EVERGREEN…. A lot of global recycling is going on in the world of furniture, as old wood is rescued and remade into new pieces. All the furniture at Berkeley's Wooden Duck is made from recycled wood or architectural elements. Once a barn door in Slovakia, now a French country table. Once a high school gym bleacher, now a TV cabinet, bookshelf or tabletop. Wine barrels, floorboards, beams, doors and windows are all fashioned into new furniture with a distinctive wizened look. "It comes out looking country with character ." says The Wooden Duck co-owner Eric Gellerman . The old parts give a piece charm, the new parts- rails on the drawers for easy sliding, for instance - make it more functional. "Old armories aren't deep enough to hold TVs and other electronic equipment so we might use old doors and increase the depth." Gellerman says.
The Wooden Duck has it's own factory and also buys from a dozen different local woodworkers. The warehouse space on Seventh Street has appealing old kitchen hutches and other furniture from Europe-Slovakia, Holland, Germany, the Czech Republic-and wedding cabinets from China and other pieces from around the world. Not-yet refinished pieces in the back sell for half price.
The Wooden Duck's own Colorado line features a painted-distressed look and is available in 13 colors. You pick the piece and the color - or go with a natural finish.The Wooden Duck has a one-month return policy. "It's really hard for people to envision how piece of furniture will look or fit in their home," says Gellerman. " Sometimes they have to live with it for a while to see if they like it."