Wood With Character : A craftsman from Sherman Oaks creates a simple but funky style of furniture from scraps discarded by movie studios.
It was a gutsy thing to do--sneaking onto Warner Bros.’ Burbank back lot to ransack discarded sets tossed into dumpsters. But Michael Banks needed a desk. Unable to afford new materials, he figured scraps from Jessica’s “Murder, She Wrote†office would do nicely.
“I couldn’t believe the amount of new wood that was being tossed out by studios,†said Banks, who had heard from a friend that studios threw out a fair amount of wood.
Banks has fashioned dozens of pieces of furniture, including desks, beds, trunks and tables from studio scraps since starting his part-time business, Spiritwood, three years ago.
“I call my business Spiritwood because the wood has a lot of character to it--some of it looks beaten. The fact that it was used in horror films, murder mysteries or who knows what gives it some unusual qualities.â€
After experimenting with different approaches, Banks, 23, a construction worker who lives in Sherman Oaks, hit on a style that combined Amish simplicity with Melrose Avenue funk.
Banks charges about $200 for his pieces, which are constructed with simple, sturdy lines. Many are painted in vibrant colors, then whitewashed.
Borrowing a technique he learned in a junior high woodworking class, Banks often applies a coat of beeswax, which is scraped into the wood grain with steel wool, revealing colors hidden by the whitewash.
“Friends who saw it began calling it artwork,†said Banks, whose eventual goal is to create documentary films. “They said it should be in galleries.â€
His work has shown this past spring at Sheila Stotts Salon in Studio City, where artists’ works are regularly featured among the shop’s hair-cutting stations.
“People really liked the idea of furniture made from wood that was headed for landfills or incinerators,†said Stotts, who displayed five of Banks’ pieces, a showing that garnered inquiries for custom work. “His furniture is essentially rough, but with an attractive finish to it. People who saw it felt the combination really worked.â€
Many of Banks’ pieces include paintings of sunflowers, moons and pastoral scenes. “The paintings help the furniture come to life,†said Banks, adding that he now checks in with film studio security guards when retrieving throwaways.
He also gathers materials from construction sites he works at since some studios have stepped up wood recycling efforts. (The increase is due in part to enactment of a 1989 California law that mandates municipalities to reduce waste streams 25% by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000.)
For instance, Warner Bros., which has recycled 507 tons of wood since boosting recycling efforts two years ago, often donates wood and used sets to local theater groups and housing projects. About 30% of the company’s sets are donated to such causes, 47% is chipped and sent to plants for incineration as boiler fuel and another 23% is chipped and composted, according to Lisa Rawlins, vice president of studio and production affairs.
“I would eventually like to see a central, recycling coordination center for wood products in Los Angeles,†said Banks. “People can use all forms of wood--from clean lumber to chips and sawdust for mulching gardens. Window frames from set pieces can be used in low-income housing projects and chipped wood is great for making particle board.
“I create furniture to show others what can be made from what they would normally throw out. I hope it expands their awareness of the need to recycle.â€
WHERE TO GO What: Spiritwood furniture designs by Michael Banks. Call: (818) 995-4315.
