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Reclaimed

Carved by Nature: the Sculptural Appeal and Origins of Mushroom Wood

 
Reclaimed, Char Dyed, Mushroom Wood paneling at McCann Erickson offices in New York City.

Reclaimed, Char Dyed, Mushroom Wood paneling at McCann Erickson offices in New York City.

The paneling that clads the elevator bank walls in McCann Erickson’s New York offices is silky black and heavily grooved, and it looks as though a sculptor has drawn a gouging tool across its shiny surface to make a pattern. But no tools were needed to craft these grooves; in fact, the wood developed these traits after years of service in the cultivation of mushrooms. Though it’s technically a mix of hemlock and cypress, we call it mushroom wood. 

Mushrooms grow wild in the woods, and thrive in dark, damp conditions where there’s plenty of decaying plant matter to provide the organism with energy—no sunlight required. To recreate these conditions, mushroom farmers set up growing beds indoors, often building structures that look a bit like the shelves inside a cheese cave, only they’re prepared with trays of manure and substrate. The beds are built from hemlock or cypress, and the substrate is typically derived from a grain like millet or rye on which the spores can grow. The manure contains enzymes which erode the growing boards over time, and after about fifteen years, they’re no longer suitable for use on the farm.

Mushrooms growing.

Mushrooms growing.

The dark and damp beds of a mushroom farm.

The dark and damp beds of a mushroom farm.

This is the moment when we harvest them: we have a relationship with mushroom growers in the mid-Atlantic region, and we regularly trade old boards for new ones. By the time we get them, the old boards have developed a rich color and texture that makes them ideal for interiors that call for rustic or boldly textured paneling. The design advantage of mushroom wood is, paradoxically, the uniformity of its quirks. The enzymatic erosion weather the wood’s surface substantially, but does so very evenly on boards as long as sixteen feet.

Harvested Mushroom Wood.

Harvested Mushroom Wood.

When the wood arrives at our mill in Pine Plains, we remove the nails, power wash it, dry it in a kiln, then mill it, and it’s ready for use. We offer mushroom wood in four ways. There are two types of mushroom wood that can be used for flooring: Backside with original saw kerf, and New Face. Backside has a rich caramel patina, while New Face is lighter, and more uniform in color throughout. The two Sculpted forms of mushroom wood are suitable for paneling or ceilings, as in this dramatic installation at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Our Sculpted Face, which can be found on the walls of Donostia Restaurant in London, is caramel-colored and has naturally sculpted and radial kerfed faces giving it a complex surface design. Our Sculpted Face can be Char Dyed, as seen in the McCann Erickson offices where it offers a dramatic, sophisticated design element that isn’t fussy.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood adorns the ceiling of the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood adorns the ceiling of the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City.

Reclaimed, Sculpted, Mushroom Wood Paneling at Donastia Restaurant.

Reclaimed, Sculpted, Mushroom Wood Paneling at Donastia Restaurant.

Reclaimed, Mushroom Wood Paneling at a private residence in the desert.

Reclaimed, Mushroom Wood Paneling at a private residence in the desert.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, Sculpted, paneling.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, Sculpted, paneling.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, New Face, flooring.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, New Face, flooring.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, Char Dyed, paneling.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, Char Dyed, paneling.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, Backside, flooring.

Reclaimed Mushroom Wood, Backside, flooring.

 

Before And After: Reclaimed White Pine From A Finger Lakes Farmhouse

‘Rippings,’ scraps created during the process of milling Reclaimed White Pine planks at The Hudson Company Mill in Pine Plains, NY.

‘Rippings,’ scraps created during the process of milling Reclaimed White Pine planks at The Hudson Company Mill in Pine Plains, NY.

‘Before’ detail of raw material.

‘Before’ detail of raw material.

After being milled by The Hudson Co.

After being milled by The Hudson Co.

Reclaimed & Re-Milled For A Second Life

The photos above and below illustrate just one example of how The Hudson Company works to redirect historic building materials away from the waste stream and then uses our team of skilled craftspeople to re-mill this valuable material so that it can be put to new uses in a wide variety of applications.

