Minneapolis Park Board Live Edge Wood Desk, Table and Bench

When the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Sustainable Forestry Coordinator approached us to help him upgrade his office space, we were thrilled! Philip has a wonderful view of the outdoors, so we were excited to help bring the urban forest into his office space. After the lumber was handpicked by Phillip and company, we got straight to work. We made a Douglas Fir chalkboard frame that showed off the beauty of the reclaimed natural edge slabs from the Elouise Butler Wildflower Garden in Minnesota (55422).

A 14’ shelving unit made from a natural slab from the largest American Elm we have ever reclaimed, which both Phillip and Rick with WFTH where present for the removal, several years earlier. Little did Phillip know that that very tree would someday be part of his office (55406).

We added a book matched natural edge Ash top at his sit stand desk that was picked out specifically because of the Emerald Ash Borer galleries that where present in the inner bark, special attention was taken to make sure that the galleries wood be visible in the finished product (55407).

A single Ash natural edge slab was chosen for a conference desk that was added for additional work surface and impromptu meetings (55409).

The only “square edge” piece of urban wood we supplied in the whole office was a piece of thermally modified “roasted” ash that was used as a wall cap in a corner to accommodate two heat grills (55406).

The project turned out great, Philip said,

“Your attention to detail and aesthetic is spot on for what I was hoping for. There are a lot of envious folks ogling the lovely pieces. One of our foremen said it well by exclaiming, ‘Now this is what a Forestry office should look like!’ It is such a pleasure to be in my office surrounded by these relics of the urban forest crafted into such beautiful functional works. The connection to the legacy of managing our forest is palpable in these shaped trees. Please extend my appreciation to others on your crew that helped bring it to fruition. Thank you so much for your amazing work on the wood for my office!”

At Wood form the Hood we are dedicated to design, quality and service, and in that spirit, we were thrilled to work on this project with our partners in reclaiming the urban forest!

Thank you, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, for the opportunity!