Bay Area Distributor Opens “Green” Showroom

Longtime Bay Area wood products distributor EarthSource Forest Products/Plywood And Lumber Sales Inc. recently announced it has opened a one-of-a-kind showroom for a range of sustainable and environmentally healthy exotic wood products.

Called The Urban Jungle, EarthSource’s new 2,200 square-foot showroom features exotic flooring, outdoor furniture, decking, wall panels, custom cabinetry and millwork, most of which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). All products featured are manufactured with environmentally healthy, low-emitting adhesives and finishes, and some are comprised of salvaged raw materials.

“Our customer base includes as many architects and designers as woodworkers and finish carpenters,” EarthSource president Jeff Hunt says. “It was our idea to create an environment for these aesthetically rich products to be seen and touched in context, rather than just on warehouse shelves. The flooring and decking are installed, with furniture sitting right on top of them. Cabinetry is featured in workable displays. The walls of the showroom are paneled with the products we sell.”

Even though EarthSource is a wholesaler, The Urban Jungle is open to the public, responding to a demand among educated consumers for environmentally progressive, sustainably manufactured products. “Consumers in the Bay Area and all over the west coast are becoming more aware of the concepts of sustainability and environmental health,” Hunt says.

The showroom features a wide array of exotic flooring, from Smith & Fong Plyboo’s Neapolitan Strand Bamboo to FSC-certified Guatemalan Ramon Blanco. A focal point upon entry is a large table made by custom woodworkers William Guba Associates from salvaged Claro walnut. Formaldehyde-free kitchen cabinetry by Silver Walker Studios is displayed alongside FSC-certified drawers from Quality Custom Components.

Adorning the walls throughout are FSC-certified Spanish cedar and crotch mahogany panels from Columbia Forest Products. Decking is made of various FSC species sourced from throughout Central America and marketed under the EarthSource brand.

EarthSource is an equity partner in a teak plantation located in Rio Dolce, Guatemala, which supplies the raw materials for its own line of outdoor furniture.

The Urban Jungle is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is located at 1618 28th Street in Oakland, 510-208-7257.

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