Artificial veneers = sustainably beautiful furniture!

Typically, when a project calls for an exotic veneer we woodworkers use a real wood veneer cut from a real tree. Real veneers are expensive, can be tricky to build with, and require that a tree be cut down in order to make them. About a year ago I discovered a company that makes artificial, non-toxic wood veneers made from recycled manufacturing byproduct ("waste") and the veneers are perfect. I mean, they look, feel, and act just like a real wood veneer, but come in 4'x8' paper-backed sheets that are much easier to work with than a real veneer.

When I was contacted by a prominent Upper East Side family about building a home office and some hallway bookcases in their 5th Avenue home using Ebony Macassar (a very exotic wood) I knew I had a great opportunity to create a green masterpiece using these new artificial veneers. Fortunately, this client was as eco-conscious as they were stylish and they were immediately on board with the artificial veneer concept. A few days of sketching, a few weeks of building, and a few hours of installation and the office was complete. A few weeks later the 104" tall bookcases were installed and the client, a lawyer, immediately asks if it's possible to build matching ladders for both bookcases using a "green" material. Coincidentally, I had just learned of a storm-fallen Wenge tree that was sitting in a gentleman's backyard for the past 50 years and had recently been sawn and kiln dried so I immediately ordered a quarter-sawn plank that measured 4" thick x 24" wide x 9' long. We had used Wenge for the spindle legs that support the bookcases and home office unit so it was the logical choice for the ladder. Another interesting detail in the ladders is that we recessed black leather into each step. The leather is domestic food byproduct and vegetable-dyed. It was a nice, unexpected detail that worked perfectly with the black strands in the Ebony Macassar veneer.

So without further ado...

The Office: A long work surface with 2 locking file cabinets, plenty of display and shelving space, recessed lighting, and a suspended overhead envelope sorter with custom solid brass spacers. The entire unit is supported on solid Wenge spindle legs in true midcentury modern style.




The Hallway: Matching bookcases at either end of the hallway provide tons of storage and display space and are easily accessible via solid Wenge library ladders. The bookcases, like the office built-in, sit atop solid Wenge spindle legs.

1958 Paul McCobb lounge chairs - Restoration by Greene Furniture

I recently completed the restoration of these rare lounge chairs by Paul McCobb, which included ebonizing the natural walnut. The chairs are owned by interior designer, Robert Fodor, and are currently on display at Highland Park, a SOHO design store located at 175 West Broadway. *Special thanks to Sol Ovidia at Prestige Furniture & Design in Woodside Queens for the upholstery on these chairs.

"PAUL MCCOBB PREDICTOR CHAIRS

USA
C. 1958
Paul McCobb Predictor Linear lounge chairs manufactured in 1958 for the O'Hearn Furniture Company of Gardner, MA. Made of walnut wood and ebonized (not lacquered). The chairs have been reupholstered with two sets of cushions. One set in new Maharam Melange Tweed "Inca" upholstery fabric; and one set in original vintage 1955 Alexander Girard "Jacob's Coat" stripe upholstery fabric. Both sets are included."

1200 Fifth Avenue - part 2

Master Bedroom:

Furniture and Decor - Freeform mid-century vanity and stools completely rebuilt and restored by Greene Furniture, Chillewich shades from the Shade Store, and custom hanging drum light.

Built-ins (background) - I designed and built the window boxes that run from wall to wall to hide the PTAC (Packaged Thermal Air Conditioner) unit. It was important that the PTAC window boxes not only complimented Robert Fodor's design vision for the space, but enabled unobstructed access to the PTAC unit for service & repair. I engineered the units so that the solid Rosewood facade panels are completely removable, leaving only the Travertine top and solid Brass vent inlay sitting atop the internal metal framework, which allows technicians unrestricted access to the PTAC unit.

We installed these custom PTAC window boxes in 6 of the apartment's 10 rooms. In the Master Bedroom the rosewood panels have 2 cubby boxes with recessed lighting and are used to display sculptures. The lighting runs on its own dimmer switch.