Upcycle Saturdays....Guest Blogger Jack Fouracre from Son of a Woodcutter

Hello all,

My name is Jack Fouracre and I am the Son of a Woodcutter. Before I begin, I must say that it’s an honor to have the opportunity to write this post - the Leslieville Flea Market has been very influential for us since I officially launched Son of a Woodcutter back in the Spring. The Flea has inspired me to continuously innovate and seek out new ways to use reclaimed materials. The feedback from Flea goers has certainly helped guide my business to what it is today.

Barn Board Bottle stands, the perfect seasonal gift! It works on very simple physics and always impresses the crowd. It’s completely free standing, and believe it or not, it still works with an empty bottle ;) Imagine this as a gift accompanied by a bottle of wine. Swing by at the next flea on Dec 15^th and let me show you one in action!

The name ‘Son of a Woodcutter’ was simple to come up with as it has been an inside joke with my family and close friends, ever since my brother and I were children. My father has always worked with wood, and when we sold our family farm in the UK sometime during the early 1990’s, he became a full-time woodworker. Since I was a boy and to this day, whenever I would mention anything to my dad along the lines of: “Dad, check out this go-cart I just made!” or “Dad, I failed my maths test,” his reply would be: “Well, you are the son of a great woodcutter.” Back then and even now, it still doesn’t make any logical sense to me. I still wonder: is being the son of a woodcutter a bonus or a hindrance!?!

The ‘Against The Wall Console’ from reclaimed barn board (underside) is designed specifically for the narrow hallways of Toronto’s mid-century homes and condo’s alike. These sleek consoles make a great place to throw your keys and wallet before kicking your shoes off after a hard day

How did I get into the business? When I arrived in Canada four years ago, I dreamed of a career in finance. I had a short spell working at a stock brokerage and a wealth management firm, but I would sit there stressed, fingers red raw from bashing keys and staring out the window, wondering if this was really what I wanted from life. My girlfriend and I needed a coffee table and I wondered how I could construct one without any tools. I figured: if I built three and sold the extra two, I could cover the cost of some basic power tools. This is where it all started, three tables led to ten and the rest is history. I wake up each morning and look forward to going to work!

Reclaimed Barn Board picture frames 

All of our products are made from reclaimed materials including pallet wood and barn board to name a few. Pallets really are hidden gems and it drives me wild to see all that character in the wood go to waste or landfill. There is something so very satisfying about making use of another man's waste, creating something that is oozing character and that really gets people intrigued. Considering this, we still stand by our three principles; craftsmanship, functionality and design. When a barn comes down in Ontario, there are so many parts that we can make use of. The beams go for benches, the doors for coffee tables, the flooring for desks and the grey siding for all manner of different things. When I look around at other reclaimed furniture stores and see items priced in the $1000’s, I feel there is no need for prices to be that high. Using reclaimed materials does take more man hours than picking a pre-cut board from the shelf at Home Depot but I want everybody to enjoy having this furniture in their home, not just a select few. That’s the driver for me, knowing that the general public see my items as affordable and well built, buying a piece that carries values and will last for a long, long time.

                                           
Coffee Tables from reclaimed pallet wood

Our flagship item, the Pallet Top Coffee Table is the design that started it all, we are proud to have shipped them all across Canada and the US. Since our humble beginnings, we have settled into a new workshop that enables us to explore different materials and continue to find creative ways to re-use and upcycle reclaimed wood. Our product line now includes furniture and smaller products such as mirrors from vintage window frames, chalkboards, trays and many more.

Happy Saturday everybody and thanks for taking the time to read my post, head over to our website at www.sonofawoodcutter.ca for more info and pictures of our work.