Starky’s Restaurant Seating

Bozeman’s new Starky’s Restaurant opened on Friday April 9, 2010. Diners can now experience the unique surroundings conceived by Comma-Q Architecture along with work by many local businesses, including comfortable built-in seating designed and built by Casulo Studios:

Starky's Benches - sprung seating for optimal comfort

Bench wraps around the corner

Booth seating and tables

Booths are situated in an alcove

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Gunlocke Chairs

1978 Gunlocke Chair with beautiful solid wood construction

Here’s a beautiful example of a 1978 Gunlocke chair we recently acquired – the wood is solid walnut and the upholstery is in good shape.

Here’s a bit of history on the company (read the entire article here):

William Henry Gunlocke entered the chair business in Binghamton in 1888 as a wood finisher and rose to the position of factory superintendent. He and four other men came to the village of Wayland in western New York in 1902 in response to a newspaper advertisement placed by the civic fathers seeking to fill a vacant factory building. The W.H. Gunlocke Chair Co. began production there with less than a dozen employees.

Gunlocke’s reputation for quality designs and craftsmanship was due in part to its extensive use of steambending. By 1912 an entire department had been devoted to this time-honored but exacting process, which had been abandoned by many manufacturers in favor of less costly bandsawing. Gunlocke’s practice was to air-dry wood for six months to one year before using it. This process, plus kiln drying, was essential to producing the company’s durable furniture, including seating made to last for decades.

Although the company’s furniture was initially designed, manufactured, and merchandised primarily for household applications, it found a growing market in business settings and began to specialize in furniture for business and government offices, as well as for the nation’s schools. Woodrow Wilson became the first of a long line of presidents to use one of its chairs.

In 1972, Gunlocke added a full line of high-quality library furniture. In 1973 it had showrooms in Los Angeles, New York City, and Dallas, as well as Chicago. Its product line in 1974, aside from seating, desks, credenzas, and library furniture, included conference and side tables. These products were made primarily from solid walnut, maple, and white oak, as well as veneers of these woods. In 1977 Gunlocke introduced a new desk series and three chair styles by leading designers.

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Organic Furniture – improving your indoor environment

Here is an article I recently wrote for our local Ecozone newspaper:

Anyone who has ever purchased a new piece of furniture might recall a distinct odor brought into the home or office along with the happily anticipated new addition. After a while the smell dissipates to a point where we no longer notice it, but many of us wonder what it is, and some may even experience unpleasant physical reactions in the form of dizziness, nausea or more severe symptoms. As people are becoming more aware of all things environmental, the home and office, where most of us spend more than half of our lives, are no exceptions.

The worst pollutants today are brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) which infiltrate our indoor environment as dust filtering out of our furniture (and certain other household items), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which “off-gas” harmful chemicals into the air from formaldehyde-based glues used in plywoods and wood composites as well as in many textile and wood surface finishes. PBDEs — similar to PCBs and dioxins, two of the most toxic classes of chemicals — are in use today largely as a result of the California Furniture Flammability Standard (TB-117), which indicates the use of flame retardants in upholstered furniture and baby items, resulting in widespread use of materials treated with these inexpensive chemicals.

One way to begin addressing the problem of indoor air pollution is to start asking questions. We as consumers should demand to know exactly what chemicals are in our products and any health problems associated with them. Furniture stores, designers and upholstery shops want to do their part for the environment as much as any of us, and customer interest in these important issues translates to significant “grassroots” impact as suppliers and manufacturers begin to incorporate requests for non-toxic materials into their offerings.

What are the healthy alternatives we are looking for? The purely “organic” furniture alternative may be a good choice for people with acute chemical sensitivities as well as those merely looking to create a cleaner indoor environment. This choice may include certified organic wool, an accepted flame retardant layer in upholstery cushioning and also naturally resistant to dust mites, bacteria and mold (common human allergens). Natural, non-synthetic latex foam produced without petroleum or harsh chemicals provides an alternative to urethane foam as a core cushioning element. Organic cotton, farmed without the use of pesticides or herbicides, may be used in place of standard cotton as an upholstery padding layer. There is a growing range of organic textiles as well as low-impact natural fibers such as hemp, flax, linen or bamboo. Fabric companies are adding more “green” choices to their fabric lines every year. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products are sourced from tree farms which employ sustainable forestry management practices. Water-based glue and natural finishes such as tung oil and beeswax contain no VOCs and will not off-gas harmful air pollutants.

As our environmental knowledge expands and we begin to give voice to our concerns, our local furniture stores, upholstery shops and design services will be better able to provide a wider choice of healthy materials to suit our individual needs.

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Restaurant Seating

Here are some quick shots of our current project: seating for a great local restaurant – Starky’s Authentic Americana, Bozeman, Montana – rebuilding after the devastating gas explosion of March 2009 – opening soon!

Gluing and clamping: Sustainably harvested FSC certified solid wood and non-toxic water-based glue

Shop work - parts: seat frames, springs and seat backs

Seat frames - spring clips attached

Seat frames sprung up and ready for upholstery - they're going to be comfy!

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Introducing the Lola swivel chair… and how Casulo Studios’ organic Living Home Furniture™ line came about

The Lola swivel chair covered with "Jetsons-style" retro wool upholstery fabric

When asked what inspired us to begin manufacturing our own line of organic furniture, my response ranges from “a desire to create beautiful heirloom-quality furniture” to “love of a design challenge” and everything in between… but the answer ultimately rests on the subject of indoor air quality.

