Vancouver Living – September-October 2019

36 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

LIVINGMAG.CA

living | Design

the wood survived, And the

trees, perfectly preserved over the years,

are harvested by local divers with hydraulic

chainsaws, with permission from local Kuna

tribes, and sold as part of a sort of sub-

sistence economy.

For Reduxwood West, a furniture company

that manufactures in Vietnam and retails hand-

carved, live-edge tables in North Vancouver, it all

started with one tree. Justin Ephraim, founder and

creative director of Reduxwood fell in love with the

process of taking giant wood slabs selected both

for their strength and aesthetic and dried on the

beaches of Vietnam for up to six months, through

the manufacturing and design processes.

TOP LEFT:

ZAPATERO WOOD

FROM THE

UNDERWATER

COLLECTION

TOP RIGHT:

MANGO WOOD

FROM THE

URBAN SALVAGED

COLLECTION

RIGHT:

GOLDEN ACACIA

FROM THE

URBAN SALVAGED

COLLECTION

(^) >
Through an artistic undertaking that can take months, Ephraim
creates unique, live-edge tables that are sustainable, functional and
beautiful pieces of art.
“These exotic hardwoods, which for decades have been lost to the
world, submerged and forgotten, have been preserved intact under-
water, during which time the grain, texture and hardness of the wood
has undergone a gradual transformation that can only come about by
a slow and natural interaction with the minerals found in freshwater,”
said Ephraim.
“The ends are waxed to slow down the drying process – we want
them to dry slowly, it’s better for the wood, the grains, the colours come
out better,” Monica Clemiss, partner at Vancouver retailer Reduxwood
West explained. The slower it dries, the more stable it becomes. That’s
why our wood is more stable than anything you would get kiln-dried,
because with kiln-drying, you’re rushing the process.” WHEATGUM GRAPHICS