Elpis and Wood humbly began in Blake Paine’s 600 square-foot garage in Marysville in 2011, making use of a few hundred dollars worth of equipment purchased from pawn shops. Flash forward three years, and Elpis and Wood moved to Everett where it has resided since.
Before Elpis and Wood, Paine worked a corporate-style job and hadn’t touched the craft of woodworking since his high school woodshop class. A chance connection gave way to the concept that powered Elpis and Wood.
Elpis and Wood was built on the idea of reclamation, offering opportunities to individuals who society might consider to be cast-offs. The wood mimicked that idea too, using pieces that are often disposed of due to their unpredictable nature. The philanthropic spirit of Elpis and Wood is still alive through the means of donations that represent supporting and giving back to the Everett, and Greater Seattle community.
“At the time [of creating Elpis and Wood] this kind of wood was a cast-off; it had too much going on in it and was too unpredictable,” said Paine. “So, the idea was to take those things that make it a cast-off and make it beautiful.”
Paine affectionately refers to reclaimed wood as the teenager of the wood family. The unpredictable nature breathes life into each piece, making it unique and capturing the stories that nature stows away inside itself.
“Trees are miraculous if you think about it,” said Paine. “How many things can you slice up and they still hold beauty and structural integrity where you can build stuff out of them?”
At the start, most of their business was out of state through purchases made on Etsy as the first lister of live edge furniture. The first piece ever purchased from Elpis and Wood was a cedar coffee table, a rare medium of wood for the team at Elpis, which proudly resides in Bellevue. Elpis and Wood has since grown to the point where roughly 75% of their business is local.
Where does all this cast-off wood come from? Mainly within the Pacific Northwest region; sometimes from mills, and other times from interesting individuals who Paine connects with.
As a team of three, Paine, Eddie and his son Reuben run Elpis and Wood, reclaiming the story each cast-off piece of wood holds and turning it into a masterpiece.
Looking to purchase a piece that is wholly unique and makes a statement? Start the journey to claiming your custom piece today by visiting Elpis and Wood at 3011 Grand Ave., Everett, WA 98201. Better yet, call 206-317-4647 or email blake@elpisandwood.com to schedule an appointment.
No worries if you aren’t local! The team at Elpis and Wood are well versed in shipping their products and your one-of-a-kind piece can meet you at your home.