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Forward Thinking Furniture / The late Vladimir Ossipoff, considered to be the master of modern Hawaiian architecture, once said, “An architect has to be a bit of a sociologist, lawyer and psychologist–he has to know human nature.” The same societal precedent can also be applied to the kamaaina-inspired works of local carpenter Thorben Wuttke (pronounced “Tor-ben Vut-kurr”), whose custom-designed and eco-friendly furniture is also concerned with being humane and natural, but on a smaller scale.

Using only recycled materials, reclaimed wood and steel from deconstructed homes on Oahu, Wuttke builds one-of-a-kind pieces with a sustainable edge. All of his pieces are finished with non-toxic soy-based stains.

His one-man design studio, Forward Thinking Furniture, excavates salvaged lumberyards for its materials, the organic building blocks to his simple streamlined designs built to last. Whatever the project’s size (his smallest assignment was a nightstand, his largest, a 10-table/bench set for Mao Organic Farms), Wuttke breathes a new life into it with results that are raw, yet chic, unexpected, but familiar–intrinsic by-products of working with, not against, the salvaged material.

“It’s just really rewarding and beautiful material,” Wuttke says. “You can make it look reclaimed or brand new, and the quality of the wood is something you can barely find these days without paying a lot. People don’t understand there’s no reason to throw wood away, as long as it’s not termite-damaged or rotten. It’s still alive.”

Wuttke’s interest in carpentry began at an early age. As a child growing up in Germany, he found an innate joy in Play-Doh and tree houses. Naturally, Wuttke studied with a German cabinetmaker at 16. He received his journeyman’s license but spent the next three years in the insurance business.

A visit to Hawaii in 2003 brought Wuttke back to his furniture-making roots. He was fascinated by the Hawaiian culture and endless summer weather, and he was ready for a change so he moved to the islands at 23.

After living on the Big Island for four years, Wuttke moved to Oahu, where he found work with Re-use Hawaii, a nonprofit dedicated to deconstruction and keeping reusable building material out of local landfills.

Although sustainablity was a value instilled in him by his upbringing, it wasn’t until he commissioned to construct office furniture of the Re-use’s warehouse in downtown Honolulu that Wuttke really began to appreciate the natural wonders of eco-conscious design.

“I grew up with recycling, separating plastics from paper, conserving water, tending our own vegetable garden… That was all normal for my family. But it wasn’t until working for [Re-use] that I discovered how cool their whole model was. I fell in love with reclaimed materials and wanted to continue that kind of work,” he said.

Recycling the ideas he learned at Re-use, Wuttke outlined the blueprint for his own company, which opened April 2009. In the beginning, he relied entirely on Craigslist and word-of-mouth and business has picked up steadily since then. There’s a two-month waiting list for customers interested in ordering from him. (To give you an idea of pricing, full-size bed frames cost around $600.) To some it’s an expensive extravagance, to others it’s an investment in custom-made quality, a reminder these pieces can’t be found at any old furniture store.

Clearly, something about Wuttke’s balance of the timeless and contemporary resonates with clients. Not to mention the chance to collaborate to build something they’ll cherish. But in the end, for Wuttke, true love is found in working with the reclaimed wood.

“The recycled material is what adds character. The nicks and holes in the grain, it makes the piece feel alive. It’s like an old person with this charming personality. The furniture has a story to tell,” Wuttke says of embracing the “flaws” in the woodwork.

For those striving for a like-new look, Wuttke fills each hole with surfboard resin or finds materials with no apertures. Regardless of one’s personal aesthetic, Wuttke sees durability and longevity as the true benchmark of his furniture’s success.

His handiwork can also be found in the commercial sector, at the vegan eatery Peace Café and select locations of the highly visible Starbucks coffeehouse chain. Even prized power-lunch staple Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room is a showroom for Wuttke’s refined craftsmanship. With a diverse clientele that runs from The Omnivore’s Dilemma-set to the Bluetooth-wearing business suit crowd, Wuttke sees an obvious common denominator.

“Conscious business owners and customers,” says Wuttke. “Corporations are realizing the need for sustainability because in the end it profits them. They save money, their customers appreciate their support for local businesses and in turn customers continue to support the corporation. It’s awesome when that happens.”

For Wuttke, the designs are about more than just chairs and coffee tables and extend to the world at large. They reflect a certain way of life.

“It’s a personal choice what people think about sustainability, except you can’t know what to think unless you’re educated about it. I do my part by doing what I’m doing. I’m not doing it because it’s trendy, but because it’s a great idea that makes sense to me. My furniture is my lifestyle and my belief: to keep our resources in the cycle.”

Hopefully his sustainable point of view will catch on. Knock on recycled wood.

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