HAMMOND | Artisans Joseph Jaeger and Larry Burr, of Prickly Pear Furnishings Inc., have turned to mentors, including Ray Garcia, to help put their business on the map.
The partners have a passion for creating fine art furniture from trees harvested from urban forests and wood salvaged from old buildings or discarded furniture.
"Prickly Pear is more than furniture. It's high-end artistry. It's kinetic, usable, moveable art," says Garcia, longtime general manager of El Taco Real Restaurant and an advocate of the revitalization of Hammond's downtown. "I just love their work and I'll do anything to help them realize their dream of having an artist's shop either in downtown or nearby in the north side."
Garcia says he and others involved in the downtown renaissance are exploring several options with Jaeger and Burr, including setting up a workshop. Prickly Pear Furnishings will also be sold at "It's Just Serendipity," a gift and gourmet foods shop Garcia and his partner, Karen Maravilla, plan to open in the city's downtown this summer.
"We also are hoping to get Prickly Pear to art fairs on Michigan Avenue and Old Town in Chicago," Garcia says. "They could display several of their pieces and then do custom work."
Prickly Pear Furnishings is "truly a green, eco-friendly business," says Jaeger, who started the business with Burr in 2008. The pair uses wood from trees that have been damaged by wind or lightning, killed by insects or removed through utility work.
"These are trees from urban forests, from municipalities, that would end up being burned or in landfills," Burr says. "We use anything that grows locally - white oak, red oak, walnut, cherry, maple even hackberry." They also use wood from old buildings or discarded furniture.
For example, Burr is crafting a wine rack from wood salvaged from an old icebox and a lingerie cabinet from a broken Victrola. Prickly Pear's signature piece is a beveled chair made from ash harvested from trees killed by the Emerald Ash Borer.
The chair was part of a traveling exhibit "Rising from the Ashes: Furniture from Lost Trees" sponsored by the Chicago Furniture Designers Association.
Burr and Jaeger won a spot in the exhibit in a 2008 contest. That win spurred them to start their own business.
"We offer a one-of-a-kind inhouse consulting service and design within the styles and sizes customers want to make the furniture unique to their houses," Jaeger says. "We meet with clients and as we talk, the details of what kind of furniture is wanted comes out."
Burr and Jaeger met 15 years ago while working at a cabinet shop in Mokena, Ill.. Each has more than 20 years experience in millwork and refurbishing furniture, but the economic downturn left Burr and Jaeger without full-time jobs.
"We decided to reinvent ourselves," Jaeger says. "We have a passion for creating one-of-a-kind fine art furniture and decided to take the chance."
