Substantial Furniture from specialty reclaimed at Eco Relics wood Jacksonville, FL

By Eco Relics Blog April 20, 2016

It’s time for Spring projects! We didn’t have to wait for the snow to melt, but Spring still inspires the creator in all of us. Azaleas are blooming, bees are buzzing, and everywhere you look, nature’s busy builders are collecting raw materials and fashioning them into something they can use.

Here’s a couple of recent projects, one from our wood shop and another by Eco Relics customer J.R. Johnson.

Pecan Slab Table with Red Aromatic Cedar Legs

custom pecan table — Rustic Pecan and Cedar Table in Progress

Doug “the Termite” is building this substantial coffee table from pecan and red aromatic ceder woods, two local selections with desirable properties from our specialty lumber department.

Pecans are ubiquitous in the southern clime. Picking them up off the ground is a late Fall past time in these parts. Pecan trees are also a local source of hardwood lumber, among the hardest and strongest of woods native to the United States. Pecan wood glues, stains, and finishes well, too. It is an excellent choice for a beautiful and sturdy table top.

Red Aromatic Cedar is another local wood with unique properties. Life in the swamp has led the tree to develop natural resistance to decay, rot, and insect attack. Builders often choose red aromatic cedar to line closets and chests in order to repel moths.

pecan table 2 — Custom Wood Shop Project in Progress

Jenny’s Window

Jenny’s windowless office lacked an inspiring view. That’s pretty hard on a photographer. Sometimes just looking away from the computer screen for a second can spark the inspiration you were looking for, so long as what you see isn’t a wall. Glimpsing the world outside, sunshine or rain, is often the prescription for a constructive work session. But Jenny’s office didn’t have a window.

Jenny’s dad JR knows the value of a view. Jenny’s gorgeous pictures brighten his day every time he sees them. JR decided that Jenny’s office could use a window with a view, so he decided to make one. JR came down to Eco Relics and found an antique wood-frame window that would ably serve as a portal into another world. He printed some of Jenny’s striking images to fit behind the glass and hung the window in her office. Now there is always a view out the window, and best of all, it is interchangeable to suit the desired mood.

Changing a view is a subtle but effective way to create the kind of inspiring atmosphere that gets the most out of people. JR’s daughter inspired him and he thought that the least he could do was to try to offer that same inspiration back to her. All it took was opening a window.

We love your projects! Eco Relics has all kinds of unique building materials to satisfy the most discriminating DIYer, from specialty lumber to antique hand tools and everything in between. The Eco Relics crew members are a great resource for discussing a project at any stage, whether its still being dreamed up or that one last kink needs working out. Stop by today and let us in on your plans!