I've had a great time the last two Tuesday evenings at the Green Business Chat that Shea's been hosting, and one of the folks I've had the pleasure to "meet" there is Chicago-area furniture-maker Pete Realmuto. In the chatroom, Pete comes across as genuinely down-to-earth: one of those people who doesn't dominate the conversation, but when he does speak up, it's good stuff. I found out last night that Groovy Green had interviewed him, and after reading the piece, I thought it was definitely worth passing along, as Pete's as serious about the sustainability of his materials and practices as he is about fine workmanship. Among the topics Pete discusses with GG's Chris Welch are his favorite types of wood (and how he makes sure it's sustainably harvested), offsets, the joys of restoring antique furniture, and his own day-to-day methods of trying to do less harm. I was particularly impressed in our discussion last night how Pete described his intention in making furniture as creating something he wanted to last a long time, perhaps long enough to pass down to the next generation -- special chat guest Josh Spears did a heck of a job in getting all of us to think hard, but I sensed he was a bit thrown by Pete's commitment to making things that last. Enjoy the interview, and take a look at his work -- beautiful stuff! And come by the Green Business chat next week -- I think I'm guest hosting as Shea makes his move back across country to the Northeast... more details to come.Categories: sustainability, furniture, business, interview