White Pine From NY’s Finger Lakes

The planks shown here are antique pine boards salvaged from a historic farmhouse in the Finger Lakes district of NY in 2018. After being transported to The Hudson Company Mill in Pine Plains, NY, the planks were then sorted, graded, and de-nailed by hand before being re-milled.

And while it may have been hard to see the beauty in these old pine planks when they first arrived in Pine Plains, our team of pros has decades of experience in transforming gray, weather-beaten, and antique planks into stunning new floors.

See for yourself in the photos above and below.

Learn More

Explore our full range of quality flooring products.

Learn more about The Hudson Company’s FSC-certified Mill in Pine Plains, NY.

Learn more about our sustainable wood reclamation process.

The Hudson Company team hard at work de-nailing planks by hand.

The Hudson Company team hard at work de-nailing planks by hand.

The tools of the trade.

The tools of the trade.

The end result.

The end result.

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Go Behind The Scenes And Watch The Full Reclamation Process In Action

The Hudson Company + Camp Wandawega Sneak Peak

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Reclaimed Softwood Threshing Floors at Camp Wandawega, Wisconsin

Camp Wandawega, located near Elkhorn, Wisconsin and established in 1925, is a place quiet unlike any other in America: an historic landmark, a vintage summer camp, and (among other things) a former brothel and speakeasy! Today Camp Wandawega has been lovingly preserved by its owners / innkeepers David and Tereasa, who have reinvented Camp Wandawega while simultaneously preserving it's fascinating legacy and beloved character.

The newest project at Camp Wandawega is the restoration of the property's 'Social House' which will feature Hudson Company Reclaimed Softwood Threshing Floor

A bit about Reclaimed Softwood Threshing Floors: Threshing is the agrarian process in which wheat is separated from chafe. Traditionally, farmers have used oxen and cattle to tread repeatedly over the crop to accelerate the separation. The result of this aggressive agricultural process is, that the wide mixed, softwood floor boards of the threshing room floor develop a distinct, rugged character and well-worn patina.

Below is a sneak peak of the Reclaimed Threshing Floors being installed in Camp Wandawega's Social House. More on this project to come in the near future!

More about Camp Wandawega here.

More about Reclaimed Softwood Threshing Floors here.

See our 'Designer Square Series' interview and collaboration with Camp Wandawega innkeeper and stylist extraordinaire Tereasa Surratt here

The Camp Wandawega Social House nearing completion, summer 2017.

The Camp Wandawega Social House nearing completion, summer 2017.

Reclaimed Softwood Threshing floors just after being installed at Camp Wandawega.

Reclaimed Softwood Threshing floors just after being installed at Camp Wandawega.

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Installation photos courtesy of Camp Wandawega.

Installation photos courtesy of Camp Wandawega.

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Installation in Focus: Private Residence, Brooklyn, NY

All photos by Evan Joseph. Used with kind permission.

All photos by Evan Joseph. Used with kind permission.

Reclaimed Heart Pine for a Bespoke Brooklyn home

This year, The Hudson Company was proud to provide 2,000 square feet of ¾” x 7” Reclaimed Heart Pine [New Face] and 1,600 square feet of ¾” x 4” x 24” Reclaimed Heart Pine Herringbone [New Face] to this stunning Brooklyn townhouse project. This source material for this project was reclaimed from the New York City area (some of which was salvaged from a nearby Domino Sugar factory that had recently been decommissioned). All of the reclaimed wood flooring was site finished.

A well-crafted labor of love

According to Jeff Lorenz, one of the project's principals, the use of natural-tone woods was a central design goal, 'We set out to create a very natural, warm feeling home. We used a lot of wood between our floors and extensive millwork package. With both, we tried to showcase the materials natural beauty by keeping stains and finishes to an absolute minimum.' Unlike a typical 'owner-driven' design program, this residential development, designed by architect Will Corcoran, was built in anticipation of a future tenant. 'This home was a true labor of love,' says Lorenz, 'we set out to build our dream home in the hopes that the end user would appreciate the extensive material sourcing and craftsmanship.'

