Thanks to Rush Dixon, you are now that host.

Dixon is exactly the kind of guy you’d want to design your one-handed bottle opener: He’s a talented architect, loves Pringles for their structural genius, and drinks beer.

“The world doesn’t need another bottle opener,” says Dixon, the inventor of Kebo. “There’s no other product out there that has so many iterations of it. So, it was a little insane.”

Insane and worth it.

Dixon moved to Charleston from D.C. in 1992 with his wife, Judy, also an architect. A slow market forced them to move back in 1993, but their love of Charleston’s buildings kept them determined to return within a year. Ever since, they’ve called Charleston home.

In 2001, after September 11th, Dixon and his wife found themselves at dinner at Hominy Grill. “There was a certain vibe in the air, so to be optimistic and hopeful, we made a list of the ten things we wanted to accomplish in ten years.” Within his list was to have another child, start a design company, and for Rush to design a product that he loved.

Flash to summer 2010. Their second child had come, Rush3 Studios was born despite a bad economy, and Dixon realized he only had about another year until his other deadline. “I knew I wanted to make something architectural and fun in design,” he said. At his grandmother’s house, he grabbed a beer and came across an antique bottle opener from the 1930s. He quickly became obsessed with its simplicity yet attraction and functionality, and knew what to do.

Dixon did a lot of research between that summer and his launch last Thanksgiving to get the sleek and fashionable finished Kebo he has today. He had many prototypes and learned the hard way about working with stainless steel. In other words, he drank a lot of beer.

Kebo—a new derivative of “Bottle Key”—is a shiny, architectural-looking, familiar-yet-distinctive design with a thumbhole trigger for easy one-handed pull-down use and a magnetic fulcrum for catching the cap and wow-ing users. “The uniqueness of it and the way it operates is the appeal,” says Dixon. Plus, it opens beer.

The Cary Grant-esque face behind Kebo is Dixon’s dad’s high school picture and perfectly fits the retro-inspired invention. “And it makes the story that much better,” adds Dixon.

Rush3 Studios has some other irons in the fire—like one high-expense endeavor inspired by his 9-year-old son that involves plastic. But right now, Kebo is driving all of Dixon’s focus, including taking him to Chicago’s International Home & Gifts Tradeshow in March. He still has one hand full of his consulting work; the other, is on Kebo.

Because you only need one.

Beer not included.

Get your Kebo online, $24.95
Get your Kebo locally at Bottles, The Coastal Cupboard or Charleston Cooks! 

Story by: Jessica Kenny

This holiday season, you may want to consider doing more with Lowcountry Orphan Relief (LOR).

Forget about worrying what to ask Santa for. Many children are dealing with the terror of being removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. These children rarely have time to pack a bag, much less grab a favorite toy, before they’re taken from a dangerous situation and sent to a shelter or foster home. That’s where LOR steps in.

LOR works directly with other non-profits, schools, foster parents, and government agencies to find out what these children need and to intervene at a critical juncture in their lives. To give them hope. To give them the basic comforts.

The inspiration behind this org is its tireless executive director, Lynn Young. She gives a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves. For more than a decade, Lynn served as a Guardian Ad Litem, speaking in the court system for the rights of children who were abused, neglected or abandoned.

The idea for LOR took shape in ‘02 when Lynn saw the tremendous needs of children in the area. The government system took weeks to process children and during that time they had to make do with whatever they had when they left their homes. “They’ve got to have something of their own. Something to call their own,” she says.

LOR provides needy children with an outfit everyday for two weeks, shoes for school and for dress, underwear and socks for one week, a bookbag full of school supplies, a little gym bag with toiletries (that even the smallest children can carry), books (to help get their minds of their problems), and a stuffed animal – so they have a friend to hold onto. LOR follows these children through the system, giving them positive support, a stable, safe harbor and fun outings throughout the year.

When the kids go to school, no one can tell by the way they dress what their background or circumstances are. LOR believes all children deserve to be nurtured, loved and protected.

