Blog

Reclaimed Wood

Inspiration in Imperfection: Reclaimed Wood and JB Blunk's Handcrafted Legacy

 
JB Blunk’s home on the Inverness Ridge with Redwood Enry Arch, 1976. Photo credit: ©LeslieWilliamson

JB Blunk’s home on the Inverness Ridge with Redwood Enry Arch, 1976. Photo credit: ©LeslieWilliamson

 

J.B. Blunk’s art career was probably inevitable one form or another, but it was a chance encounter with Isamu Noguchi in a Tokyo craft shop that put him on course to become one of the most innovative American craftsmen of the 20th century. It was the early 1950s, and Blunk—then a soldier in the US Army, stationed in Korea—was browsing at the craft shop when he met Noguchi who was there with his wife. Yamaguchi Yoshiko. Prior to his tour in Korea, Blunk had been a student at UCLA where he became fascinated by ceramics, and Noguchi decided to introduce him to the Japanese artistic polymath Kitaoji Rosanjin, who made exquisite, rustic and colorful pottery inspired by historical Japanese ceramics, as well as lacquerware and calligraphy. Blunk apprenticed himself to Rosanjin, became a skilled potter in his own right, and later worked for artist Toyo Kaneshige, a Living National Treasure. Returning to California in 1954, he was now energized and inspired to embark on a life in which craft shaped every corner of his life. Blunk’s name isn’t synonymous with midcentury style, and he’s not a household name. (Yet.) But with exhibitions in major galleries, including Kasmin and Blum & Poe, introducing his work to new audiences, his legacy seems to be getting the second look it deserves.

 
J.B. Blunk in his studio, c.1968. Courtesy: J.B. Blunk Collection

J.B. Blunk in his studio, c.1968. Courtesy: J.B. Blunk Collection

Interior of JB Blunk’s home with river stones and artworks by Blunk. Untitled painting, c.1990, and Redwood stool, c.1965.  Photo credit: ©LeslieWilliamson

Interior of JB Blunk’s home with river stones and artworks by Blunk. Untitled painting, c.1990, and Redwood stool, c.1965.
Photo credit: ©LeslieWilliamson

 

J.B. Blunk (1926–2002) was born in Ottawa, Kansas, and studied physics before switching to ceramics in college. Like Wharton Esherick, Blunk was an artist who didn’t make much of a distinction between home and studio. And like George Nakashima, he found much inspiration in the natural structure of wood—its knots, grain, colors, and textures. Blunk settled in the town of Inverness in the mid-1950s, and decided to build a cabin there himself. Now known as the Blunk House, the home was described in T Magazine as “a cottage from a midcentury-modern fairytale.” There’s a potter’s studio with three kilns, and a woodshop. Maria Nielson, Blunk’s daughter, and the author of a book on Blunk’s work, spends time at the house, where her father made everything from the sleeping loft to the ceramics in the kitchen by hand.

Woven into the fabric of the landscape and the house itself is redwood. The table in Blunk’s kitchen is crafted from a gigantic slab of redwood, and they dot the mountainous landscape of Inverness as far as the eye can see. Blunk was active in a variety of media, including clay and cast bronze, but his primary medium was wood. Sometimes a chainsaw was part of the picture. Blunk’s favored wood species was redwood, though he occasionally used cypress. Redwood’s characteristic color and natural softness gives it working properties that are almost clay-like. Blunk would salvage chunks of redwood on the landscape that had been discarded by loggers, and make use of his findings in the ways that best suited their scale. Using his chainsaw, he’d carve chairs out of single pieces of wood, sometimes creating “seating sculptures” that seemed to hover somewhere between sculpture and furniture. According to Mariah Nielson, even the bathroom sink in the Blunk House bears chisel marks.

 
Interior of JB Blunk’s home with artworks by Blunk, sofa by Max Frommeld, and cushions by Christine Nielson and Nancy Waite Harlow.  Photo credit: ©LeslieWilliamson

Interior of JB Blunk’s home with artworks by Blunk, sofa by Max Frommeld, and cushions by Christine Nielson and Nancy Waite Harlow.
Photo credit: ©LeslieWilliamson

 

From his time studying ceramics in Japan, Blunk was steeped in the aesthetic and philosophical principle of wabi sabi, which is difficult to translate precisely, but in an artistic context means accepting transience and imperfection, finding beauty in it, and not trying to “fix” anything about an object. Wabi sabi had a powerful influence on both historical Japanese crafts and on mingei, the Japanese craft revival movement that emerged there in response to industrialization in the 1930s, and was several decades underway when Blunk visited Tokyo.

