I created a set of 27 bolt-down stools for The Orchard in Phoenix – short ones for outdoors and inside at low counters, and tall ones for use at a bar-height counter.  The tops are made of Parallam – an engineered structural wood product by Weyerhaeuser which is typically used for long-span beams.  Parallam is made from the waste strands of wood from the mill, and is a very strong product.  It is not without its challenges, though.  It takes a lot of work to get it suitable for furniture or other “presentable” applications.  Like polishing a gem, eventually the beauty emerges.  I had seen some amazing turnings that wood artists had made from Parallam, such as bowls – I knew its potential, but it’s not a quick process.

A heavy rebar dowel serves as a grippy footrest.