The beautiful Peepshow bookcase is $2800 (!) from Lekker Home. Lekker claims this is made from "Dimn wood" which I assume is a misspelling of "dimb," a protected type of tree found only in Senegal which is illegal to harvest without a special permit. Permits are issued only to salvage wood from a single naturally-felled tree at a time, which makes me wonder about the provenance of the wood – but which also explains the high pricetag.
Hello,
Thank you for not only featuring our Peepshow Bookcase but for identifying our misspelling of dimb wood. We’re feeling rather dim. We have subsequently corrected.
You’re insights are very good. We source the bookcase from a Dutch design house Pol’s Potten based in Amsterdam, Holland. They designed this piece and have them hand made by local villagers that are a part of a fair trade and permitted organization in Senegal Africa. The monies they earn give the craftsmen and their families access to nutritious foods, clean water, education, sanitation and medical services.
This large (78.74″ H x 36.22″ W x 9.84″ D) and heavy (over 100 lbs.)bookcase travels from Senegal, to Holland and then via container ship to our store in Boston, Massachusetts. The cost of fabrication, shipment compounded by a weak dollar does make obtaining this very unique and beautiful piece expensive. But then expensive compared to what like piece of furniture? If you find one please let us know. We would love to offer it to our customers.
As an aside, we are strong advocates of hand crafted solid wood furniture. All of our suppliers must demonstrate responsible procurement of their raw materials and be fully compliant with international forestry laws. We are also proud supporters of the work that the Forest Stewardship Council http://www.fsc.org does.
Lastly, we really enjoyed your site and are glad that we’re not the only ones who appreciate great design, quality and the art of being hand made.
Best Regards,
Curt Carpenter
Co-Founder, Lekker Home