Eleven years ago, Lynn’s all-volunteer group clothed 200 children in their first year. In 2011, LOR served its 10,000th child and distributed a little over $1 million dollars worth of clothing, toiletries and in-kind gifts from its duplex on the former Charleston Navy Base.

The nonprofit is sorely in need of a distribution center and hopes to raise enough money to break ground on a new 4000SF distribution center behind its clothing closet. 93% of LOR’s budget goes directly to children, which includes building 5 libraries in shelters around the region, and putting a “just in case closet” in 22 Title 1 schools in Charleston County.

“If a child is in need, we are going to help,” Lynn says. “With the economy we have looked on how to expand our mission. Many families can feed their children but can’t clothe them.”

How can you help?

“Everybody feels the spirit right now, so we’re getting a lot of donations. And we’re blessed,” says Lynn. “We don’t take toys or games. We’re here to give children the basic necessities of life as they travel from home to home and shelter to shelter.

We desperately need more volunteers. Church groups, youth groups, co-workers, families and friends, everyone is welcome and needed to volunteer.

Bring your children with you. Let them see what you do. There’s nothing more precious than your children seeing you give back. Make a holiday financial contribution in memory of someone or as a gift in a loved one’s name.

The highest level of living is giving. It doesn’t matter how much you have or give, it makes you a better person. It’s what we’re here on earth for.”

Lynn Young, Charleston’s real-life guardian angel.

LowcountryOrphanRelief.org
Donations: Make checks payable to Lowcountry Orphan Relief and mail to PO Box 70185 North Charleston, SC 29415 or donate online.

Story by: Claire Gibbons
Photos by: Ben Walters

1. Happy Socks
Remember the tube socks you got from Nana? These are not them. Happy Socks are one of our must-give man gifts this year for two reasons: 1) Their unexpected bright colors and fun patters actually make you happy; and 2) They’re at our new very favorite men’s shop, Indigo & Cotton. Owner Brett Carron (obscure celeb doppelganger = Matthew Goode) says they’re perfect worn casually or to accent a more formal outfit. Let’s see Nana’s tube socks do that.
Available at Indigo & Cotton. $10

2. CHARLIE CLUB membership
Shameless self promotion? Sure. Also one of the best gifts you can give someone? You bet. Imagine opening up a shiny gold card that entitles you to a year of monthly “Perks” and “Parties,” CHARLIE style. Think 50% off at top local restaurants. Free, cool, local products. Private concerts and exclusive wine and craft beer tastings. Some of the neatest, most interesting people you’ve met in Charleston. Time to spring for that special someone or put this one on your own wish list.
Available at readcharlie.com/club. $300 (annual membership)

3. Market Light
What do you get if you cross a Chinese produce basket and a local Charleston bookstore? Just about the greatest gift around. Heirloom Book Company is importing antique Chinese produce market baskets and handcrafting them into unique, stunning light fixtures. Beyond the fixture itself, the really cool part is the shadows the light casts on the ceiling, which create an entirely different layer of texture. This year, go China or go home.
Available at Heirloom Book Company. $325

4. Christina Goodman Hand Painted Necklace
The problem with that beautiful painting hanging proudly in your home? Lugging it around to restaurants with you isn’t easy, or socially acceptable. That’s why we love Christina Goodman’s fine Renaissance framed paintings that hang delicately from your neck. They’re timeless and great for any woman age 6 – 90ish. Never before has 14th century romance wrapped up so nicely.
Available at The Martin Gallery. $200-400

5. Govino Go Anywhere Wine Glasses and Flutes
These wine glasses and flutes are stemless, shatterless, reusable, recyclable, have the look of crystal, and feature a little thumb grip that gives you the kind of security you never knew you wanted from your wine glass. They’re around every corner in Napa and just came to our fair city. The best gift for any wino who tends to spill after a few glasses, which, let’s face it, is all of us. You’ve come a long way from the solo cup.
Available at Hampden Clothing. $12 (set of 4)

