There's a back story.... Normally we look askance at inexpensive wooden furniture imported from Asia. Who needs a big lacquered hutch anyway? But on our recent DUMBO junket, we were very pleasantly suprised by From the Source, where we chatted with Darren, the friendly in-house interior designer. FTS has a wide selection of pieces that they manufacture and import from Indonesia: solid teak kitchen tables (for less than $500), colorful, painted (think Giverny) book cases, rustic mirrors, and a variety of chests and tables. It's a big open garage-like space filled with practical, quality stuff at low prices. You see many of the same pieces at other stores around town at higher prices, and that's because those stores buy from, err, yeah. Get it? But here's the cool part: FTS is owned by one Bob Fireman who, Darren claimed, "invented the futon." Not quite. I did some research and discovered that Fireman actually invented two of the seminal couch-bed folding futon frame mechanisms. So, if you've ever yanked and jerked in the sometimes easy, sometimes hard process of opening your friend's couch-bed, you've got Fireman to thank for the pleasure (or lack thereof.) Regardless, people who tinker in wood shops on futon frame patents are inherently cool. So, if you need a practical, low cost piece of semi-rustic wooden furniture, visit Darren and Mr. Fireman at From the Source. OHR

Comments (2)
Re my earlier comment about cracked furniture from Indonesia. In response to my request for replacement of faulty pieces and making good on the seller's quality guarantee I have received the kind response that I would be reported to customs authorities for underdeclaring the value (I declared the value in manufacturer's shipping invoice). Unless I would remove my comment above. There is no option to remove my earlier comment but now declare to the readers here that the quality of the furniture is incomparable to furniture I ordered from other sources and that my negative comments must be the result of a vivid phantasy on my part. The cracks that I reported I am sure will disappear over time and are all due to to the extreme weather and climatic conditions to Europe as well as to totally wrong storage circumstances at my end. I apologize therefore to all readers for misleading them and that all those that wish to make the same unique buying experience that I made should order a 40 ft container load from Saritek Mas in Indonesia.
One might be forgiven in thinking that Mr. Konrad Hans Traugott Goll’s postings are erratic in their content, and that his resent apology offered is some what insincere, however we will accept it at face value.
The facts are as follows: - Mr. Goll received a container of furniture from us which had been custom made to his specifications, and I enclose a copy of a letter received from him, which acknowledges that our furniture arrived in good order and that he was generally very pleased with the furniture that he received – and as follows:-
“Dear -------,
Furniture arrived yesterday at the house. Generally very pleased. Thank God we have a large house as some pieces did turn out rather on the XXL size end of the spectrum. The dining tables, chairs, bookcases, china cabinet turned out especially well. My moving vompany trucked away a full truckload of packing material. They had never seen something like that before. The packing is the best I have ever seen - and I have seen a lot in my lifetime.
All tables and chairs and benches, also the smaller items drew complimentary remarks from people who saw them during unpacking.
Feedback on a few points.
a) the dining table tops turned out to be a bit too high in relation to the chair height. We'll try with a local carpenter to lower the table legs
b) we should have ordered more glass shelves for the dining room china cabinet
c) there are two or three items where the wrapping paper was put on before the varnish was dry and this left a mark. I will take photos, then ask for your advice how to repair myself.
d) the Japara study desk turned out very large and for future orders you may wish to consider to break it up into 3 modules. It is almost untransportable the way it is constructed. That is true for the upper part of the china cabinet too. It took 6 people to bring it up the staircase.
I will now check with a friend how we can proceed to create an import business for reproduction furniture for the Austrian market and then I will revert
kind regards
---------“
In the case of solid wood furniture, which has been moved from a tropical climate into the northern hemisphere, care has to be taken to allow the furniture to settle (please refer to some of the other listings on your site, who make comment of this fact). The furniture can not be subject to excessive air-conditioning, or over heating for about eight months, and until it has adjusted to the local conditions. If not, it may crack. The reason for this is the difference in humidity in Indonesia and else where. We elevate much of this problem, by kiln drying the timber prior to furniture construction, ---- however a settling down period is still required.
Mr. Goll imported the furniture from us during a very hot summer in Europe, which may have compounded the problem.
He makes mention of the fact that he has had no problem with furniture from the Philippians or Thailand, but he has made no mention of the fact that this furniture was housed for some time in Hong Kong, where he lived and prior to moving to Europe.
Finally, we live up to our Guarantee which we issue, but the client is responsible in providing the correct specifications for his custom made furniture (e.g. timber species, measurements, colour, finish etc), and has to take care that the furniture is treated correctly once we have shipped it, and as we advise our clients to do.
We have many satisfied customers all over the world who we will continue to serve.
Over a slightly different subject --- may I point out that ALL Mahogany and Teak wood, used for furniture in Indonesia is PLANTATION grown wood, which are sited in Java, Bali, and Southern Sulawesi. Teak and Mahogany does not grow in the Indonesian Tropical Forests, as the climate is not suitable for these species. The plantations are managed by the Indonesian Government, and on a sustainable bases, – which means that they are re-planted once the trees are cut.
I hope that this will rectify some of the misinformation which seems to filter its way on to your website.