SeeingGreen ™

Don’t let the words “entombed and salvaged wood furniture” on ecoPDX’s sign at the entrance scare you away. “Entombed” simply means that the wood was once buried underground, in this case by volcanic activity or flooding. Recognizing the value of this hidden treasure, a company called Tropical Salvage (based in Portland) gainfully employs artisans in Indonesia to extract the entombed wood and craft an unusual line of furniture. ecoPDX then imports and showcases these hand-crafted wares in its brick warehouse on N. Interstate Ave. The patina, coloring, and markings on the furniture certainly reflect the wood’s harried journey. However, the eclectic tables, dressers, tansu chests, and bed frames are charming enough that you may find yourself making room in your home for a piece of furniture that is rich with character and other-worldy charm. Although the practice of using foreign laborers to manufacture products that then need to be shipped across the world does not usually evoke the idea of “seeing green,” there is a role for fair trade enterprises to help change the ways of the world. This may just be one of those instances when acting globally and buying locally actually makes sense.

ecoPDX
2289 N. Interstate Ave.
503-287-8181
Check website for hours.