6. PGA Champions Club Tickets
Whoever said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach was wrong. It’s through PGA tickets. This year, the mac daddy golf championship is coming to Charleston and there’s only one way to do it – V.I.P. seats overlooking the par-3 17th hole in a double-decker, open-air venue, fully catered with an open bar. Christmas come in August.
Available online or by calling 1-800-PGA-GOLF.
$700 (1-day pass) / $2,700 (4-day pass)

7. 128-Ounce Growler
Beer. It’s where the heart is. Charleston Beer Exchange. It’s where the heart of every beer-loving man and woman across America is. It’s the #1 ranked craft beer store in the country, it’s our local biz-lebrity of 2011, and it’s just introduced the brand new jumbo 128-ounce growler. Put a bow on top and call it a day.
Available at the Charleston Beer Exchange. $17-35

8. Kilian Eau de Parfum
Looks like the Hennessy family is bringing us more than just Cognac these days. For the woman who loves everything chic, there is the Kilian Collection – ten unique fragrances carried in only 20 stores nationwide. Extra wow factors? One perfume contains absinthe; one perfume is actually a solid. Because everyone can use a little “elegance and absolute, uncompromising luxury” in their life.
Available at Cos Bar. $225 (standard) / $135 (travel) / $95 (solid compact)

9. Single Nest Hammock
Lugging around a beach chair is so a thing of the past. These super light, easy-to-use, colorful, portable hammocks turn outdoor spaces into your personal lounge area. Marion Square and other local parks are now sporting tree hooks, but you don’t even need them with the slap strap accessory, making you look like Macguyver since 2012. Check out the Double Nest Hammock for the “awww” couple.
Available at Half-Moon Outfitters. $55 (Single Nest Hammock) / $20 (Slap Strap)

10. Leather Dopp Kit
There comes a time in every guy’s life when he needs to get rid of his toothpaste-covered, dingy toiletry travel bag (if he even has one) and upgrade to a man’s dopp kit. The kind a Pierce Brosnan-played character would pull out just before his sexy woman walked by in her silk robe. Look no further. Bond girl and silver Audi not included.
Available at Billy Reid. $195

Story by: Caroline Nuttall
Photos by: Karson Photography

They are full of heart. They carry extreme significance. They can change the whole world, or at least the world around you.

Those three magical words…”Small Business Saturday.”

Otherwise known as November 26th, a day forevermore dedicated to supporting small businesses. Why on earth should big box chains have all the Black Friday weekend fun (and cash)? So pick your favorite Charleston business(es) and join the other 2 million+ Facebook users pledging to shop small next Saturday. Our economy will thank you.

To get you started, here are a few of your favorite local businesses. May we all give thanks and shop small…

“The Charleston Beer Exchange may be my favorite small business in America.”
- Kevin Curler

“Verde!!!!”
- Rachel Griffin Stapleton

“Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream! Great food and better service!”
- Alex Cole

“HELLO my name is BBQ!”
- Kristen Thompson Gastaldo

“Vegetable bin. Buy local. Be local. And be healthy!”
- Nathan Needle

“The Charleston Beer Exchange”
- Kevin Smith

“Westbrook Brewery!”
- Lizzie Boyle

“‎Age of Aquariums!!! Best fish store in town!”
- Jennifer Owen Allen

“Goat Sheep Cow.”
- Marisa Hedlund

“Charleston RIDE. It is my happy place.”
- Kirsten Moran

“Taco Spot!”
- Hayley Jenkins

“Love Ted’s!”
- Ivie Parker

“Charleston Bay Gourmet- They catered my daughter’s wedding reception in September, it was a true Lowcountry feast.”
- Kathie Jennings Basten

“Charleston Beer Exchange AND Lime Blue…a little shop on Queen Street.”
- Antonia M. Krenza

“Diggity Doughnuts! ♥”
- Melissa Rae Sipin

“Zia Taqueria!”
- Grace LeSueur

“Charleston Tea company by far. World player.”
- Kevin Haskins

“That’s easy: #1 rated craft beer store Charleston Beer Exchange”
- Chrys Rynearson

