San Francisco - March 16, 2009

Knock on Wood

Urban Hardwoods Retail Showroom Opens

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise?

For the team at Urban Hardwoods, it does (and it sounds something like ca-ching).

The sustainably minded company that turns naturally fallen trees from nearby its Seattle factory into exquisite furniture just opened its second-ever retail showroom in Jackson Square.

Simple, almost majestic pieces like California redwood headboards, Chinese elm dining tables, and Pacific madrone slabs bring any design scheme firmly down to earth. The company’s care and craftsmanship truly shines in the seamless black walnut desk, and revolving inventory includes works by Northwest carvers like Laura Yeats (we love her wheelbarrow).

Prices range from $1,000 to $10,000, which may seem pretty stiff.

But the bigger the piece, the harder you’ll fall.

Urban Hardwoods, 553 Pacific Avenue, between Montgomery and Kearny Streets (415-397-9663 or urbanhardwoods.com).