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Home & Property

Unique Handcrafted Furniture

by Fiona Brutscher | June 1st 2011 | 02:41 pm

Olga is a Chocolate Labrador, Guanabara is a bay in Brazil. Richard Velloso is the owner of the former, hails from the latter and recently opened a furniture shop in Brooklyn named after both. Olga Guanabara is a workshop, a gallery and a retail space in the DUMBO neighbourhood.

A select few already completed pieces are on display and detailed descriptions of the materials used are available, as well as information on where they came from. Insights such as "drift wood log from the beach beneath the manhattan bridge, on the Brooklyn side of course" are sure to warm the heart of any individualist searching for a truly unique piece of furniture that comes with its own story.

It is clear that this furniture is not made to be owned, but to be cherished. When describing a dining table, for instance, Velloso charmingly differentiates between how many the table will seat, depending on how well they know each other. Items that have been sold are said to have "found a new home".

Each piece is, of course, one of a kind, as are the salvaged, reclaimed and recycled materials used to make it. However, should you not find something to your liking in the small but exquisite selection on show, the craftsman himself makes an offer you can't refuse.

If you have a specific job in mind, he is happy to grab a drink and chat. Maybe you'll take him up on his offer next time you're in town?