From the very beginning, sustainable material sourcing was important to the project. 'We are located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn,' explains Lorenz, 'and one of the neighborhoods most iconic buildings is the Domino Sugar factory. When we learned that we could incorporate material salvaged from such an historic place we knew we had to do it. People's reaction to this part of the project has been truly remarkable.'

A Successful Partnership, An Impressive Result

When all was said and done, the finished home was a profound success - the result of the dedication of numerous creative teams and craftspeople; from the design to the intricate tile and iron work to the beautiful Henrybuilt cabinetry. According to Lorenz, a successful collaboration with The Hudson Company was also a central part of what helped bring the project together, 'Working with Hudson was a great experience; when we came up a bit short of flooring material, they turned around what we needed in no time. When we decided we wanted to make a special 1" x 1" baseboard out of the same flooring material, The Hudson Company milled it down, no problems.'

Now that the project is finished, the only question that we have is, 'when can we move in?'

You can learn more about Reclaimed Heart Pine here or get a quote for your next project hereAll photos by Evan Joseph, used with kind permission.

All photos by Evan Joseph. Used with kind permission.

All photos by Evan Joseph. Used with kind permission.

Installation in Focus: City Point, Brooklyn, NY

 

The Hudson Company at City Point

City Point is downtown Brooklyn's ambitious, new, mixed-use urban development led by The Brodsky Organization and Cook + Fox Architects. For the complex's residential lobby, The Hudson Company custom milled Reclaimed Softwood Joists [Original Face], specially sourced from industrial sites in the surrounding area. The wood used by The Hudson Company for this installation is FSC-certified 100% Recycled. 

Reflecting brooklyn now

According to the official City Point website, 'City Point is the largest food, shopping and entertainment destination in Downtown Brooklyn. It includes retail, residential, and office space located along Brooklyn’s busiest retail corridor at the corner of Flatbush and Fulton.'

As The New York Times reports, 

'Once packed with theaters, restaurants and a range of stores, Downtown Brooklyn saw its fortunes turn in the mid-20th century along with much of the rest of the borough. And the area, which contains a crossroads of subway lines and major streets, near the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, has been the subject of intersecting ideas about revitalization ever since...City Point, a major development in Downtown Brooklyn, is offering touches that seem to cater to Brooklyn’s homespun, forward-thinking spirit: a movie theater that serves beer. A reinvented shopping mall. A food hall for start-up restaurateurs.'

The Hudson Company is proud to be a part of this exciting new development in the heart of Brooklyn. Contact us to learn more about our sustainable, character-rich Reclaimed Softwood Joists [Original Face] and other FSC-certified wood flooring, paneling, and design products.

Artist's rendering. 

Artist's rendering. 

We have to build something that reflects Brooklyn now. We’re not Manhattan. We’re not the suburbs. We’re something different.
— Developer Paul Travis, from The New York Times
Accent wall in the City Point residential lobby, featuring Hudson Company Reclaimed wood.

Accent wall in the City Point residential lobby, featuring Hudson Company Reclaimed wood.

Accent wall detail.

Accent wall detail.

This Just In: Indiana Mill from 1901

Vintage Image of the Noblesville Milling Co. grain storage facility (date unknown).

Vintage Image of the Noblesville Milling Co. grain storage facility (date unknown).

The mill, 2016.

The mill, 2016.

The mill, 2016.

The mill, 2016.

an icon of the American Heartland

This week, The Hudson Company has been on the road - visiting the sites of several historic, decommissioned Midwestern agrarian structures, in search of high-quality, high-character American timber to reclaim. One of the most interesting finds this week has been 'The Model Mill' and grain elevator in Noblesville, Indiana (pictured above and below).