When I first heard about people who have chemical sensitivities, I thought about my own experience, which began with a job I took as a teenager brushing a urethane-based sealer onto every wood surface of a 3-story log home. The job took me about a month to complete, and I remember being utterly permeated during that period with what I now know were very nasty volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing from the sealer.

Label from a high-VOC finish

My inexperience with such things precluded me from wearing a protective mask, and I am convinced that exposure has had lasting health effects on me, in the form of elevated sensitivity to indoor air pollutants. Although I don’t exhibit the acute symptoms that some individuals experience, the motivation was in place to find alternatives to the materials I was working with in conventional upholstery that can cause these symptoms.

The rewards of our research and development are now tangible in our custom furniture and organic upholstery services and in Casulo Studios’ Living Home Furniture™ line.

The Lola swivel chair is the newest addition to the line. Reproduced from a vintage chair circa 1940’s, the upholstery includes organic cotton batting, natural jute burlap & webbing and a custom manufactured spring system for maximum support and comfort. The base is FSC certified solid maple, finished with pure tung oil (no petroleum distillates) and beeswax.

The Lola swivel chair (side view)

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The Milton rocking chair – the Living Home Furniture™ line

The Milton rocking chair

The Milton spring rocker was the debut chair in our organic Living Home Furniture™ line in 2008. Named after my grandfather, the design recalls his favorite chair – at least as I remember it from early childhood. He used to sit in it as he enjoyed the Boston Red Sox on one of the first color TVs in the 60s. The cover fabric is beautiful hand dyed, hand woven silk from a weaver’s co-op in Thailand. Unfortunately, it is a limited edition fabric, so is not currently part of our stock fabric offering – but it seems almost meant for this chair. The upholstery includes local organic wool batting and felt, 100% natural latex foam, organic cotton/bamboo batting &  hemp canvas. The arms and base are FSC certified solid walnut, finished with pure tung oil (no petroleum distillates) and beeswax.

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Latex Foam in Upholstered Furniture

Is latex foam truly a healthy and sustainable option for upholstered furniture?

The raw material for latex foam is obtained by tapping rubber trees in much the same way as maple trees are tapped for sap to make maple syrup.

Harvesting latex milk from a rubber tree

The trees are carefully tended to ensure years of productivity. Historically, latex milk was harvested by small holdings in southeast Asia. Today larger plantations have been established to meet the growing demand. The raw material is processed into 100% natural or blended natural/synthetic latex. 100% synthetic latex is produced without the milk from the tree. The blends and synthetics are often blanket-labeled by suppliers as “natural”, creating confusion about what you’re actually getting. My reference to natural refers to the 100% latex-from-the-tree, with zero synthetic rubber content. If the supplier can’t tell us the percentage of natural and synthetic content in their products, we don’t buy from them. Two processes, called Dunlop and Talalay are commonly used in manufacturing both natural & synthetic latex foam. It is important to note that the Talalay process produces a more durable foam, and uses minimal chemicals in the aerating and gelling steps – compared to the Dunlop process.

Talalay process: injection of latex into a pin-mold at the factory

The manufacturer of the 100% natural Talalay latex used in our furniture does not use any solvents in their processing. Their Talalay latex is certified by Oeko-Tex (Europe’s highest environmental consumer product standard) to be free of harmful substances or chemicals.

100% natural latex foam used to pad a chair seat

100% natural Latex foam is naturally hypoallergenic, dust mite resistant and antimicrobial (inhibiting the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew) without chemical additives or synthetics. Due to thorough washing in the final stages of production, manufacturers claim that 100% natural latex also reduces the tendency for aggravation of latex allergies by significantly removing the plant proteins. Blended latex manufacturers may also make this claim on the basis of the natural latex component in their finished products. However, people with acute or life-threatening allergies should always practice caution and seek the advice of their doctor or health professional.

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Organic & Sustainable Upholstery Practices

What is organic upholstery and why should I care?

This is a common question in my work, which includes new design as well as reclamation and customization of vintage upholstered furniture. We offer the option of organic & sustainable upholstery materials – an important choice for those who are chemically sensitive, as well as those looking to create a cleaner indoor environment.

It is helpful to know what kinds of questions to ask your furniture dealer or upholsterer when purchasing new furniture or rehabilitating your favorite sofa or chair. Confusion runs rampant with the current trend toward greenwashing everything from vitamins to kitchen sinks, partly due to a lack of guidelines which consumers can trust. Oecotextiles, an organic textile manufacturer who walks the talk, addresses this issue in some depth in their blog.

Our certified organic wool comes from a local sheep ranching and wool producing operation

Not all upholstery materials are available as certified organic products, so we have to do the best we can by offering the “next best thing” alongside the certified products, while keeping an eye to the horizon for new and better options as they become available. The certified organic products we are currently using in our new and reclaimed pieces include cotton batting, and locally produced wool felt & batting. (Note: we are addressing the inside padding materials here; cover fabrics will be explored in a later post).

The wool batting may be covered with a layer of organic cotton/bamboo batting or an organic cotton ticking fabric to prevent ‘migration’  of the wool fibers through the cover fabric.

Certified organic wool batting and felt wrapped over a hemp canvas base layer

The remaining fabrics we are currently using are non-organic natural fibers, including hemp canvas used as a base layer over the springs. Natural latex foam may be used as a padding layer or as the core of a cushion. Latex is produced by tapping the rubber tree, much like the tapping of a maple tree for maple syrup – the process does not harm the tree.

Both wool and latex are widely touted as natural barriers to dust mites, mold & mildew, which are known allergen sources in many home environments.

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