by Michelle Sproule | Meet Michael Thomas Host and Tanja Hinder of mth woodworks. They’ll be in their Parker Street studio during this weekend’s highly anticipated Eastside Culture Crawl (November 16, 17, 18), so be sure to drop in and check out their super-cool stuff…

What do you do? We design and build original furniture using locally salvaged trees and organic resin. Every piece is one-of-a-kind and a guaranteed conversation starter. The bloom collection is our revolutionary way to showcase the beautiful local rain forests. We are complete rain forest junkies and our designs have become an outlet for us to bring the forest into our living room.

How many years have you participated in the Eastside Culture Crawl? This is our third year. We absolutely love it.

If you were to describe the ECC to someone who had never attended, what would you say? It’s your opportunity to saunter around and check hundreds of talented and local artists. Everybody opens up their doors and welcomes you to check out their work. You’d be surprised what a pile of talent can be found under one roof.

What are you most excited to be working on right now? Our new collection piece (Style no. 13). The photo doesn’t do it justice.  The inlays are Yellow Cedar which are over 400-years old. It’s just unbelievably unique wood and we really enjoy working with it. PS: It will be showcased at the Crawl.

Why is the East Van a good place for art? The east side, especially our building (1000 Parker Street), has a strong community vibe and efficient infrastructure, but it’s not a manicured place. A little dirt can sometimes be very inspiring. Perfection is boring.

How do you get ready for the Crawl to begin? We CLEAN the shop from top to bottom, install the displays, dim the lights, and put on some tunes. Now all we need is for you to come by and check us out.

What’s the first thing that you do when the Crawl is over? Go home, put our feet up, order pizza, and chat about all the great people we met and amazing feedback we had.

OTHER INTERESTING VANCOUVERITES