“RSVP Shoppe on Broad and Yes U May Cookies in Mt. Pleasant”
-Erica DeGroff

“Verde!”
- Erin Hopkins

“The Vegetable Bin. Beer Exchange. Goat. Sheep. Cow. Hampden Clothing. Bull Street Gourmet. Too many to choose!”
- Erin Perkins

“Savage Ultimate!”
- Erica Jackson Curran

“Seeking Indigo”
- Renee J. Greene

“Yes U May cookies, Utopia Charleston”
- Colleen Keegan Deihl

“Robert Lange Studios”
- Ben Walters

“Love Crushed Fine Wine!! I also love Charleston Tax Masters, East Cooper Auto Pros, Charleston Wine Tastings with Sandy Irving, Daniel Island Animal Hospital, WildFlowers!!!”
- Pam Mogle King

“Sun Dog Cat Moon!”
- Pam Constantine Cherry

“The soon-to-be ‘scout & molly’s’ on king street!”
- Wendy Wichtrich Perry

“Burger babies!”
- Robyne Marie

And we want to give personal thanks to all of the great local businesses that support CHARLIE! To Tristan, Charleston Grill, Barre Evolution, Berlins for Women, Blu, Chamber Music Charleston, Circa 1886, Croghan’s Jewel Box, Daniel Ravenel Real Estate, Elizabeth Stuart Design, Eurasia, Facelogic, Glass Onion, Grace Salon, Heirloom Book Company, Peninsula Grill, Hank’s, Lee Distributors, Island Coffee, Martin Gallery, Palmetto Distributing, Pure Barre, The Spa at Charleston Place, The Shops at Charleston Place, Trunk Show, Ted’s Butcherblock, and advertisers past and future: y’all are awesome. We heart you.

SmallBusinessSaturday.com

Story by: Caroline Nuttall, and you
Photos by: Andrew Cebulka, Chrys Rynearson, and provided

If you’re familiar with Spinning, you’ve probably heard that it will kick your you-know-what. Literally, it does wonders for your glutes, quads and hamstrings. If you’ve ever tried a class, you know what to expect — an hour of heart strengthening cardio activity, heavy uphill climbs, and sweaty breathless sprints, all timed to a mashup of killer music.

What you may not know is that Spinning is also a way of life.

“Training becomes a catalyst for transformation of the body and mind,” says Luciana of Charleston RIDE — the newest Spinning studio in town devoted to those of us who like to “gear up, get on and go.” (Soon to be found on the 3rd floor above Sermet’s on 74 Wentworth St.)

Meet Luciana Marcial-Vincion, our local Spinning secret weapon. She is responsible for single-handedly shaping the Spinning International Master Instructor Team and is attracting instructors from around the globe to train at Charleston RIDE before their doors have even opened (oops, secret’s out). She’s joined by Rebecca Young, whose classes transport you into other-worldly dimensions of focus and drive, thanks to her nurturing energy and inspiring playlists. Along with a select group of Mad Dogg Athletics Spinning certified instructors, from moms to photographers to triathletes, this team has become a family and their message is clear: “Get healthier and happier while doing something you love.” ‘Nuff said.

Their goal: to blend science with spirit, strength and stamina in an effort to deepen the mind/body connection. “We want to embody a vision that encompasses much more than just physical training,” says Luciana, who promises to offer something for everyone. No matter what you’ve been told, when it comes to Spinning, you can leave your age and fitness level at the door. “Anyone can do it, it’s just pedaling.”

“Everything worthwhile has fear associated with it,” says Luciana, who guarantees that the instructors at Charleston RIDE have just the right amount of passion and heart to help you crest that last hill. So don’t be scerrred.

Joining Charleston RIDE is as simple as logging onto your computer or downloading an app onto your iPhone — reserve your bike and pay online, no contract necessary.

“We inspire each other,” says Rebecca, “and when you feel that energy in the room, it’s electric.” So what are you waiting for? Queen said it best: “Get on your bikes and RIDE!”

