OAKLAND, Calif. – A limited-edition table collection made by disadvantaged communities using upcycled construction materials has debuted through a collaboration between two nonprofit organizations: Designing Justice + Designing Spaces and Formr. Called The Healing Forest Tables, the products are the first launch in Formr‘s new charitable initiative called The Donation Collection.
Designing Justice + Designing Spaces, an Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit architecture firm working to end mass incarceration, and Formr, which employs such disadvantaged groups as the formerly incarcerated, asylum seekers and others to create products using upcycled construction debris, teamed up for the new initiative, which benefits Designing Justice + Designing Spaces’ longtime partner A New Way of Life, a national organization that provides housing and support for women rebuilding their lives after incarceration.
The Healing Forest Tables feature two options: The Premium model ($795, 22″ diameter, 22″ height), which showcases reclaimed wood finished with the Japanese charring technique Shou Sugi Ban; and the Accessible model ($495, 20″ diameter, 22″ height), which maintains the same dimensions and sophisticated design but features recycled steel hairpin legs.
The Healing Forest Table’s Accessible model ($495, 20″ diameter, 22″ height) features recycled steel hairpin legs. Image courtesy of Formr.”This collection embodies our collaborative design philosophy, where people impacted by mass incarceration are essential co-creators of the spaces and objects that support healing,” said Deanna Van Buren, founder of Designing Justice + Designing Spaces. “It’s a beautiful cycle of renewal—from discarded materials finding new purpose, to artisans rebuilding their lives, to women supported through the proceeds. By creating objects that represent growth and resilience, we invite people to bring this powerful symbol of transformation into their homes.”
The tables are available only during the month of June. “The one-month limited availability creates urgency and excitement that helps drive immediate support for A New Way of Life‘s programs at a volatile time when efforts and resources to advance equity and justice are under threat,” said Sasha Plotitsa, founder of Formr.
This is not the first time Designing Justice + Designing Spaces and Formr have collaborated together, as previous projects included furniture for its Mobile Refuge Rooms, currently on display at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s HOME exhibition through August.
Formr will launch new product releases for the Donation Collection twice a year, partnering with different designers to create limited-edition pieces, with different nonprofits receiving the proceeds.
