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Created Hardwood Ltd., the Ohio-based refinisher and seller of live edge wood slabs used for countertops and kitchen, dining and conference room tables, is following the lead of other online-first retailers such as Amazon. The firm recently opened a brick-and-mortar showroom in its headquarters-city of Columbus, Ohio.
Created Hardwood salvages trees felled by storms or harvested to make way for new commercial or residential development and converts them into slabs, the edges of which display trees’ natural exteriors. Considered a practical way to bring the beauty and elegance of Nature indoors, the live-edge phenomenon is rapidly gaining popularity, especially among designers and builders of high-end homes and businesses.
The company’s decision to open a retail showroom was based on a perceived need to invite prospective buyers – home builders, designers, contractors, homeowners and managers of commercial properties and businesses – to experience for themselves the rustic beauty of natural-edge wood slabs before committing to buy.
According to Philip Hicks, Created Hardwood’s VP of Sales and Marketing, “The magic happens once a prospective customer sees these gorgeous works of nature first-hand and slides a hand across their silky-smooth surfaces.”
Hicks went on to explain that, “People in the market for distinctive counter or table tops tend to be intrigued by the idea of introducing into their homes or businesses beautifully preserved slices of once-living trees, but some of them need to see real-life examples in order to better visualize the end result. More often than not, our customers never see in person the slabs they ultimately purchase, so it helps for them to at least see some examples. That can get someone comfortable enough to commit to buying, sight unseen, another slab somewhere in our system, after seeing photographs of the slab.”
Kathleen Grodsky, Vice President of Marketing for ButcherBlockCo.com, whom Created Hardwood selected to carry their slab countertops and cutting boards, thinks the move makes a lot of sense. “Some online shoppers who haven’t had the benefit of seeing rustic-edge slabs in real life can’t fully appreciate how a refinished, natural slab can totally change the aura of a kitchen or dining room, or a lobby or conference room,” she explained. “I guess it’s one of those natural wonders some people just need to see to believe,” Grodsky concluded.
This eCommerce industry news update is presented by Butcher Block Co. – a leading online seller of wood countertops and Live edge tables made by Created Hardwood Ltd. and John Boos & Co.
Release ID: 472632