Treehugger

San Francisco-based Ohio Design has all the right green credentials to get a TreeHugger thumbs up: things like reclaimed wood, recyclable steel (which is one of the world's most recycled materials), and non-toxic finishes all get the design motor running. While they're all great, it isn't really what got our attention. Their designs are fabulous; their aesthetic, subtle, modern and clean, providing equal parts functionality and artistic statement, but that's not what sold us, either. What is it, then? They use a technique they call PrintFurniture, where the natural wood pieces are graphically enhanced, and it's unlike anything we've ever seen before.



Pictured above are three versions of the Sophia Credenza; the graphic overlay adds a whole new dimension and gives the piece a dynamic, artistic quality. We love the way the colorful, occasionally ornate graphics combine with the warm organic feel of the wood to create such a unique feel. Besides, who wouldn't want a picture of an egg on their credenza?



Though their flat-fronted storage (like the credenza and the Sophia Four Drawer Dresser, above) are the most popular for PrintFurniture treatment -- they have the requisite surface area to allow for significant artistic expression -- Ohio features a host of other furnishings in their portfolio: beds, chairs, benches, stools, sofas, tables and even mirrors. All have the same quiet sophistication and clean modernism that TreeHugger dreams about; when combined with their eco-efforts that, in addition to above, include a preference for plywood over hardwood (it is structurally stronger, making it the smart choice for larger surfaces, is not as susceptible to warping, expansion, contraction, or minute breaks or splits, called checks, as hardwood. Plus, since it's laminated together and combines small chips to make big sheets, it's an efficient use of leftover scraps) it all adds to up to beautiful design produced with the planet in mind, and that's something we are always happy to see.