For maximum sustainability, we ought be making our new products out of our old garbage. The problem is that most garbage is, well, garbage.

So what would be ideal, is if we could find a discarded material that was still sturdy, workable and attractive. Designer/builder Carsten Thor has found one such material. Thor's native country of Denmark, peninsular as it is, is littered with decommissioned wharves. Although their utility has declined, the incredibly tough wood used to build them--African Azobé--has weathered the freezing temperatures and salt water remarkably well. As a side bonus, the timbers are gigantic. Thor gives this material a second life by turning it into strong furniture.

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It should go without saying that no two pieces are the same, and that the furniture is suited for both indoor and outdoor applications. Check out more of Thor Design's stuff here.