#doorman designs

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, it damaged more than a million housing units—half of which were in Louisiana. Houses and shops were submerged in more than 10 feet of water. In New Orleans, more than three-quarters of residents needed their homes repaired. Other buildings were gutted, remodeled, or simply demolished. New construction removed old materials in favor of more current ones.

To Alex Geriner, a New Orleans native and founder of Doorman Designs, that meant throwing out more than just scraps of wood. “The materials have a ton of history to them, and it kind of broke my heart to see all this stuff going to waste,” he says. “I realized there is a story there that needs to be saved.”

So he started making them into furniture, working with contractors and demolition companies to turn reclaimed wood and metal scraps into headboards, tables, chairs, and dressers. Some materials are salvaged from hurricane-damaged buildings, while others come from historic houses that are being renovated. Geriner says some of the wood he uses dates as far back as the 1800s, before the Civil War.

(viaDoorman Designs Furniture Maker Turns Hurricane Katrina Rubble into Furniture - CityLab)

— rw