Wooden Boxes

Last week I was browsing at Woodland’s Floral Market in Kentfield. One thing that I have been trying to indoctrinate into my work is talking with local businesses. 

Its not as hard as it sounds, but it takes some patience and bravado. 

In talking with the manager I discovered that one of their top-selling items are 4” wooden boxes.

These boxes come in an assortment of sizes from 4”, 5”, 6” and up. But the most popular sized boxes are 4” and 6”. The boxes themselves are nothing too special. Just crappy wood from China, stapled together and given a piss-posh stain. The wood is cracking and their is no grain to be seen. Anyway, my point is that the product is crap, but it sells anyway.

The thought crossed my mind that Laughing Chickens/Harvest Boxes is missing out on a huge opportunity by focusing primarily on the urban farmer. We LOVE chickens and constructing hen houses. We LOVE helping families to build their dream garden. But there is a space in-between all of this that involves flower pots, vases, and accessories. 

Last week I spent some time building out demos. I have my own version of a 4”, 5” and 6” boxes. I make mine out of reclaimed redwood. Its primarily from used leftover scraps that I have been accumulating during the construction of our hen houses. Although we try and mitigate the loss of wood during the cutting process, there inevitably is large amount of unusable cut-off. 

Once I have the pieces cut, I assemble them with 1” brads and my compressor. 

The piece is then sanded down to rid us of splinters!

I am up in the air as to whether these new products merit linseed oil or not. I like the rustic, brushed wood aesthetic. But I know that some people will want a darker, more finished look. 

During the interim I refine my designs and seek inspiration elsewhere. Wood is an amazing material to work with. Its versatile, bold, malleable, and rad!

Look for the products to launch properly on Etsy, Williams-Sonoma or at a local Bay Area retailer.