Urban renewal

Understands, a company that designs one-of-a-kind computer stands and laptop supports, is introducing a line of urban wood stands that organize and elevate home or office desktops with natural beauty.

The company is a new division of Heartwood Creations of Rockford, Ill., a 40-year-old woodworking shop that makes secret boxes and jewelry chests.

The urban wood used for the stands is sustainably harvested from trees in the urban areas and small towns of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin that have lost their lives for a variety of reasons such as weather damage, building construction and disease.

“We use highly-figured wood, the kind that commercial lumber mills choose to discard,” says Mike Fisher, founder of Heartwood Creations. “To them, it’s scrap. To us, this wood has a special character that is worth pursuing. In 2015 we acquired a sawmill and kiln to work with urban wood. Working with urban wood has proved to be one of the most romantic and rewarding chapters in our 40 years.

“Each one-of-a-kind stand is so singular, so unique, that it’s sometimes hard to let them go. It’s like parting with a family heirloom that in some sense is priceless when you consider you will never see another one exactly like it again.”

The stands are offered in walnut, ash, cherry, hickory, oak, cedar and locust. Widths range from 9” to 42” for two monitors. Features include drawers for storing iPads, smart phones, hard drives, paper, and other supplies. Each stand is weigh-tested to support 50 pounds. They sell for $39 to $399.

For more, visit www.understands.com.

This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue.