Made in the USA—from the ground up!
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Who We Are
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Josh
Co-Founder, Designer, Artist
Nick
Co-Founder, Designer, Builder
Helga
Production Lady, Laser Beast
Georgie
Customer Service Professional, Hugs and Kisses Expert
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Where We've Been
(Click image to visit link)
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Our Goal
We've got a big goal and we need your help. We want to grow, harvest, and manufacture eco-responsible bamboo panels right here in the U.S.
Yep, we want our "Made in the USA" label to be asterisk-free—with products made locally from start to finish. No outsourcing. No waste. Cradle to cradle. Totally eco-responsible.
We are currently getting our supply of bamboo panels from China, and while the material itself is among the most sustainable in the world, that long haul across the ocean doesn't mix well with our eco-responsible business plan. We think that growing bamboo right here at home is truly the most environmentally-friendly solution.
We'd be literally GROWING OUR OWN FURNITURE!
Eventually we want to help make great design more accessible to everyone by making American-made sustainable bamboo panels available to architects, designers, contractors, builder/makers, and entrepreneurs all over the U.S.
So we are launching our sustainably-made bamboo products here on Indiegogo at discounted prices. The profits from this launch will go toward us being able to sustainably grow our own bamboo timber and cutting out ocean freight pollution bit by bit.
With your help we will be able to plant our own bamboo, harvest it ourselves, manufacture our own panels, and use them to make our products. It's a lot of work to do the right thing and that's why we need you!
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Why Bamboo?
Bamboo is both beautiful and great for the environment.
When you cut down a tree, it doesn't grow back. It has to be replanted, then you have to wait over a century to be able to harvest it. But when you cut down bamboo it just keeps growing—and new shoots are ready to harvest in only 5 years!
Bamboo brings water to the surface and improves the soil. It also pulls more carbon from the air and puts out more oxygen than trees.
It is naturally antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial. That means that little to no pesticides or other harmful chemicals need to be used as it grows. Its strength and durability are insane! Some species even have a higher tensile rating than steel. We've really noticed this benefit in the strength and quality of our products.
We've put about a billion hours into bamboo research and know that our own Midwestern backyard is a great climate for growing these plants. We even know how to keep the bamboo from growing out of control! We think we've come up with a great plan for starting small test plots and building up our growing, harvesting and manufacturing capabilities as we go.
Put down your own roots!
Buy any of our bamboo products and we will name a plant after you and send you a photo!
Want to learn more about Bamboo? Check out the following links:
http://www.bamboogarden.com/
http://www.bamboonetwork.org/about-bamboo.html
http://www.guaduabamboo.com/environmental-impact.html
http://www.bamboocentral.org/whybamboo.html
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/in-africas-vanishing-forests-the-benefits-of-bamboo/?_r=0
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We Need Your Help
We (and Planet Earth) need you.
Right now MTRL Design needs momentum. We've got some great design prototypes and have our beautiful bamboo eater, Helga, on board. Now we just need a bunch of bamboo panels to feed her.
With your support of this campaign we can put in a huge order of timber (ordering in larger quantities reduces our ocean freighting) that will allow us to launch our products—with enough left over to plant our first plot of bamboo.
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Our Products
Limited Edition
In order to keep things fresh we decided to release almost all of our products in limited-edition quantities. That means we will be continuously redesigning and developing new and exciting products. Plus it's nice to know that millions of other people won't own the exact same "favorite thing" in your home.
Thoughtful Design
Each product is thoughtfully designed to fit into itself, and most items pack and ship flat and assemble easily with minimal hardware. By digitally creating the files for each product, we are able to nest all of the individual pieces tightly together on our bamboo panels. That allows us to maximize the use of our material and create less waste. And flat-packing products for shipping saves space on cargo trucks, which helps to minimize our carbon footprint. It also costs less, which is a savings we can pass on to our customers.
We use only the highest quality panels whenever possible, and make sure they are made with natural adhesives like soy glue and have no added formaldehyde in their manufacturing process. Most plywood contains traces of formaldehyde in the adhesive, which slowly off-gasses and evaporates into the air. We don't want you guys breathing that stuff. It's bad for you. For finishes we use 100% Tung Oil, AFM SafECOat, or other all-natural staining and finishing products.
Why Laser-Cut?
Why not?! Lasers are awesomely precise—they help us to make top quality products. Also, laser technology allows us to create one file per product, then "print" it on demand. That eliminates a need for inventory (and waste). The only inventory we have is the material we need to create our products. Also, laser cutting leaves a dark contrasting edge that we really like against the lighter color of Bamboo.
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Product Lineup
#1 - ¡Muchas Gracias!
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thnks thnks thnks!! A lot. We mean it. Srsly. We'll write you a thank you via email for this one, and may omit a vowel or two.
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#2 - STCKRS
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Receive a 3 pack of MTRL Design vinyl die cut stickers with this perk! Showcase these with love on your thermos, guitar case, drum kit, car, or anywhere you want to show off the fact that you support two entrepreneurs with a great vision.