A wabi sabi approach to craft could mean embracing asymmetry, or a nick or a scratch, or a perceived flaw in a piece of wood—like a discarded burl of no interest to commercial loggers. Blunk took the lesson of his craft training and applied it to working with reclaimed wood. Natural “flaws” became centerpieces, and odd shapes were just another form of inspiration. A major work entitled “The Planet,” completed in 1969, can be viewed at the Oakland Museum of California. It’s made from a single, the enormous root structure of a redwood—the only remains of a long-dead tree. It was typical of Blunk to salvage something that others had overlooked, and to create from it something unique, odd, and beautiful, that seemed at once ancient and modern. Perfection isn’t easy. But imperfection, at its best, is even harder to achieve. It seems safe to say that J.B. Blunk nailed it.

 
Wishbone, 1977. Sculpted Redwood, 110h x 54w x 35d in.  Image via Jason Jacques Gallery.

Wishbone, 1977. Sculpted Redwood, 110h x 54w x 35d in.
Image via Jason Jacques Gallery.

 

Installation In Focus: 1 Hotel Central Park, NYC

1 Hotel Exterior.jpg
1 Hotel Bedroom.jpg
3.jpg

1 Hotel Central Park: A Different Kind of Hotel

Starwood Hotel Group has long been a leader in high design and luxury hospitality around the world. With their new line of 1 Hotels (Manhattan, South Beach, and Brooklyn), Starwood is again bringing design to the forefront of the hotel experience — now with an elevated emphasis on sustainability, authenticity, and the beauty of nature. The development of 1 Hotel Central Park started with a broad concept. According to Starwood CEO Barry Sternlicht: “The world around us is beautiful and we want to do our best to keep it that way. We want to make an impact by reinventing the industry standard for socially responsible hospitality. We want 1 to be a different type of hotel.”

Located at the corner of 58th Street and Sixth Avenue, 1 Hotel Central Park is just one block south — only 100 steps, in fact — from Central Park. And like Central Park itself, the idea behind 1 Hotel was to create a retreat within the city where guests could escape and refresh. New York-based firm AvroKO developed the design for this innovative, 229-room, 110,000-square-foot urban oasis and, from the beginning, meticulously pursued the use of sustainable materials and locally sourced building solutions. The design team worked to complement the building’s existing structure (including exposed concrete ceilings and floors, steel columns and beams, and terracotta block walls) by utilizing materials to enhance the authentic feel of the hotel, including locally made furniture, handmade textiles, and a wealth of indoor greenery (24,000 indoor plants!).

A Diverse Spectrum of Custom-Milled Wood Surfaces

Among the wide range of natural and local materials incorporated into AvroKO’s designs for 1 Hotel Central Park is a diverse spectrum of Hudson Company wood products — from reclaimed flooring and paneling, to historic hand-hewn beams and one-of-a-kind custom statement pieces. Through close collaboration with The Hudson Company, AvroKO was able to incorporate a range of unique wood surfaces that reinforce the hotel’s strong design concept and its goal of “bringing the outside in.” From the hotel’s street-level entrance and lobby spaces, to the guest rooms, fitness center, and presidential suites, a variety of carefully selected Hudson Company wood surfaces can be found throughout 1 Hotel Central Park. The surfaces include 50,000 square feet of Hudson Company Silt flooring, 30,000 square feet of Reclaimed Barn Siding, 50 Reclaimed Hand-Hewn Beams, Reclaimed Gym Flooring (salvaged from the old University of Wisconsin basketball court), Reclaimed Redwood (sourced from retired NYC water tanks), Reclaimed Threshing Floor, Reclaimed Travaux Maple flooring, and a custom-finished, debarked Spalted Elm Stump in the hotel’s lobby.

A Hotel Unlike Any Other in New York

"The natural and local materials emerged as the heart of the design, allowing us to celebrate and enhance their inherent richness with minimal touches, including a warm color palette and atmospheric lighting,” says AvroKO principal Greg Bradshaw. “Our goal was to leave the space feeling somewhat unadorned so the materials and core of the space could speak for itself." All of this careful material sourcing and eco-minded design makes 1 Hotel Central Park a boutique hotel unlike any other in New York City — one that brings the outside in, provides a unique parkside respite for travellers, and, as Ann Abel at Forbes put so well, “feels alive in a way that few others do.”

