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Kindling
Megan and Aaron Pahmier revive reclaimed wood as organic home accessories.
What it is Recycled wood-based home accessories made by twentysomething siblings Megan and Aaron Pahmier
Who they are While Megan has spent the last several years studying and pursuing art—she graduated with a B.F.A. in painting from Maryland Institute College of Art and a master’s in art education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago—Aaron acquired hands-on experience working as a carpenter. After his company disbanded, Aaron, using the wood (enough to fill a one-car garage) he’d salvaged from his work, along with locally milled wood from Horigan Urban Forest Products and additional scraps from deconstructed homes), kicked off a custom-furniture company under the name Green Sawn. Meanwhile, Megan started incorporating bits of Aaron’s scraps into her own mixed-media art projects. It made perfect sense, then, when Megan proposed that she and her brother try to collaborate as designers last summer and sell their work at Renegade Craft Fair. Barely six months later, they hosted the first open house at their shared studio space in Logan Square, scored a shout-out in ReadyMade magazine and started selling their designs at two shops—one in San Francisco and one in Chicago.
What they make Working almost exclusively within the confines of recycled matter from Aaron’s Green Sawn business, the duo keeps the collection simple for now with votives ($50), picture holders ($30) and bud vases ($30) made from cut and hollowed branches. Next up: bookends.
Why we like it The clean designs, such as our favorite, faceted votive holders made to look like geometric rocks and painted in a semitranslucent white wash, celebrate the natural beauty of the materials.
Where to find it Post 27 (1819 W Grand Ave, 312-829-6122) and kindlingshop.etsy.com
