite’s resin supplier are within 200 miles of the manufacturing plant.

MR Credit 6:

Rapidly Renewable Materials Richlite FSC® Certified products are composed of 30% Eucalyptus fibers. Richlite FSC® Certified products can be applied to both MR Credit 6 (rapidly renewable materials)

 MR Credit 7:

Richlite is a FSC® Certified product and is not only comprised of 50% post-consumer waist but also 30% of Richlite’s FSC® Certified product uses eucalyptus fibers (a rapidly renewable material under).

IEQ Credit 4.4:

Low-Emitting Materials: Composite Wood & Agrifiber Products Richlite contains no urea formaldehyde. In addition, all Richlite products are GREENGUARD Certified for Children & Schools – the highest rating GREENGUARD supplies. Also note that 100% of the VOC’s created during manufacturing are destroyed.

ID Credit 1:

Innovation in Design Richlite has seen its material used in some very unique and sustainable ways in building projects. Richlite will provide the form... you provide the function.

RAINFOREST ALLIANCE:  

RAINIER PLYWOOD, DBA RAINIER RICHLITE 624 EAST 15TH STREET TACOMA, WASHINGTON 98421 UNITED STATES IS CERTIFIED FOR FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL™ CHAIN OF CUSTODY Certificate Scope Certificate Type: Single Chain of Custody Standard(s): FSC-STD-40-004 V2-1 Product group(s): Richlite: Black Diamond, Yellow Island, Green Mountain, Blue Canyon, Redstone, Chocolate Glacier, Browns Point Valid from 12 April 2012 to 11 April 2017 Certificate Registration Code: RA-COC-002292 FSC License Code: FSC-C020482 Certificate Issue Number: IN-2013-1 Additional details regarding the scope, including a full list of products and species, are available at info.fsc.org. Jon Jickling, Director, Certification Rainforest Alliance 223 Broadway, 28th Floor New York, NY 10279 USA RAINFOREST ALLIANCE IS AN FSC® ACCREDITED CERTIFIED

GREENGUARD