Case Studies
Real projects, real outcomes. Five detailed case studies showing how reclaimed lumber performs across commercial, residential, and civic applications in the Los Angeles area.
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Projects at a Glance
Each project below is documented with full material specifications, timeline data, and outcome metrics. These case studies represent the range of work we do — from single-room residential restorations to multi-phase commercial packages.
DTLA Arts District Commercial Loft
Downtown Los Angeles, CA · 2023
Venice Beach Farm-to-Table Restaurant
Venice, Los Angeles, CA · 2022
Pasadena Historic Craftsman Restoration
Pasadena, CA · 2024
Manhattan Beach Whole-House Reclaimed Package
Manhattan Beach, CA · 2023
Culver City Public Library Renovation
Culver City, CA · 2024
DTLA Arts District Commercial Loft
Douglas Fir Industrial Conversion
Downtown Los Angeles, CA · 2023
The Challenge
A commercial real estate developer converting a 1920s garment-district warehouse into 8,400 sq ft of premium creative-office space needed to match the building's industrial heritage without sourcing new materials that would look factory-fresh. The architect specified exposed structural ceiling treatment, custom conference room millwork, and 1,100 sq ft of flooring — all in a single coordinated species. The project also required LEED Silver documentation, meaning full material provenance records and recycled content calculations were mandatory.
The Solution
We sourced 4,800 board feet of old-growth Douglas Fir from a demolished 1940s industrial building in Vernon, CA — acquired three months before the DTLA project broke ground. The material was ideal: tight-grained (18+ rings per inch), full-dimension (actual 2" thick), and carrying the patina and nail holes that the architect wanted visible in the finished ceiling treatment. We de-nailed, moisture-tested, and kiln-dried the entire run to 7% MC, then custom-milled 2,800 BF into 4"-wide flooring planks (S2S, square edge) and 2,000 BF into 1×8 T&G ceiling boards with a light skip-planed surface to reveal the original saw marks.
Materials Used
| Material | Quantity | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Old-Growth Douglas Fir (flooring) | 2,800 BF | 4" wide × ¾" thick × random lengths, S2S |
| Old-Growth Douglas Fir (ceiling T&G) | 2,000 BF | 1×8 T&G, skip-planed, random lengths to 16 ft |
| Douglas Fir Conference Millwork | Custom | Conference table top (10 ft × 4 ft), 6 edge-glued panels |
| Moisture Content at Delivery | 7% | Kiln-dried, verified at point of shipment |
Project Timeline
Result & Outcome
The project achieved LEED Silver certification. Our Douglas Fir contributed to the MR Recycled Content credit (100% post-consumer recycled by weight) and regional material credits (sourced within 100 miles of the project site). The flooring and ceiling treatment became the visual centerpiece of the finished space — featured in a 2024 Architectural Digest West Coast feature. The developer has since commissioned two additional projects using our material.
Venice Beach Farm-to-Table Restaurant
Heart Pine Floors + White Oak Bar & Millwork
Venice, Los Angeles, CA · 2022
The Challenge
A high-profile Venice Beach restaurant group opening their fourth location wanted a material palette that referenced the agricultural origins of their farm-to-table concept: weathered, honest, and visually warm. The 3,200 sq ft interior called for two distinct reclaimed species — an amber-toned floor that would anchor the dining room and a lighter, harder wood for the bar face, shelving, and host stand. The designer had seen Heart Pine floors in historic New Orleans buildings and wanted that exact character, but the contractor had never worked with reclaimed Heart Pine and was concerned about installation consistency.
The Solution
We sourced Heart Pine flooring stock from the demolition of a 1920s textile mill in Commerce, CA — the same city as our facility. The material ranged in width from 3" to 5" and was 1⅛" thick (full-dimension), with the amber and crimson color gradients characteristic of old-growth longleaf Pine. We graded the stock into Character grade for the main dining room and Select grade (fewer knots, tighter grain) for the open kitchen area where grease resistance and cleanability were priorities. For the bar and millwork, we recommended White Oak from a 1950s gymnasium demolition in Torrance — the flat-sawn grain showed the cathedral figure the designer wanted, and the 5" width was consistent enough for the paneled bar face.
