Have you ever wondered why you’ll occasionally see a recently trimmed tree with dark splotches of black paint at the site of the cut? How about those neat quarter ton stacks of 2×4’s with a broad swath of blue at the end? As it turns out, that particular flourish also comes in orange, green, and yellow—a vivid array that manufacturer Shay Ve Ben has used to excellent effect for their new Endy Collection.

Table from the Endy Collection. Designed and Manufactured by Shay Ve Ben.

Shay Ve Ben’s Endy Collection Re-Purposes Colorful Cuts of Castoff Lumber

At some point amid the well-trimmed greenery of my suburban childhood, I discovered that the paint at the spot of the former limb intends to keep the bugs out from this vulnerable entryway, though I always thought the colorful splotch on the lumber was somehow for identification purposes. The truth, however, as revealed by the Tel Aviv-based Shay Ve Ben, is that the sawmill does this to protect the wood: “The timber’s ends are the most sensitive part of the timber. In order to protect it, they are painted in sawmills.”

The paint protects the lumber, not only from buggy infestation but also from over-drying and the inevitable splits and cracks. As the raw lumber is processed further, these colorful ends are cut off and discarded, at which point Shay Ve Ben swoops in and re-claims them.

The Endy series consists of a confluence of intriguing colors, shapes, and sizes, all of which find that elusive synergy between the bright and occassionally garish shades of aqueous blue, fluorescent orange, or fuschia and good old classic hardwood.

Endy’s product line is comprised of chairs, tables, and stools. Wood choices include oak, maple, ash, sapele, and cherry. And no matter the form of the furnishing or the type of wood, they each emphasize the intriguing blend of bright colors with the deep rich tones of wood: “constructed only by these ends, the Endy Collection emphasizes the edges, thus preserving a hint of the origins of the wood, and celebrating these magnificent colors.”

Via DesignMilk.

About the Manufacurer: Tel Aviv’s Shay Ve Ben is a small company with large aspirations. Their collection of reclaimed furniture, shelving, and industrial accessories quite often exemplifies a whimsical aesthetic, yet that doesn’t mean they aren’t exceptionally pragmatic too. Products such as the gravity-defying Two Leg Table, the Brush Stool, and the Toast ER Toaster are fun and functional; introspective, yet solutions-oriented; and always threaded with a unique narrative: “We tell stories. We ask questions. We discover new areas of interest.”