Please go to our new link for From The Source.
It's not much of a name, but... Susie, our roving reporter stumbled upon From The Source, a new store in Dumbo that imports Dutch inspired wood furniture from Indonesia:
We went to the Dumbo open studios this weekend. There was some really great art! In addition, I found a new source for great wooden furniture. I bought an incredible bench made of gorgeous Mango wood. 6'2" of solid bench for $325. An incredible deal!
Also, custom work can be ordered--tables, desks. I am really excited about this place.
Susie
So are we. We just talked with Philip, the owner, and he explained that their furniture is a mix between the Dutch colonizing influence and traditional shapes. 99% of everything is handmade, much from teak, and the lines are being simplified to meet the current style. Their collection includes tables, chairs, beds and storage cabinets - you won't find any upholstered pieces here. (Thanks, Susie!) MGR
Of course this kind of furniture is very nice and tempting, but I amnot so sure it is something that should be advertised, or even bought. It is made of tropical wood, and even if the manufacturer claims it comes from managed forests buying things -objects, furniture, floors- made of tropical woods only keeps up demand and will ultimately deplete these forests. If you are very tempted to buy, think climate change (or global warming)!
Besides, my hunch is that some years from now we will find this wood obscene, much like today we would never buy ivory.
I bought my dining room table and chairs from here. They're great - nice clean simple lines. People were very friendly. The prices are incredible - quality at least as good as C&B, but hundreds cheaper. Need a nighttable? They had about 35, at about $120-150 apiece. Also a bunch of intricately carved wood things - i.e., rocking horses ($500? can't recall). A true find (apart from the fact that they use non-renewable tropical wood; can't have everything I guess).
What sort of finish is that?
It looks like it ought to be delivered right to the stripper/refinisher.
From the small pics it looks like pretty nice wood that has been finished with some muddy stain/poly that obscures rather than enhances.
Is that just the photography?
Be careful, I think my dresser is lovely and the price was great, but the top is cracking and i have read that others have had this problem.
I wandered in after a bite at Superfine, and picked up some striking accent pieces. No muddy finish, just a rich wood grain with a soft sheen. Although some of the stuff was less than spectacular, anybody with a good eye for design should do well here.
Yes, I've heard the stories, that solid wood furniture can develop cracks due to temperature and humidity changes, but I'm delighted to find things that are both unique and sturdy -hey- I'd rather risk an occasional crack than deal with the peeling veneers I saw down the block!
a. Monica's an idiot - evidently the kind of knee-jerk liberal that gives thoughtful progressives a bad name.
b. My wife & I just discovered this store, and absolutely love it. we just bought a dining room table from Brian, who was friendly and accomodating. The table is beautiful and unique, and we can't wait to host our next dinner party. Nor can we wait to go back to From The Source and get some accent pieces.
I shopped around for a year before I committed to any furniture. After shopping around an looking for options and price I created a budget for the items I wanted. Then I bumped into this store's warehouse in Greenpoint Brooklyn, and bought a dining and bedroom set, and antique cabinet (I love it) and coffee table from this company and my experience has been excellent. My guest have given the style and quality high praise, and I saved thousands.
Keep your negativity, I'll keep shopping at this store.
Most Grateful,
Kelvin
Be careful. We bought two dressers. They looked great when they arrived in the summer, but now the wood is splitting rapidly. These are not just "the occasional crack", they are now 12" long and 1/4" wide, all the way through the wood. We are now discussing remediation with the company, but have been told that we must pay for any transport of the pieces, whether for repair or replacement: a $150 proposition. Has anyone had experience with the quality of their repairs?
We got a table and later went back to purchase some chairs. I've pleased with the stuff we bought but the salesperson in the Chelsea store is so disgustingly rude, I refuse to go back. I felt like I had to convince him to sell us something. The guy we bought the table from was great; he was friendly and professional. But this new guy (he's a slim frenchman btw) can ruin your shopping experience.
It should probably be added that Mango wood comes from the mango tree, which is found in plantations - not harvested in the wild. As such, there is no issues of de-forestation involved, as the trees are planted in plantations, then give off mango for a number of years and are subsequently harvested and sold for the wood, at which point new trees are planted.
Sincerely
Jesper