Materials Used
| Material | Quantity | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Pine Flooring (dining room) | 1,600 BF | 3"–5" mixed width, 1⅛" thick, Character grade |
| Heart Pine Flooring (kitchen) | 600 BF | 3" width, 1⅛" thick, Select grade |
| White Oak (bar face & millwork) | 880 BF | 5" wide × 1" thick, flat-sawn, S2S |
| White Oak (shelving & host stand) | 220 BF | Custom widths, surfaced 4 sides |
Project Timeline
Result & Outcome
The restaurant opened to immediate critical attention partly on the strength of its interior materiality. The Heart Pine floor — installed over radiant heat tubing — has shown zero cupping or movement through two full LA seasons. Our pre-installation moisture conditioning (we delivered at 7.5% MC, matching the contractor's site conditions) was credited by the flooring contractor as the reason for the clean installation. The White Oak bar face received a natural hardwax oil finish that the design team described as "exactly the color and depth we saw in our reference images." The space was shortlisted for a 2023 IIDA Interior Design Award.
Pasadena Historic Craftsman Restoration
Old-Growth Redwood Exterior & Interior Match
Pasadena, CA · 2024
The Challenge
A Pasadena homeowner restoring a 1912 Craftsman bungalow on the Mills Act Historic Property Register needed reclaimed old-growth Redwood to repair and replace deteriorated exterior siding, porch decking, and interior ceiling boards. The challenge was threefold: the material had to match the visual character and ring count of the existing old-growth wood (which has not been commercially harvested in California since the 1970s); it needed to pass the Pasadena Heritage Commission's material approval review; and supply was limited — old-growth Redwood comes to market rarely, and usually in small quantities from barn or bridge demolitions.
The Solution
We had acquired 2,200 BF of old-growth Redwood six months earlier from a dismantled 1930s water tower structure in Ventura County. The material was full-dimension (true 1" and 2" thickness) with 25–35 growth rings per inch — comparable to the existing house material. We prepared a material sample report with ring count photographs and moisture readings that satisfied the Heritage Commission review. We custom-milled the siding to match the original bevel profile using a moulder die we had made for a previous historic project, and produced porch decking to the original 2×4 face width. Interior ceiling boards were skip-planed to a smooth face while retaining the original saw-texture on the back side.
Materials Used
| Material | Quantity | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Old-Growth Redwood (siding) | 900 BF | Custom bevel profile, matched to original, clear heart |
| Old-Growth Redwood (porch decking) | 420 BF | 2×4 face, 1½" thick, end-sealed at delivery |
| Old-Growth Redwood (ceiling boards) | 580 BF | 1×6 T&G, skip-planed face |
| Old-Growth Redwood (trim & fascia) | 300 BF | Custom ripped to match original profile widths |
Project Timeline
Result & Outcome
The Pasadena Heritage Commission approved all materials without revision. The exterior restoration was complete within six months of our first delivery, and the homeowner's Mills Act application for reduced property tax was approved in part on the basis of the historically accurate material documentation we provided. The project was featured in Old House Journal's 2024 California Restoration issue. The homeowner subsequently engaged us for interior wainscoting and built-in millwork using the remaining stock from our Ventura County acquisition.
Manhattan Beach Whole-House Reclaimed Package
Custom Home — Floor to Ceiling Reclaimed
Manhattan Beach, CA · 2023
The Challenge
A general contractor building a custom 5,400 sq ft home in Manhattan Beach was commissioned by an environmentally conscious client who requested that every wood surface in the house — flooring, ceiling, exterior siding, interior millwork, kitchen cabinetry faces, and all structural beams — be sourced from reclaimed material. The challenge was not finding individual pieces; it was coordinating a five-species, eleven-material package with consistent quality standards, a coordinated delivery schedule aligned to the construction phase sequence, and full chain-of-custody documentation for the homeowner's LEED for Homes Platinum application.
