Counter Evolution is a new company (2007) that was started by musician and avid wood worker Jim Malone. While working as a cartoonist and children’s television producer in Manhattan, Malone spent three years building a log cabin home in Upstate New York, an experience which spawned his love of wood working. His new found passion lead to the founding of Counter Evolution, a company which creates “contemporary Green furniture and eco-conscious installations made exclusively from reclaimed wood from bowling lanes.”

Industrial Green. Designed by Counter Evolution.

Malone has created two lines of products, Modern Rustic and Industrial Green. Modern Rustic is made from 100% recycled content, specifically pre-1980 lanes to ensure 100% wood content, newer lanes contain fiber glass and other materials. Industrial Green is a combination of raw steel and reclaimed heart pine or maple. Both lines have optional black walnut inlays of dots or arrows which recall the original use of the wood and add an unusual character to the pieces.

Modern Rustic. Designed by Counter Evolution.

Modern Rustic. Designed by Counter Evolution.

Modern Rustic. Designed by Counter Evolution.

Industrial Green. Designed by Counter Evolution.

Industrial Green. Designed by Counter Evolution.

Malone’s work is not without a sense of humor: the style names range from the Kingpin style, Gutterball style and Brooklyn style, each offering a variety of tables, benches and desks. Counter Evolution’s furniture has been used in companies such as Starbucks and Sweetgreen, as well as many eco-conscious homes. Using reclaimed wood stops the destruction of our forests, limits the energy needed to harvest and mill new wood, keeps already milled wood out of the waste heap. That said, not all reclaimed wood is created equal, and Malone’s passion makes it valuable. “The way it looks and feels—the beauty and character of the old wood, and the signs of its former life, only add to its richness.”

via Greenupgrader