>> This installation profile originally appeared in The Hudson Company Journal, Volume 2 - click to learn more about our new print journal and catalogue.

>> See more photos and product details from this design installation.

Installation In Focus: Sunnyfield Farm

Sunnyfields+2.jpg
Sunnyfields Option 2.jpg
Sunnyfields 4.jpg
Sunnyfields Option 1.jpg
Sunnyfields 5.jpg
Sunnyfields 1.jpg

A Classic Home 8 Years In The Making

Overlooking the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley is the idyllic Sunnyfield Farm, a horse farm and traditional Georgian-style home in Millbrook, New York.

The Hudson Company was honored to play a role in the development, design, and construction of the home — a project spanning more than eight years, including a research trip to the Swedish countryside for inspiration and materials. This passion project required not only a very close client-designer relationship but also an ongoing dialogue with The Hudson Company. The result of these close partnerships is a residential installation project that features some of our most ambitious flooring details to date, including 10" Reclaimed Heart Pine flooring sourced from historic New York City townhouses; custom-milled, extra-long White Oak floor planks;  and Reclaimed Redwood specially milled for Sunnyfield’s trim work. 

Throughout the process, lead architect Cynthia Filkoff of Di Biase Filkoff Architects was attuned to her client’s high standard of quality and beauty. “We were initially asked to transform the preexisting modernist house into a traditional Tudor,” Filkoff explains, “but after living in the original house for a year, the client decided that the quality of the construction was inadequate. It made more sense to tear it down and build a new home.”

In time, the team at Di Biase Filkoff came up with a solution that would meet the client’s exacting criteria: a proper brick Georgian home with Swedish-inspired interiors connected to the magnificent land and views. In order to find the right balance of craftsmanship and aesthetic, Filkoff traveled to the client’s summer home in Fiskebäckskil, Sweden. “In Sweden, I was able to study the wood-centric, old-world architecture that the client admired so much. What I found there was an aesthetic that was rich in handcrafted details. It was inventive and playful, both inside and out. Ultimately, these were the kind of details that we worked to incorporate at Sunnyfield.”

Along with a detailed list of high-quality, sustainable material specifications, the choice of wood flooring was critical to the aesthetic and design of the home. “When it came to flooring,” Cynthia recalls, “the client was committed to creating a wood floor that reflected the antique floors of classic Swedish homes. The details had to be authentic.” From here, Di Biase Filkoff turned to The Hudson Company, who encouraged the designers to incorporate two complementary flooring types: Reclaimed Heart Pine and White Oak.

The Reclaimed Heart Pine milled for the Sunnyfield project was sourced from a row of historic townhouses on New York City’s Upper East Side and then milled to a width of 10” to reflect the flooring Filkoff had researched in Scandinavia. The White Oak flooring planks, installed in the home’s ground floor, were sourced from purpose-cut trees, hand selected from private timber stands. The trees were air-dried, kiln-dried, and custom milled to meet the architect’s designs. Along with an intricate wagon wheel pattern for Sunnyfield’s dining room, Filkoff also designated that much of the White Oak would be milled into extra-long planks that could span from the home’s front entrance all the way to the back door. At 10” wide and ranging from 10’ to 24’ in length, these extraordinarily long oak planks create a striking and unique aesthetic for the home’s ground floor. In addition, Reclaimed Redwood, sourced from decommissioned New York City rooftop water tanks, was used to outfit the home’s custom door and window frames and interior trim.

In the end, what made the Sunnyfield project such a glowing success was the sustained and passionate attention to detail by everyone involved: the client, the designers, and a wide array of talented craftspeople. Looking back, Filkoff remembers the project collaboration with special fondness. “Working with The Hudson Company exceeded our expectations on every level: from their knowledgeable insight and expertise, to their creative ideas, to their ability to source and deliver materials on time and on budget,” she says. “Throughout the project, the collaboration was exceptional. The Hudson Company enhanced the entire process. You know, I could go on and on about this project. Sunnyfield was such a labor of love.”

This installation profile originally appeared in The Hudson Company Journal, Volume 2 - click to learn more about our new print journal and catalogue.

The Hudson Company + Tereasa Surratt

Stylist and creative director Tereasa Surratt

Stylist and creative director Tereasa Surratt

Like the objects I selected to lay over the planks, this flooring had humble beginnings. But over time, it’s developed this kind of mysterious, timeless patina. This wood is a remnant from another time, and, yet, in it’s own way, it’s more intriguing than ever.
— Tereasa Surratt
Tereasa Surratt and David Hernandez at Camp Wandawega.

