Innovative Friend of the Farmer

Iannone:Sanderson first encountered kirei board at the 2004 ICFF at another exhibitor’s booth. The board is made from the stalks of sorghum plants that otherwise would be trashed and a non-formaldehyde binder converts the pulp into plywood sheet–like boards. “We were attracted to the graphic look of the plant cells,” says Michael Iannone. For the long cabinet Signature: 2.0, he adds, “this really natural material contrasts with the manmade.” The sorghum volume peeks through a white laminate skin water jet–cut in flower and insect profiles. The graphic “really pushes the concept,” he says; instead of a contact glue, the laminate is attached with a nontoxic double-sided tape often used on snowboards. With $1,700 and about eight weeks of patience, Iannone:Sanderson, which hand-produces all its furniture in north Philadelphia, can transform your order into a 2.0 of your very own.