Urban Hardwoods opens West Hollywood store

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Four years ago, before the words ‘salvaged’ and ‘repurposed’ had become as cliche as red coral and self-declared ‘curators,’ the cover of our print section featured three guys in Seattle. John Wells, Seth Meyer and Jim Newsom stood by giant slabs of discarded timber -- a tree cut that had been cut down by the city and later turned into the coffee table pictured at the bottom of the page. The caption pointed out that if you look closely, you can match the table’s crevice to the right slab.

Since that issue appeared, the company has taken off. Last year Urban Hardwoods opened a showroom in San Francisco. Now their migration south includes a new storefront in West Hollywood, where they showcase their specialty: solid wood furniture made from salvaged city trees.

Spokesman Mason Goodhand said the 10-person team decided to expand despite the shaky economy -- and conventional wisdom, some might say.

‘People have been telling us, ‘Congratulations. I can’t believe you’re doing this, but good for you,’’ Goodhand said, chuckling.

But the San Francisco showroom has done well, he said, and with a much larger market for contemporary furniture in L.A., Urban Hardwood is moving ahead with a mix that has worked well so far: tables, desks, stools and headboards -- some solid wood, some constructed with slabs set on blackened steel bases. Goodhand hinted that shoppers might see some variations on the theme in the months to come in the new store.

Open Tuesday through Saturday. 741 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles; (424) 204-9802.

-- Craig Nakano

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