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#3 - 2ND RIDE RING
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Collaborator and friend Tyler Paulson hand finishes these beauties from reclaimed skateboards. Whether you're into skateboarding or not, sporting a 2nd Ride ring shows that your fashionable self is into giving materials a 2nd life - and that's pretty cool!
Sizes 0-14 available in your choice of a circle ring, or a D-shaped ring.
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#4 - T.SHRT
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These super comfy American Apparel t-shirts with the MTRL Design logo screen printed on them are a wonderful way to show your love for great sustainable design. We've got your back with these shirts, now get ours and wear one!
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#5 - COASTERS
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This 4 pack of marine grade Meranti plywood coasters is fully customizable. You have 32 characters on top, 32 characters on the bottom, and 6 characters (or a vector logo/graphic) in the middle to say whatever you want to say via coaster. They are 3.5" in diameter, and are hand sanded and finished with all-natural Tung Oil.
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#6 - CUTTING BOARD
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This one is for all of you foodies and home chefs out there who love a quality cutting board. This 30mm thick piece of solid bamboo comes pre-oiled with 5 coats of Vitamin E enriched food grade mineral oil. Did you know that bamboo is antifungal, antibacterial and anitmicrobial? That means that it can resist all kinds of fungus and has the ability to withstand some of the most vociferous bacteria out there. That's why we think this cutting board is a no brainer to have in your kitchen. We've added a handy hanging hole in the corner and a laser etched conversion chart just to make things even easier. If you want, we will even laser-engrave your name on it.
Specs:
12 x 18" x +1" thick
10 lbs
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#7 - POW PANEL - LOVE
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This ready-to-hang piece of wall art is all about showing the love for your American neighbors. Josh re-arranged all of the U.S. states into the shape of a heart as a way of saying, "Be kind to one another." Display this in your home and have hours of fun trying to pick out all of the different states. Try to find your home state and then challenge your friends to find theirs!
Specs:
12 x 18" 1/2" PureBond Birch Plywood
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#8 - POW PANEL - MADE
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This piece of wall art is all about showing the love for American made products. Josh re-arranged all of the U.S. states into the shape of a hammer on this panel. You work hard and we respect that. Be proud of your hard work and display one of these in your home. Try to find your home state in the hammer and then challenge your friends to find theirs!
Specs:
12 x 18" 1/2" PureBond Birch Plywood
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#9 - POW PANEL - MONSTER
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This piece of wall art is for the zombie lovers out there. The zombie is a classic American monster and here Josh represents Mr. Walker by re-arranging all of the U.S. states in the shape of a zombie. Pretty scary, huh? Display Mr. Walker in your home and show that it's a zombie friendly zone. Hurry before the apocalypse comes!
Specs:
12 x 18" 1/2" PureBond Birch Plywood
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#10 - BAMBOO BONES - DOUBLE 6
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We're a big fan of gathering with friends and playing good old fashioned games like classic dominoes. That's why we felt there was a need for us to make a beautiful set of bamboo dominoes we're calling BAMBOO BONES. This double 6 set features our new take on the pip design and a handmade box with the game instructions etched right onto the inner box. For 2-4 players.
Specs:
28 Bones
Box: 6 x 4 x 5" 6 lbs
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#11 - BAMBOO BONES - DOUBLE 9
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Oh the double 6 set isn't big enough for you? Welcome to the double 9, player. For 4-6 players.
Specs:
55 Bones
Box: 6 x 5.5 x 6" 8 lbs
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#12 - CANINE DINING STATION
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Our furry friends are super important to us and we wanted to show that by creating this Canine Dining Station. This feeder can be customized with your pet's name laser engraved right on the front of it. Your pup will be waggin' and jumping for joy at every meal time. That's right scruffy, no more sore necks. We've got your bark ... whoops, we mean back! Includes 2 stainless steel food and water bowls.
Specs:
21 x 11 x 12"
10 lbs
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#13 - STOOL
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Sturdy and lightweight, this versatile bamboo stool is one you'll love to have around. It has stainless steel rods across the middle section for added support, which also act as handy hanging rods for books, tools, headphones, etc. Just because we call this a stool doesn't mean it has to be; its unique shape doubles as a side table as well. Plus the seat is cut out of the back leg to eliminate waste. Now that's just good design.
Specs:
19 x 12 x 24.5"
12 lbs
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#14 - COFFEE TABLE
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Whether you eat at your coffee table, watch television, or just kick back to read, this compact table has your personal space in mind. We've designed this coffee table to have enough surface space for homework or meals and created slots to display or store your current magazines and newsprint.
Specs:
41 x 22.5 x 21"
25 lbs
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#15 - CHAIR
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The chair has been redesigned a zillion times ... but ours is the best. Seriously. This chair is comfy, sturdy, and solid, and has a timeless yet modern geometric shape.
