The Furniture Manufacturing Industry of Barbados - Caribbean ...

. Under marketing aspects, the sourcing from sustainably managed Mahogany stands is
an asset in the increasingly environmentally friendly market for wood products.
c. The reforestation efforts will contribute to raise awareness for the Barbadian history and
identity. Future generations will acknowledge these efforts and benefit form it ecologically
and economically.
The reforestations program could be realised as a joint effort of the private sector, the Ministry
of Energy and Environment under the PR management of the CoE.
Surfaces and finishes
The treatment of surfaces is a technical question as much as it is one of principle: to what
extend will the “Barbadian Vernacular” brand accept the use of non-traditional techniques to
treat the wood, especially the surfaces?
Pickling is a case in point: Although certain stains are sold under the name pickling stain,
technically, pickling is a method not a finish. Originally, pickling was preformed on new
wood to make it look old. Today when most people refer to a pickled finish, they automatically
think of a white or off-white pastel semi-transparent stain applied to an open
pored wood such as oak or ash. This finish is quite fashionable today. The stains that are
now labelled and sold as pickling stains are usually heavily pigmented white or off-white
stains. They can be purchased in oil or water-based formulations.
finish standard mahogany pickled pine pickled pine with gold
sample
The most popular stains offered for “Barbadian Vernacular”-style furniture; while all of them look
traditional, only the standard mahogany to the left is untreated
In line with the specific character of the various product lines one option is to limit finishes
of the “Antique Reproduction” product line to a “standard mahogany” finish (while accepting
hardwoods other than mahogany itself). The “Barbadian Standards” product line can
include “pickled pine” and “pickled pine with gold” finishes, while “Bajan Fusion” would be
open to even more innovative surfaces
4.5.2 Workshops and companies to participate in the campaign
The manufacturing of traditional furniture and reproduction antique furniture is a vanishing
craft in Barbados. Today, there are not more than 10 small workshops on the island that master
this art.