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SinCa Design Uses the Whole Tree for Their Sustainable Furniture

07.13.22 | By
SinCa Design Uses the Whole Tree for Their Sustainable Furniture

Sustainability is at the heart of husband and wife team SinCa Design’s Connecticut furniture studio. Maria Camarena and Dave Sinaguglia plant ten trees for every piece they make to give back to the planet – so far over 250 through a partnership with non-profit One Tree Planted.

“What excites me the most is to think that the more we grow as a business, the more trees are planted. And that this is just one of the actions we take to be a business that restore instead of one that destroys,” said Maria.

And that’s only one way they minimize their brand’s environmental impact. The main material SinCa uses is certified green wood that’s sustainably harvested from a local mill near their studio. They then air-dry the slabs of wood for two to three years before putting it to use. The process takes longer than kiln drying, but also reduces carbon emissions.

arched wood and marble side table

Arco Side Table

Two Geometric Side Tables – Arco and Torre – are SinCa’s most recent designs created by Maria. She came up with them by extracting the most basic of shapes, leaving aside the details and complications of fabrication to focus on the lines that highlight the colors of the air-dried walnut wood.

arched wood and marble side tables

Arco Side Tables

arched wood and marble side tables

Arco Side Tables

detail of wood and marble side table

Torre Side Table

detail of wood and marble side table

Torre Side Table

detail of wood and marble side table

Torre Side Table

slim wood and marble drink stands holding a drink next to armchair

Señorita Drink Stands

SinCa uses every part of the tree in their work, even gluing together scraps to create designs that adapt to the remnants. This mindset is responsible for their one-of-a-kind Señoritas drink stands. They, like every other piece from the wood shop, are finished with plant-based oil and wax finishes.

But it doesn’t stop there. Their process isn’t over until the sawdust is composted for use as fertilizer, full circle. New trees can use the nutrients and the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere are reduced.

slim wood and marble drink stand holding a drink next to armchair

Ash Señorita Drink Stand

slim wood and marble drink stand holding a drink next to armchair

Walnut Señorita Drink Stand

detail of wood and marble drink stand

Detail of Walnut Señorita Drink Stand

slim wood and marble drink stand holding a drink next to armchair

White Oak Señorita Drink Stand

detail of wood and marble drink stand

Detail of White Oak Señorita Drink Stand

light-skinned male and female posting in their wood shop

Maria Camarena + Dave Sinaguglia

To learn more about the latest from SinCa Design, visit sincadesign.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.