Built in 1901, the mill was an essential part of the economy in Hamilton County and, for over a century, the iconic structure has been both a physical and symbolic icon for Noblesville and the surrounding farming communities. The mill was originally built to hold 350,000 bushels of wheat, but the area's wheat yields were so plentiful that, by 1911, the facility was expanded to hold a capacity of 700,000 bushels. According to David Heighway, of The Hamilton County Business Magazine, the mill was built in a a style of construction called, "cribbing [wherein] boards are [simply] stacked and nailed together." A 1914 article in The Indianapolis Star took note of the Noblesville mill and elevators, remarking that, "These structures tower above the other buildings of the town and are admired by everyone passing through the city.”

700,000 Board Feet of Reclaimed Heart Pine

After changing ownership several times in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, The Model Mill was eventually decommissioned and has sat abandoned for many years. In 2015, local officials decided that the historic mill and grain elevators would finally be taken down. 

Luckily, much of the mill's original construction material has been well-preserved and will be now be diverted from the waste stream and reclaimed by The Hudson Company. From Noblesville, the 700,000 board feet of Reclaimed Heart Pine will be transported to The Hudson Company Mill in Pine Plains, NY were it will be re-milled and added to our growing inventory of reclaimed wood flooring, paneling, beams and joists. 

The end result of this reclamation process will be 700,000 board feet of custom re-milled Reclaimed Heart Pine [New Face, Chalk Finish] flooring, like the flooring milled for and installed at New York's new Whitney Museum of Modern Art (completed in 2015). 

Click here to learn more about (or to schedule a visit to) The Hudson Company's FSC-Certified lumber mill in Pine Plains, New York.

Pristine American Heart Pine, reclaimed from Noblesville grain facility.

Pristine American Heart Pine, reclaimed from Noblesville grain facility.

On the road in the American Heartland.

On the road in the American Heartland.

Inspired By: California Craftswoman Aleksandra Zee

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This week, we are featuring the inspiring work of Oakland based artist and woodworker Aleksandra Zee. Zee's stunning, reclaimed wood mosaics first came to our attention via her impressive Instagram feed, which led us to her growing portfolio of large and small-scale wooden wall hangings.

Trained in the fine arts, Ms. Zee is deeply inspired by the desert landscapes of the American Southwest and by Native American handicrafts and textiles. She has described her work as, 'recreating Navajo blankets out of wood.'

Speaking to Huck Magazine in 2014, Ms. Zee described her passion for working with reclaimed wood materials:

"I believe in working with a material that inspires you. For me, reclaimed wood has a history and I want to add to that history and give it a new life: rustic, worn, warm, and reminiscent. I love that transformation process. First I choose the lumber I am going to use. Then I separate it into colour palettes. Then I lay out a rough pattern, play around with it a bit, and when it’s perfect I nail it down. After the pattern is created I seal the piece and go to town with a sander."

We are excited to see where Ms. Zee's inspiration and passion for reclaimed materials take her in 2016.  

You can learn about Aleksandra Zee and her work at her site. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are from aleksandrazee.com.

 

Aleksandra Zee for the Buchanan Hotel, San Francisco. Photo by Laure Joliet.

Aleksandra Zee for the Buchanan Hotel, San Francisco. Photo by Laure Joliet.

Product In Focus: Reclaimed Hemlock [Mushroom Wood]

One of our most popular products, 'Mushroom Wood' is a distinct offering from The Hudson Company and is available to our customers as both flooring (shown above) and for use in paneling applications (shown below).

Sourced from the decommissioned wooden bins used in mushroom growing facilities, Mushroom Wood has a character all its own. During the mushroom growth cycle, enzymes digest and erode the soft wood grain and produce an organic, sculpted effect in the wood. After the mushrooms are harvested, the wood displays a deep, open-grain texture and caramel hue. 

And while all of our Mushroom Wood products are made up of primarily Hemlock woods, they may also include elements of cypress and other softwoods. These natural variations in the Mushroom Wood are part of what endows these products with the strong aesthetic qualities that allow them to work well in numerous design applications. 

Learn more about Hudson Company Reclaimed Hemlock [Mushroom Wood] flooring and paneling or contact us to get a quote today.