Specs:
25 x 19.5 x 40"
30 lbs
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#16 - SHELF
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The classic shelving unit just got better. No more pins or shelf balancing acts. This comes with 3 shelves and the slots on both side walls not only act as a visual aesthetic but also as interchangeable slots for the desired height of your shelf. Yes, your shelf is a Transformer and that's pretty cool. Go Autobots! Additional individual shelves will be for sale through our website very soon.
Specs:
43 x 17.5 x 58"
80 lbs
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#17 - DINING TABLE
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Knights of the round table are old news. How about knights of the awesome geometric octagon table!? Yeah ... that has a better ring to it. Dining tables are usually in the middle of a room but if you need to slide it aside, this octagonal table will flush right up to a wall. The octagon represents the familiar shape of a stop sign and to us, dinner is an important time to stop and take a break from your busy day and share a meal and conversation with family and friends. There is also plenty of room for projects and homework.
Specs:
Tabletop diameter: 44.5"
Height: 29"
70 lbs
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#18 - POW ORIGINAL ARTWORK
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This will get you a phone, email, or Skype consultation with MTRL Design co-founder and trained visual artist, Josh Powell. Based on your consultation, Josh will create a one of a kind piece of mixed media art just for you! Josh is well known for his mixed media paintings. He has shown in several galleries and won many awards for his playful, color bursting creations.
The size of the painting can be customized to meet your specification, but cannot exceed 5 x 5 feet, or 25 square feet.
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#19 - THE LXR
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This is the LXR (pronounced "laxer," stands for Listen x Relax)
This is the turntable console you've been dreaming of, if you've been dreaming of turntable consoles. We've been dreaming.
In other words, this is our baby.
The LXR houses Pro-Ject audio components, including the highly rated and award winning Debut Carbon turntable, equipped with a carbon fiber tonearm and an Ortofon Red cartridge. We picked this turntable because of its upgradability and customizable features (available in 7 colors, upgradable platter, easy change stylus, and more), as well as its *astounding* sound reproduction capabilities. No joke, this will give you the best eargasm you've ever had.
Below the turntable are the compact trio of components that drive this console. The Speed Box S is a quartz-generated high-precision electronic speed regulator that enables switching between 33 and 45 rpm at the touch of a button, rather than having to move the drive belt to a different pulley. It also decouples the turntable power from the main line, which helps to reduce electromagnetic interference with the audio signal.
The Phono Box S is the turntable's audiophile-quality preamplifier. It is a dual-mono configured preamp with a switchable subsonic filter, switchable input capacitance settings, and 4 adjustable gain levels to meet the needs of most phono cartridges. This is the LXR's voice box, and makes her sing like a bird.
Last of the components is the Head Box S. This is an audiophile-quality headphone amplifier, and is suitable for either high or low impedance headphones. This piece also provides line-level signal to the RCA plate on the back of the LXR, which enables you to connect to your existing home stereo system.
All of the electronics in the LXR connect to a Monster power strip, which is equipped with their Clean Power Stage filter. This is an extra step we take to make sure that there is no electromagnetic noise in what you hear.
The LXR is constructed of solid 16mm and 20mm thick bamboo panels. The lid operates on torsion hinges, which means it opens and closes easily, and just like a laptop, stays right where you leave it.
We also include a pair of UrbanEars Zinken headphones with every loaded LXR. These headphones, like the turntable, are available in a variety of colors. They are also very versatile and user-friendly. To connect to the LXR, you must use the 1/4" connection, but to connect to your phone, simply reverse the cable to reveal the 1/8" mini connector.
We include a leather turntable mat and vinyl cleaning brush with each LXR. In front of the turntable is a strip of leather, which can be customized with a message, a name, or a graphic via laser-engraving.
If you're an audiophile with a great record collection, and want to hear all your favorite songs like you heard them for the very first time again, then this is for you.
Specs:
21.5 x 19.5 x 28"
105 lbs
110v
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#20 - CUSTOM PROJECT
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This is our largest perk. We can't say thank you enough!
By purchasing this you will receive a fully custom bespoke piece (or pieces) of furniture made of bamboo or reclaimed wood and built to your specification. Includes laser-engraving (optional) of any type of typography, graphic or photo. One of a kind. Only for you!
*If the scope of your project exceeds $5,000 (solid Rosewood shelving, gold-plated casters, etc) you will get a credit of $5,000 toward your project, and will need to pay any additional fees, if necessary. Likewise, if the scope of your project falls below $5,000, the remaining balance can be applied toward any of our wonderful products.
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Campaign Details
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Other Ways You Can Help
Can't help out financially? We would still love your support. Here's how you can lend a hand:
Share our campaign link! Use the sharing tools below, or below our video to help spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or any other social media channel.
Tell your friends! Word of mouth is powerful. If you have a megaphone, you know what to do.
Thank you so much for your consideration and support!
Love,
Nick, Josh, Georgie & Helga