Coming soon to: 74 Wentworth Street, 3rd Fl
CharlestonRIDE.com
Charleston RIDE on Facebook
Email Charleston RIDE

Story by: Lara Camozzo
Photos by: Johanna Cooper

You see, they’ve quietly changed the world of natural cosmetics from their laboratory and spa on Johns Island since before “natural” and “organic” were so in vogue.

This isn’t entirely a story about natural cosmetics, though. It also happens to be one of those love stories worthy of the big screen.

Peggy Lieber grew up in a remote part of Ecuador, where natural remedies were often the best option.

“My family went into the forest to get all the ingredients to combat a cold or a flu or fever,” she explains over a cup of herbal tea in the ornate foyer of the Royal Lab’s on-site spa. “We healed ourselves and used nature as our pharmacy.”

At 13, Peggy’s family moved to Connecticut. In their town, Paul’s family owned a health food store. One day, their hands brushed over two pounds of organic soy beans. As is only fitting for such instances, the two were soul mates.

This was the early 80s, when aerosol hairspray was king and nothing was natural about your mauve lipstick. At the age of 25, and newly married, the couple began research and development of a natural cosmetics line. For their time, they might have well announced intents to stroll around the Sun.

“Our parents thought we were crazy because we were doing something nobody cared about at the time,” says Peggy. “Making regular products was just the status quo.”

But the couple was curious about the natural world around them: how some plants were able to stay green for so long, how different natural extracts interacted, and how nature – rather than harsh chemicals – could be used to preserve youth.

After a successful skin clinic and spa in Connecticut, the couple fell for the charms of the South after a visit to Charleston. Realizing their dream could work anywhere, they moved to Kiawah.

Royal Labs is tucked away in Johns Island. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never know it was there. But drive down the lush, manicured driveway to the 125,000 square foot laboratory where they create USDA certified organic products…and you feel like you’ve suddenly found the best secret in Charleston.

As the largest in the United States, Royal Labs formulates products for more than 500 companies worldwide, most of which name brands you know and use every day. If it’s a natural or organic product in your cosmetics case, Royal Labs probably made it on Johns Island.

In addition to their roster of clients, Royal Labs has three in-house brands, all of which either derived from all natural or organic ingredients.

But as a couple who revolutionized the cosmetics industry – without many of us even realizing it – Paul and Peggy are remarkably humble.

After all, it’s what you would expect from a couple who brushed hands, and lived happily ever after, over soy beans.

RoyalLabs.com
2671 Fort Trenholm Rd., Johns Island
(843) 559-7541

Story by: Caroline Millard
Photos by: Ben Walters

Launched in April, this Charleston-born website is committed to helping pups and the Planet. From biodegradable poop bags to beds constructed of organic cotton and recycled bottles, GreenDogLove is committed to selling truly eco-friendly—think: organic, natural and recycled—dog products nationally.

A couple for more than two years, Messmer and Hickey both attended the University of Kentucky and lived ten minutes from each other, though they never met until they each moved to Charleston three years ago. Now, GreenDogLove’s creators are bringing their web expertise and personal passions to this niche market of dog owners who, like them, prefer to conserve and be responsible. The pawsitive (sorry — it was right there) response that they’ve seen from their four-legged friends proves even canines prefer to be conscious.

Olive Happy Apple Snaps treats—currently their best-selling item—contain organic apples and cinnamon, raw honey and rolled oat and are free of wheat, corn and soy, making them ideal snacks for gluten-free dogs (yes, they exist). Turns out, dogs with sensitive stomachs may simply need to adjust their diets, and as a result favorably affect the environment. But, be wary of eco-friendly labels that claim to be “gluten free,” “natural,” and other attractive and ecologically-charged words. “Some lower-end sellers were claiming to be gluten free and were not,” says Seth Siegler, whose eight-year-old adopted golden retriever, Biscuit, was experiencing itchiness and nausea due to his diet but now, as a local customer of GDL, has found relief.

