DE RAIZ Ecological Furniture
DE RAIZ is a 20-year family-run business that gives a new life to so-called forest residues, pruning and tree cutting, which are necessary for the maintenance of the forest, turning them into valuable pieces. Designs and implements furniture, equipment, and accessories for indoors and outdoor, where wood is the primary raw material.
Rita and Paulo Tigre are the proud founders of the sustainable and ethical DE RAIZ, based in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal.
PURI has developed DE RAIZ’s communication, branding, and marketing for seven years, and in this space of time, it has been an honor to work with such a kind project and with such good people. So now it’s time to chat with Rita and ask her what we all want to know…
We collected some pruning of trees, such as the olive tree, which the destination would be firewood or burned in the open. The cork oak we bought, dry trees, of course, its destination would be charcoal or firewood. From stone pine, the branches that we collected when we started collecting about 12 years ago were burned in the open. Now it is used for chips and pellets.
Why did you start DE RAIZ? What happened that made you want to save trees?
Our workshop started in 1998 in Almada, Portugal, with the desire to produce custom-made furniture solutions, buying wood from sawmills in the city where we lived, with the limitations of what was on the market then. Craft production and the presence of the natural form have always been our proposals, even before we moved to the Alentejo. Still, without a doubt, this change gave us contact with trees, they’re leftovers, as they are also called, and they’re underutilisation.
Why did you move to Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal?
Our move to Alentejo came after we started making this place where we live today our holiday home and weekend escape. Then came the challenge of Monte Selvagem, to make most of the equipment and furniture, and from there, it was a leap to understand that this was the right place for our workshop and to live and raise our children! So we started to live in our holiday home, how wonderful!
Which trees did you save first?
I love the Cork oak, the Holm oak, and the Olive tree, which are ancient trees on our planet, and you can feel that when contemplating any of these trees, it is as if they were more prepared to resist everything. As when we were children and looking as an adult, I always felt protected near these trees, and at the same time, they convey hope because, despite everything, they persist on our planet and in our lives.
Are almost all the trees going to fire engines? Or are many found after prunings?
We collected some pruning of trees, such as the olive tree, which the destination would be firewood or burned in the open. The cork oak we bought, dry trees, of course, its destination would be charcoal or firewood. From stone pine, the branches that we collected when we started collecting about 12 years ago were burned in the open. Now it is used for chips and pellets.
Where are most of the trees?
We buy this wood always as close as possible to our area when pruning or cutting dry trees that arise from maintaining the forest.
What are your favorite trees?
I love the Sobreiro, the Azinheira, and the Oliveira, which are ancient trees on our planet, and you can feel that when contemplating any of these trees as if they were more prepared to resist everything. As when we were children and looking as an adult, I always felt protected near these trees, and at the same time, they convey hope because, despite everything, they persist on our planet and in our lives.