Tereasa Surratt and David Hernandez at Camp Wandawega.

Historic Camp Wandawega, in Walworth County, Wisconsin.

Historic Camp Wandawega, in Walworth County, Wisconsin.

A peak inside Camp Wandawega's reclaimed wood treehouse.

A peak inside Camp Wandawega's reclaimed wood treehouse.

An Indecisive Hybrid

Tereasa Surratt is a woman who wears many hats. Self-described as, 'an indecisive hybrid: part creative director, part designer, part stylist, part author, part brand builder.' Surratt admits to living with a daily struggle, 'an obsession to make everything around her more interesting, beautiful, and desirable.' This energetic obsession has proved a fruitful tool for Tereasa, who has developed partnerships and award-winning creative campaigns for a variety of brands over the years, including Warby Parker, Penfield Manufacturing Co., FLOR, Land of Nod, GANT, and Anthropologie.

But the creative endeavor closest to Tereasa's heart is her work to save, renovate, and revitalize Camp Wandawega, the historic summer retreat in Walworth County, Wisconsin that Surratt operates together with her husband David Hernandez. Impeccably restored, endlessly Instagram-able, and ever evolving, through David and Tereasa's love and care, Camp Wandawega has become an essential destination for all manner of creative types passing through the Chicagoland area.

This year, we reached out to Tereasa and asked her to create a custom mood board featuring items that inspire her. Then we asked her to combine those items with the Hudson Company wood of her choice. Here's the story behind Tereasa's mood board.

5 Questions With Teresa Surratt

Tell us about the items included in your mood board, what's their origin story? Why did you select them for this mood board?

This is a collection of artifacts sourced from either our collection at Camp Wandawega, or things I discovered at area barn or estate sales. They are generally what I call 'history scraps,' items that were never intended to last forever. They're common kinds of things - postcards, handwritten notes, branded ash trays, mattress tags, a length of leather - these are objects that each served modest tasks. I'm more than a little obsessed with these kinds of little things, with their humble, utilitarian beauty and the way that they've survived the decades.

Are there any particular favorites that stand out or are especially endeared to you?

It's the little things that always get to me; like the color of the vintage, chewed up pencil in this mood board. This particular shade of ochre was really popular in the 1940s and could be found on everything from tractors to coffee cans. We are building a house at camp and are seriously considering creating a line of modern chairs in this vintage color. When juxtaposed with the new building's concrete floors and minimalist white interiors, the use of this color could be a subtle nod to a much different time in America's design history.

How do you use mood boards in your professional work? What role do they play in your creative process?

Whenever I'm working on a new project, I collect things subconsciously over the course of a few weeks. Eventually, my little inspirational piles evolve into something important, something that reveals meaningful textures, colors, and themes. I find that when I use this creative method, the result is always more authentic and more honest.

Where do you turn when you need fresh ideas or inspiration? 

Of course, there are a lot of gorgeous blogs out there that are full of inspiring content. But more often than not, I find myself drawn to real life, specifically to people's homes. There's something about the objects and art and materials in a living, working house that is just irresistible for me. Whether that's Thomas Edison's Winter Estate down in Fort Myers or the rugged, preserved homesteads at 'Old World Wisconsin' - I have always been drawn to the forms and functions of domestic life. Also, old 1960s issues of Architectural Digest, Better Homes & Gardens and vintage, out of print books are a great source for ideas and creative presidents.

Why did you choose Reclaimed Threshing Floor as the background for your mood board?

Everything we do at Camp is connected with history. Now that we're listed on the National Register of Historic Places, that's more true than ever before. So, to try and connect Camp artifacts with some glossy, mass produced floors just wouldn't work. With Reclaimed Threshing Floor, there is so much history right there in the wood grain. The fact that this flooring was (once upon a time) used by some farmer, somewhere, to separate his wheat and chaff - that's so rich.

Who could have imagined that when these floors were first crafted a hundred years ago, that they would live another life in a 21st-century home or museum? They have such an enduring quality. Like the objects I selected to lay over the planks, this flooring had humble beginnings. But over time, it's developed this kind of mysterious, timeless patina. This wood is a remnant from another time, and, yet, in it's own way, it's more intriguing than ever.

Special thanks to Tereasa Surratt and David Hernandez. You can learn more about Tereasa at her site. And you can learn more about Hudson Company Reclaimed Mixed Softwoods [Threshing Floor] here.

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.