Thankfully, it is Messmer’s internet marketing skills and Hickey’s software development knowledge which have made them proficient research-junkies who insist on personally investigating and testing products for their legitimacy. From investigating a toy’s indestructibility or checking a product’s claim to be “organic,” GDL shoppers can be sure every item has a guarantee.

“People spend more money on their pets than they do on themselves,” Messmer says. Hickey adds, “We don’t sell something just because it says “environmentally friendly.’ We want to know why and make sure it’s true. Just because something says, ‘natural,’ doesn’t mean it’s good.”

Sure, there are other sites out there who sell similar products with similar principles. But very few of them bring the love exclusively through nontoxic dog products dedicated to the health of both pooches and the Earth. The couple passes on cotton-based products for hemp-based merchandise—such as collars and leashes—which require less water, fewer pesticides, and can grow almost anywhere. They offer one of the lowest shipping prices among their competitors (free after $50) and even re-use boxes and packing material for eco-friendly shipping.

For now, Messmer and Hickey—who hope to bring dogs back into their own lives soon—are keeping their product line simple, but hope to sell their own homemade treats and expand to other products and pets, provided the items align with their principles. “Bottom line: we support the practices of the companies whose products we sell,” says Messmer. “We want something truly environmentally friendly and healthy for you and your dog.”

Two things can be sure: a happier Earth and wagging tails.

GreenDogLove.com
GreenDogLove on Facebook

Story and photos by: Jessica Kenny

Charleston has been getting a lot of national media love lately. And Folly has been singled out as well, getting high praise and rankings from GQ and Outside Magazine.

The surfing scene centers around the waves at the Washout, which has always trumped I.O.P. and Sullivan’s mostly tubeless surf. Post-beach, there’s a plethora of watering holes in which to make the rounds. Hangouts like the Surf Bar and Rita’s serve killer burgers with hand-cut fries to go with your Painkiller or ice-cold beer. It’s hard to beat Taco Boy on the main drag, with its pitch-perfect beachy décor, for a fun dinner of margarita swilling and fish tacos.

Tourists and locals tend to be very friendly, unless you’re messing with a drunk biker whose girlfriend you just hit on at The Sand Dollar. If you can keep your cool, the Sand Dollar is a great music venue with cheap beer and lots of room to dance.

You have to love a place where flip flops have no boundaries. Sporting Rainbows at a beach wedding has become a modern Southern tradition, especially for groomsmen. And many a couple has had their portrait taken on the dramatic stretch of beach near the Morris Island lighthouse. The sunsets are quite romantic from this vantage and photographers love the early evening light.

Folly Beach City Council member, Laura Dukes Beck, describes the town as a community where free thinkers, environmentalists, and artists can enjoy a live-and-let-live attitude. Beck says that “Folly has always been a workingman’s beach which allows for a more diverse group of folks.”

The tiny local grocery, Bert’s Market, is a big part of the island culture, carrying everything from Sex Wax and handmade hemp products to local produce and raw chocolate concoctions. They also do a big growler business with a constantly changing selection of craft beer, except mainstay PBR, which is extremely popular at $5 a fill. The Bert’s logo growler koozie with a carrying strap has to be the epitome of beach chic, Follystyle.

Fall will be here before we know it. Unleash your inner bohemian self and wrap your arms around your beach this summer. The people. The pace. Your Folly.

Story by: Dee Dee Arthur
Photos by: Ben Walters

Neon pink, green and aqua bodies in motion illuminate the floor. The dancers line up, men on one side, ladies on the other. The room fairly hums with testosterone and vibrates with anticipation and nerves.

The music calls and the dancers respond, heads up, shoulders back, hips swaying as they slink towards one another. The crowd parts and there he is. You lock eyes and move into his open embrace. He peers seemingly into your soul and says, “Look, spaghetti arms. This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don’t go into yours; you don’t go into mine. You gotta hold the frame.”

