Our annual Metamortise contest is here, where we resurrect scraps of lumber from previous furniture builds and transform it into creative furniture and accessory designs.  Last year brought more than a dozen innovative and beautiful designs ranging from games, lighting, artwork and of course multiple furniture designs.  This year we are partnering with Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical High School students, who are also creating pieces out of leftover lumber that we have provided them.

From 2.00-4.00 on Saturday, April 22 – Earth Day – we are hosting an event at The Joinery to see all the pieces and vote on for your favorites. To RSVP for the event click here. We will also hold a silent auction on the pieces submitted by the students, with all proceeds going back to the Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical High School.

By voting either online here or in our Woodstock showroom you can help crown the winning entries in this year’s contest, and be entered to win the piece of your choice. See photos of all the entries below.

The Joinery is proud to now offer metal dining table bases from Ingot Furnishings, led by Portland designer and craftsman Todd McMurray. Ingot bases are bold and graceful forms crafted from solid steel and available exclusively through The Joinery in several standard designs and finishes. Below is our Live Edge Dining Table using the Talos base in Gold finish, which is currently on display at our Yamhill Showroom in downtown Portland.

This incredible 43” x 100” top is from the first graduating class of the log purchasing program that we began with Goby Walnut in 2015. The log was milled to our specified thicknesses and cured for the last two summers before making it into our shop.

Woodworking has been in Mecheal’s blood for as long as he can remember. His father owned a furniture manufacturing facility and store in Damascus, Syria, and Mecheal first began helping out in the summers when he was about ten. He began working full time after his high school graduation.

The first piece he remembers completing all on his own was a custom bed. The furniture designs in Syria were much more ornate than we build, including a lot of texture and carving. Mecheal continually developed his skills and eventually took over the leadership of a building team. He worked in his father’s shop until he came to the US in 2008, and has worked at The Joinery since that time.

Mecheal loves the precision of the dovetail joint, and the rich beauty of Western Walnut, but is not wedded to a particular style or wood species. Instead he loves the variety of pieces that he works each month, and the challenge of the custom pieces that continually come his way.

Although Mecheal is accomplished at both Beds and Chairs, he is not one to spend time relaxing, at least while he is at work. At home has a small shop, and enjoys spending time with his family, which is about to get bigger with his wife pregnant with their second child.

Goby Walnut is located just outside the Northwest Portland industrial district, and most of their lumber comes from within 100 miles of their shop.  Their material is sourced solely from hazard or salvaged trees – those that need to be cleared either because they present a hazard, or because the land is being converted to another use.  The source is predominantly from urban areas, and does not impact valuable forestland.

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Ordinarily this material would be considered waste or sold for pulp. Goby instead upcycles it to higher value uses. We are happy to partner with a local company that provides us with fantastic material sourced from – sometimes literally – our own backyards. It allows us to build furniture that fulfills our lifetime warranty, ensuring that each tree has a second life that can rival the length of the first.