Life after logging - re-using Brazilian wood

Brazilian designer Hugo França takes Brazilian hardwood that is discarded by logging companies and changes it into high-end living room furniture. His latest creations will be on display at Design Miami from November 30 to December 1.

Hugo França works extensively with the hard Brazilian wood Pequi which he sources from the forests decimated by deforestation in Bahia, one of the 26 Brazilian states. Due to its high oil content Pequi is often ignored by the commercial logging companies. Hugo França then uses this wood to create high-end, exclusive furniture pieces. On his website the designer states that the natural imperfections and textures of the material he uses are "highlighted so that the furniture always refers back to where it came from." His pieces, which can be constructed from materials over several hundred years old, can retail for anywhere in the region of tens of thousands of euros.

His latest designs, such as the Amina Settee and the Guaraci Chaise, will be on display at Design Miami in the United States from November 30 to December 1, which though open to members of the public is an exclusive event catering to serious collectors searching for unique pieces.

Other designers at Design Miami that re-use what would otherwise be waste material are Tejo Remy & Rene Veenhuizen, who create furniture such as chairs out of recycled material.

For more information see: http://www.designmiami.com/
Hugo Franca for gallery R20th Century: http://www.hugofranca.com.br/
Tejo Remy & Rene Veenhuizen: http://www.remyveenhuizen.nl/