Actually, that was Johnny to Baby. And while I wasn’t at Kellerman’s in the Catskills, my dance instructor’s message was basically the same. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know in seven minutes. But you cannot anticipate, you must wait to be led.” And so began my very first tango lesson offered by the Charleston Argentine Tango Society.

Every Tuesday at 7:30pm, these tango aficionados share their love for the artform by providing free lessons to whomever shows up in the group exercise studio at MUSC’s Wellness Center. Usually it’s anywhere from a dozen to 30 men and women from all ages and walks of life. And you don’t have to be a member of the Wellness Center.

I don’t know about you, but I rarely wait to be led for anything. When I express this to tango facilitator, Nina Fair, she laughs and declares: “Following is not a natural state for most American women. All we’re asking you to do is relinquish control for 2-3 minutes.”

Well said, but why am I suddenly giggling like my 14-year-old self when paired with my tango version of Johnny Castle, Dr. Rod Derrick? Perhaps it’s because while I’m trying to remember the intricacy of my 8-count steps, learn to wait to be led, wrap my leg around his in ganchos and boleros, he’s staring into my eyes and telling me:

“In tango, there’s an agreement it’s okay for me to get in your space. Locked in your connection. It’s a soul connection with a woman. In a male it revs up passion, in a woman, it excites her oxytocin levels.” Oh, is THAT what that is?!

But leave it to the French to beautifully sum up Argentine tango, “Tango is a conversation between two people,” says facilitator Marie-France Fauvelle. “It is one heart and four legs.”

If you want to add a little tango into your life, check out the Society’s FB Group or visit Tangorojo.com for a new series of paid tango lessons starting this week at Spirit Moves Studio in West Ashley. Summerville residents, tango into Accent on Wine on Main the last Monday of the month at 6pm.

Lock those arms, and just maybe you’ll unlock your soul.

Charleston Argentine Tango Society online

Story by: Claire Gibbons
Photos by: Johanna Cooper

Crafted from what so many might call trash, these tables and shelves are hewn from antique doors, floor joists and windows. Construction items cast off when old Charleston homes get renovated and modernized.

Shelby Nelson is a realtor who also rehabs houses. He’s the one giving antique wood new life with Charleston Recycled.

Nelson was a history major at CofC, and started to buy and renovate houses shortly after his graduation in 1992. Not wanting to let any of the wood go to waste after a project, he began to turn those pieces into recycled furniture.

Fifteen years later, he’s accrued seven artisan carpenters – including Bulldog, Slim, Leonard and all former tenants of his houses – to craft these truly one-of-a-kind works.

The goal is to keep the character of the wood. An original door handle here, the carving of a far gone year there, and the occasional shard of china often make their way into Charleston Recycled’s furniture.

“There isn’t wood like this anymore,” notes Nelson, who goes on to explain that wood used to make a door 150 years ago was probably 300 years old. In layman’s terms, you don’t find 500-year-old wood in your coffee table every day.

But working with wood that was a sapling well before Charleston was even founded isn’t easy.

“Getting the wood just right is tough,” says Nelson. “If you don’t have the right size wood, you have to mill it…then hit a nail and you ruin the saw.”

It’s a six or so step process from rubbish to work of functional art.

Step one: Get wood out of dumpster.

Nelson muses that forever, his wife wasn’t shy to note her annoyance over a certain growing woodpile in their backyard. He goes on to rave over rumors of a Walterboro woman hoarding a container of antique wood he’d love to get his hands on.

Once acquired, the wood is cleaned, sanded, scraped, pressure washed, cut, assembled, sealed, finished and refinished several times before its full completion. The finished product is pretty difficult to achieve. Says Nelson, “It’s like a piece of art. You think, ‘maybe I can a sand it a little, add more glass…’”

The message behind Charleston Recycled is simply to respect the wood, and breathe new life into materials that would otherwise be cast aside. The materials tell a story, and one of an era long gone.

Call it the coolest new form of recycling, and one that doesn’t involve blue bins and aluminum cans.

CharlestonRecycled.com

Story by: Caroline Millard