The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Into the woods
Tree to table
Birmingham-based Alabama Sawyer transforms fallen trees and reclaimed materials into modern tables and home accessories.
The company: Alabama Sawyer, founded in Birmingham in 2015, makes furniture, including solid wood tabletops, made to specifications, as well as other goods from urban timber.
The owners: Cliff and Leigh Spencer. Cliff, an Alabama native who graduated from Rhodes College in Tennessee, worked as a master craftsman in New York City and on set designs in Los Angeles, where he ran Cliff Spencer Furniture Maker, a custom cabinetry and furniture business, before returning to his hometown. Leigh, a California native and award-winning graphic designer, earned degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as Otis College.
Big break: After Cliff spoke at Design Week Birmingham in 2014, the couple decided to launch Alabama Sawyer and eventually move with their two children to Birmingham.
What’s popular: The bestselling Noaway Countertop Comport Bin in walnut and magnolia ($175). Also the Sputnik tables ($300 to $500) and dining tables. Based on wood species and base selection, an 8-foot-by-3.5-foot dining table ranges from $3,800 to $9,500. Other favorites: Trays in walnut, oak and magnolia ($275 to $350).
Fun (or unusual) request: A 26-foot trapezoidal conference table for a company in Alpharetta. The solid walnut table required 18 slabs of wood. It had to be delivered in six pieces to get it up the elevator.
Claim to fame: Overall winner in Garden & Gun magazine’s 2017 “Made in the South” awards.
Where to buy: Alasaw.com. Smaller products are also sold on Food52.com, goop.com and Kauffmann-mercantile.com.