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Materials

Where the wood comes from, and why it matters for a coastal project.

Lumber, hardware, finishes

Where the wood actually comes from.

We're picky about lumber. Most of what we use is sourced from a small handful of mills and yards we've worked with for years. None of it comes off the shelf at a big-box retailer.

For coastal projects, species selection matters more than people realize. The wrong wood will check, cup, or rot through within five seasons of Atlantic exposure.

Stacked hardwood lumber at a New England sawmill
Suppliers

Local mills and yards we trust.

Downes & Reader Hardwood

Stoughton, MA. Domestic hardwoods — white oak, walnut, cherry, hard maple. Family-owned since 1859.

Anderson & McQuaid

Cambridge, MA. Custom moldings and historic millwork profiles. We use them when we can't run a knife ourselves.

Boston Cedar

Mansfield, MA. Western red cedar and Alaskan yellow cedar for exterior work.

Reliable Truss & Components

Plaistow, NH. Engineered framing and structural lumber.

Longleaf Lumber

Cambridge, MA. Reclaimed antique heart pine, oak, and chestnut from New England mills and barns.

The Frank Miller Lumber Co.

Indiana. Quartersawn white oak when our local supply runs short — they know how to dry it right.

Species we use most

  • White oak — kitchens, floors, exterior trim. Closed-pore, takes finish predictably.
  • Walnut — built-ins, furniture, accent millwork. Domestic, gorgeous, expensive.
  • Cherry — cabinetry that will mellow into deep amber over a decade.
  • Western red cedar — decks, exterior siding, outdoor furniture.
  • Honduran & African mahogany — exterior doors, windows, premium decking.
  • Ipe — high-traffic decks where you want zero maintenance for 30+ years.
  • Poplar — paint-grade trim, casing, and cabinet face frames. Stable and sustainable.
  • Reclaimed pine and oak — beams, mantels, table tops with character you can't fake.

How we think about sustainability

We're not going to claim to be a green-certified shop. But we do try.

  • Domestic hardwoods preferred over tropical species when the project allows
  • FSC-certified lumber when we can get the species we need
  • Reclaimed wood from Longleaf Lumber and direct from local barn salvages
  • Water-based and hardwax-oil finishes (low VOC) on interior work
  • Sawdust collected and given to local farms for animal bedding
  • Cutoffs and scrap cedar offered free to neighbors for kindling