“Decades” chest of re-claimed drawers gives a whole new meaning to the term “Hope Chest.” Made of individual drawers that have been found and rescued from the dubious fate of the flea market, Decades combines the laudable sentiment of the burgeoning “green-collar” crowd (“re-deduce, re-use, and re-cycle,” for those who haven’t seen the bumper sticker) with a catchy design aesthetic. One look at the piece’s facade and you’ll see why designers Lisa Wid©n and Anna Irinarchos named it after an increment of time’s passage: a quick glance identifies the classic hue of early American cherry, the straight and striated walnut veneer of the 60s, and the warm tones of 70s Scandinavian chestnut. Certainly, the piece gives the lie to the belief that wood varieties in a room (not to mention varieties in a single piece) need be the same.

Decades Chest of Re-Claimed Drawers. Designed by Lisa Wid©n and Anna Irinarchos. Manufactured by wis designs.

The found drawers in this-their flagship sample for a concept that promises one-of-a-kind pieces only-seem chosen for their contrasting as well as complementary qualities. Wid©n and Irinarchos have grouped drawers of similar grains and tones, such that one section of the chest emphasizes verticality, while another invites the eye to explore the horizontal. But they handle the transitions nicely, as well-reddish tones abut chocolate, pull styles link to draw the gaze fore and aft, down and across (note, especially, the connect-the-dots-effect of the ball-style hardware). And they package the whole in a new white lacquered frame of MDF, which is a nice contrast to the woods’ rich tones, as it calms the chaos a bit and brings unity to the whole.

Decades is the best kind of homage. It works because it re-contextualizes the past into a present with different exigencies and different expectations. And by evoking that most loaded of terms to quantify time’s passage, Wid©n and Irinarchos create a space for imaginative play-after all, who knows what laden artifacts you could find in each of Decade’s drawers: a sepia-toned photograph of a Flapper in 20s Paris, spent shell casings from World War II, a Jackie Robinson rookie card…