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Under their leadership, the company started using local salvage wood to reduce its carbon footprint and to make its production methods more eco-conscious.

“We realised that Singapore has been cutting down a large number of trees due to urban development over the years—this has resulted in thousands of logs that are currently sitting in the sawmills, waiting to be turned into mulch or pallet wood,” shares Morgan. “Most companies in Singapore typically import wood from neighbouring countries as well as from the US and Europe; there is a lack of interest in developing and upgrading the local infrastructure to process our local timber.”

This kickstarted the firm’s Local Tree Project in 2019, wherein the company repurposes timber from felled trees, derived primarily from three species—Angsana, Khaya and Raintree—that were first planted along Singapore roads in 1967.

The brand recently received a research grant from DesignSingapore Council to further their knowledge of these tree varieties. “Many people don’t believe that Singapore has the resources; we want to work with the available materials that we have, rather than constantly shipping in wood from overseas,” says Lincoln. “As individuals we can’t do much, but as an industry, we can solve this problem together.”

The brothers aim to maximise the use of each log: everything from the bark and branches to the sawdust from these locally sourced trees can be repurposed to create decorative objects and made-upon-order furniture. These include the daybed and whisky cabinet crafted in angsana (pictured above), specially designed and available exclusively at Tatler Homes Curates. 

The firm also uses eco-conscious finishes. Take, for instance, its wooden tableware and dining tables, which are finished with organic beeswax from Nutrinest, a local beekeeper that rehomes bee hives into its apiary. “We hope that this would spark interest in local trees; each tree that we work with has a story to tell,” says Morgan.

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In the future, the firm hopes to organise more educational workshops to share its knowledge and passion for both woodwork and plant life; it’s a project that Ryan is particularly fond of. “It’s about getting the general public one step closer to handmaking; we’ve conducted workshops on wooden desk organisers, toys and chopsticks,” he says. Adds Lincoln: “We love what we do; rather than make ‘fast furniture’ for the landfill, we believe that furniture should be handed down over the generations as heirloom pieces.”

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