Storyboard Furniture Ltd.: Custom Wood Furniture

Storyboard Furniture Ltd. brings furniture from “Tree to Table.” The studio salvages ill-fated trees from clients’ properties to create singularly beautiful, ecologically responsible custom furniture.

The team approaches this work both as makers and artists. While they seek perfection in function and form, they also look at every project through a different lens – one of storytelling and meaning-making. Beginning with the material beauty of the wood unveiled by milling a tree, the stories that tree has witnessed in its life are drawn out through intelligent design and exacting craftsmanship. Imagine sitting in a chair made from the tree you climbed as a child.

Live-edge Furniture – Contemporary Designs

Every piece in the Storyboard Furniture Ltd. collection begins with a single salvaged tree and ends as a one-of-a-kind statement. The live-edge is kept intact – preserving the natural contour of the trunk so no two pieces are ever alike.

Lighting

From Tree to Table – The Process

Storyboard Furniture Ltd. is often commissioned to build furniture from ill-fated trees. The team coordinates with certified arborists for safe removal. In other cases, the studio takes trunks from arborists and homeowners who would otherwise pay for trucking and disposal. In recent years, orchardists whose land is being developed have provided significant quantities of fruitwood.

• Milling. Trunks and limbs are milled into live-edge flitches (slabs). Where equipment access is good, a bandsaw mill or swingblade is used. In tight urban backyards – common across Toronto – a portable chainsaw mill handles trees up to 8 feet in diameter. The studio invested in a Logosol M8 bandsaw mill after its orchard salvage campaign, which noticeably improved cut quality and capacity.
• Drying. Thick stock is stickered and air-dried before entering the kiln. Air drying takes 3 to 24 months depending on thickness and species. Kiln drying brings moisture content down to 6-8% and takes up to 3 additional months. There are no shortcuts in this stage – proper drying prevents warping, cracking, and movement after the piece is built.
• Design. While the wood dries, the team works on design. Each piece is tailored to the character of the specific slab – its grain, figure, edges, and distinctive features. Steel bases are designed in-house, each with its own name: the Asterisk, the Hairpin, the Lovers Quarrel, the Nesting, the Framed, and others.
• Finishing. A slab is selected whose character complements the base design. City trees are notorious for their “flaws” – battle scars from life in the urban jungle. Storyboard highlights these to honour the tree and tell its story. The wood is flattened, sanded, and finished with the utmost care.
• Assembly. Base and slab come together. Just waiting for a morning coffee to join in.

Orchard Salvage – Kitchenware and Accessories

When a heritage orchard was slated for development, Storyboard Furniture launched an Indiegogo campaign to salvage as many trees as possible. The campaign raised nearly $20,000 – enough to harvest roughly 200 trees, purchase a Logosol M8 mill, and acquire an additional chainsaw.

From the salvaged apple wood, the studio produced kitchenware and accessories. But the most meaningful outcome was the community response – people sharing stories of how this orchard had touched their families across generations.

The project was made possible by a team of skilled craftspeople: Brian Volz, Andreas Merker, Scott Barber, Stephen Henderson, Joshua Brasse, Karen King, and Joerg Wittenbrinck. Thanks also to Kevin Chaves and Jack Alexander (campaign video), Tanya Neumeyer (open house), Lost Girl and Lukas Voz (fundraiser), and the Ferri and Potovszky families.

How to Care for Live-edge Furniture

Wood responds to humidity. In Canadian homes with forced-air heating, winter humidity can drop below 25%, causing minor surface checks. This is normal seasonal movement – most checks close again in spring.

• Keep humidity between 35-55%. A humidifier in winter is the single best preventive measure.
• Cleaning: Damp cloth. No harsh chemicals or silicone-based products. Mild dish soap for stubborn spills.
• Oil varnish finish: Very durable, no regular maintenance needed. A light sanding and fresh coat after several years if desired.
• Osmo Polyx Oil: Food-safe, easy to spot-repair. Thin coat on scratched areas, cure 24 hours, buff lightly.
• Scandinavian soap finish: Matte and natural. Periodic washing with pure soap (Marseille or dedicated wood soap). Avoid hot items directly on the surface.
• Outdoor pieces (raw oil): Wood silvers naturally over time. Reapply oil once or twice a year to maintain original colour.
• Heat and sunlight: Trivets under hot dishes. Cherry darkens with sun exposure; walnut lightens slightly. Both changes are natural.

Frequently Asked Questions

Commissioning furniture from a salvaged tree is not an everyday purchase, and most clients have questions before they begin. Storyboard Furniture Ltd. has answered these hundreds of times over the years – from homeowners watching a backyard maple come down to arborists looking for a better destination for quality trunks. Below are the questions that come up most often.

Other Salvaged Wood Furniture Makers in Ontario

Storyboard Furniture is part of a growing community of Ontario makers who give salvaged and reclaimed wood a second life. Here are five other studios doing notable work in this space.