The Solution
We assigned a dedicated project manager to the account and developed a phased material release schedule synchronized to the construction timeline. Each species was sourced, processed, and staged at our facility so it could be delivered within 48 hours of the contractor's request — eliminating the risk of the contractor holding large amounts of expensive reclaimed material on site. We provided a master chain-of-custody binder with individual sourcing documentation, grade reports, and moisture readings for every species in the package.
Materials Used
| Material | Quantity | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| White Oak Flooring (main level) | 2,100 BF | 5" wide, ¾" T&G, AB grade, UV oil finish |
| Douglas Fir Structural Beams | 1,800 BF | 6×12 and 8×10, hand-hewn faces, sandblasted |
| Heart Pine (master bedroom, office) | 900 BF | 4" wide, ¾" T&G, Select grade, natural oil |
| Western Red Cedar (exterior siding) | 1,400 BF | Bevel siding, 1×6, re-sawn smooth face |
| Maple (kitchen cabinetry faces) | 320 BF | S4S, ¾" thick, cabinet-grade, light character |
| Douglas Fir (interior T&G ceiling) | 740 BF | 1×6 T&G, skip-planed |
Project Timeline
Result & Outcome
The home achieved LEED for Homes Platinum certification — the first custom residential project in Manhattan Beach to do so in 2023. Our reclaimed material package contributed to 6 LEED credits including MR Recycled Content, Regional Materials, and FSC Certified Wood (for the FSC-certified new Cedar supplemented alongside reclaimed stock). The project was submitted to the LA Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Green Award program. Total board footage delivered: 7,260 BF across five species over 28 weeks — our largest single residential project to date.
Culver City Public Library Renovation
Maple Reading Rooms + Douglas Fir Structural Expression
Culver City, CA · 2024
The Challenge
The City of Culver City undertook a 12,000 sq ft interior renovation of its main branch library, with a mandate from the City Council to prioritize local, sustainable, and recycled materials. The project architect specified reclaimed Hard Maple for reading room flooring and study carrel millwork, and reclaimed Douglas Fir for exposed structural ceiling treatment in the main hall. All material had to meet CBC Class B interior flame-spread requirements, which required either inherent compliance or fire-retardant treatment (FRT). The tight municipal procurement timeline required all material to be confirmed, available, and deliverable within a 10-week window.
The Solution
We sourced Maple from the decommissioning of a 1960s school gymnasium floor in Inglewood — exactly the dense, tight-grained material required for a public facility with heavy foot traffic. The Douglas Fir structural ceiling material came from a warehouse in Torrance. We engaged a third-party FRT applicator to treat all ceiling material to CBC Class B compliance, providing the architect with ASTM E84 test documentation for the permit package. Maple flooring was verified at 6% MC and delivered in 24-hour phased drops to avoid over-accumulation on the active renovation site.
Materials Used
| Material | Quantity | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Hard Maple Flooring (reading rooms) | 2,400 BF | 2¼" strip, ¾" thick, Select & Better, FRT-treated |
| Hard Maple Millwork (carrels, shelving) | 680 BF | S4S ¾" and 1½" stock, verified ASTM E84 flame spread ≤75 |
| Douglas Fir Ceiling (main hall) | 1,600 BF | 1×8 T&G, skip-planed, FRT to CBC Class B |
| Fire Retardant Treatment | All material | Pressure-impregnated FRT, ASTM E84 Class B certified |
Project Timeline
Result & Outcome
The library renovation completed on schedule and under budget. Our Maple and Fir package was cited by the project architect in the City's post-project sustainability report as enabling the project to use 100% recycled wood flooring for the first time in a Culver City public facility. The material met all CBC fire requirements without issue. The City of Culver City's Department of Public Works has since added GreenBoard Reclaimed to its pre-qualified vendor list for sustainable material procurement on future civic projects.
Across All Five Projects
Combined performance metrics from the case studies above.
Start Your Project
Every project above began with a conversation. Tell us your square footage, your species preference, and your timeline — and we will tell you what is possible. View our current inventory or reach out directly.