2013 International Wood Magazine & Buyers Guide

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From the Forest

IWPA President Cindy Newman introduces the tenth edition of International Wood magazine, highlighting its articles and Buyers Guide, followed by Nature's Palette listing the exotic wood species referenced in the issue.

By Cindy Newman

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A Decade of Innovation

A retrospective look at ten years of International Wood magazine, from its 2004 launch as 'Imported Wood' under founding editor Annette Ferri, celebrated through a decade of cover art.

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International Wood: An Award-Winning Publication

A showcase of past International Wood magazine covers from 2008-2013, celebrating its award-winning design and inviting readers to submit eye-catching exotic wood installations for future issues.

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Tropical Forests Sustaining Communities Around the World

An interview with Bob Johnston of the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) on how training programs in Guyana, Brazil, Gabon, and Indonesia promote sustainable forestry and Reduced Impact Logging to sustain forest-dependent communities.

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Tropical Forest Foundation Q&A (continued)

Interview continuation with Johnston of the Tropical Forest Foundation, discussing community training, the business case for Reduced Impact Logging, and the challenge of shifting consumer perspectives.

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Tropical Forest Foundation Q&A: Spreading the Message of Reduced Impact Logging

A Q&A with the Tropical Forest Foundation on spreading the message of Reduced Impact Logging, educating architects and designers, and the TFF RIL Verified certification standard.

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Janka Hardness

An introduction to the Janka hardness scale and profiles of African Blackwood (3670) and Cumaru (3330), explaining their traits and ideal applications.

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Scale of Exotic Woods

A profile of Macassar Ebony, Cocobolo, and Jatoba alongside a Janka hardness comparison chart ranking ten exotic wood species from Sapele to African Blackwood.

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Exotic Wood Species Guide

A species profile covering Pink Ivory, Purple Heart, Zebrawood, Lyptus, and Sapele with descriptions of grain, durability, uses, and Janka ratings.

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Exotic Accents from Around the World

A Malibu residence blends macassar ebony, jatoba, eucalyptus, pearwood, cherry, zebrawood and other exotic materials in a warm, modern family home designed by Cozen Architecture + Lighting.

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A Symphony of Woods

A home design feature showcasing jatoba, macassar ebony, zebrawood, pearwood, eucalyptus and other exotic and domestic woods used throughout distinctive rooms and applications.

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The Ross Residence: A Collaboration in Wood

Architect Carol Cozen describes the collaborative process with homeowners Rick and Robyn to select and combine multiple wood species in the timeless Ross residence.

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Aesthetic Design: The Adobe LEED Gold Eco-office Building

Adobe's new LEED Gold eco-office building in Lehi, Utah features extensive interior millwork and an acoustic atrium ceiling made from FSC-certified Red Grandis from Uruguay.

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Nordic Cool

A feature on the 'Nordic Cool' festival at the Kennedy Center, highlighting a Snøhetta-designed plywood sculpture exhibit and tracing plywood's history from ancient Mesopotamia to Scandinavian design.

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Snøhetta Plywood Sculptures at the Kennedy Center

Feature on Snøhetta's flexible plywood sculpture installation at the Kennedy Center's Hall of Nations, developed in collaboration with Center staff and fireproofed in Norway.

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The Warmth of Wood Makes Winter Fun

In Winnipeg—nicknamed 'Winterpeg'—Patkau Architects designed sculptural plywood skating shelters to warm ice skaters on the frozen Red and Assiniboine Rivers.

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Patkau Architects: Skating Shelters in Winnipeg

Patkau Architects designed a cluster of winter skating shelters in Winnipeg using flexible Bendy Ply plywood, creating a herd-like village of forms shaped by the material's unique directional flexibility.

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Bending Like Branches

Patkua Architects discusses how the lightweight, wind-responsive quality of Bendy Ply inspired their skating shelters project, leading to research initiatives and a Comme des Garçons commission in Tokyo.

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Trends in Outdoor Living

A feature on trends in outdoor living spaces, highlighting how Americans use exotic woods for pergolas, arbors, gates and gazebos, featuring insights from Walpole Outdoors.

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Exotic Woods for Outdoor Living

A feature on exotic and lesser-known wood species—teak, mahogany, Spanish cedar and Alaskan yellow cedar—for outdoor applications such as pergolas, showers, and gates.

By Bob Coyne

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Past and Present

Furniture designer Steven Sander blends traditional Early American woodworking techniques with modern non-traditional materials, exemplified by his stick bench made from over 2,500 individually milled and finished wooden sticks.

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Steven Sander: The Stick Bench

Designer Steven Sander discusses his stick bench and his passion for combining exotic woods with non-traditional materials to create durable, tactile, and intimate furniture pieces.

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Zebrano: Wood on the Wild Side

Boraam Industries, an Illinois-based furniture maker, expands upmarket with its Zebra Series—a collection of dining furniture featuring distinctive zebrano and zebrawood veneer on MDF.

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Zebrawood Collection Appeals to Discerning Designers

Boraam Industries' Zebrawood Zebra Series furniture line, crafted from Malaysian zebrano, appeals to designers seeking mid-century modern pieces with dramatic, exotic grain patterns at an affordable price.

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If Chairs Could Talk

Student designer Teshia Treuhaft discusses how digital technologies are reshaping traditional furniture design and woodworking, experimenting with vacuum-formed plywood chairs at RISD.

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Bent Plywood and Danish Inspiration

Designer Treuhaft discusses her bent plywood Intersection Chairs and Copenhagen Lounger, drawing on Danish design influence and vacuum bag lamination techniques.

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Modern Architecture with a Humanistic Touch

Profile of Boston-based architect Stephen Chung, host of PBS program Cool Spaces, who blends modern design principles with the warmth of wood and other natural materials.

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Truth to Materials in Modern Architecture

Architect Chung applies the modernist principle of "truth to materials," pairing woods like walnut and wenge with contrasting stones to enhance grain, texture, and mood in residential spaces.

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Combining Art and Purpose

Architect Stephen Chung discusses how natural materials like wood and stone bring a humanistic quality to design that manufactured materials cannot replicate.

By Stephen Chung

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The Miniot Collection Makes Apple Shine

Miniot BV, a small Netherlands-based woodworking shop, crafts elegant wooden cases, covers and stands for iPads and iPhones using woods like maple, mahogany, pear, wengé and walnut.

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Miniot: Working with Many Wood Types

Miniot crafts fine wood cases and covers using FSC-certified species from walnut to wengé, adapting techniques to each wood's unique character while prioritizing grain, color and consumer appeal.

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Miniot: Crafting Premium Wood Products from Nature's Best Gift

Miniot crafts premium wooden iPhone cases and products using carefully selected hardwoods like walnut, maple, wengé, and padouk, emphasizing natural beauty and skilled craftsmanship.

By Els Remijnse

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Harding Pens

Brad Harding, a mechanical engineer in Aurora, Ontario, turns exotic wood scraps and burls into handmade pens as a stress-relieving hobby turned sideline business called Harding Pens.

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Exotic Favorites

Pen-maker Harding discusses his favorite exotic woods—Pink Ivory and African Blackwood—and his innovation of crafting double-ended pens that work as both traditional writing instruments and capacitive styluses for touchscreens.