In the spirit of the farm-to-table culinary movement, enthusiastically embraced by those promoting sustainability, origin of materials has become one of the most desirable characteristics sought when choosing objects for the home. Additionally, awareness of the design, the maker and how a product reaches the end-user all contribute to our appreciation of those possessions. As a result of this inspiration, Zada Hart Gates has creatively reimagined the narrative of a stately elm, and in the process memorialized a family legacy.
In 1951, Zada's father, Babe Hart, planted an American Elm seedling in the side yard of their home on Shady Grove Road, which at that time was considered the outskirts of Memphis. The new neighborhood was barren of trees and in addition to the elm, Babe planted numerous oaks, which to this day populate the expansive front lawn.
The American Elm in the Southeast United States escaped the bark beetle blight, commonly known as Dutch Elm disease, that swept through the Northeast beginning in the 1930s. Fortunately, elms continued to thrive locally, and Babe’s grew to a majestic size with an immense canopy, providing abundant shade to the home site.
After forty years, her mother sold the house. Zada and her husband, Jeptha purchased the house back in 2011 upon their return from Australia, where they had lived for several years. By then, the venerable elm was long in the tooth, and the necessary removal was accomplished the following year.
Jeptha added a woodworking shop to the newly purchased home, which provided the incentive to retain sections of the tree for a yet to be determined use. Tragically, and after an extended illness, he died shortly after completing that renovation and was unable to initiate his plan. As a result, the slabs were stored in the garage, effectively air-drying the wood during the ensuing years. On a daily basis, they became an ever-present reminder to Zada of her parents, her childhood home and the many fond memories created in the shade of the noble tree.
This past year, Zada sought a way to utilize the long dormant tree sections for a utilitarian purpose, and more importantly, to commemorate her family heritage. In collaboration with woodworker and furniture maker Carter Wolfe, they set out on a path to accomplish both. They determined that two side tables would be the objective, principally dictated by the configuration of the cross-sectional cuts.
Elm is ideally suited to this purpose, being relatively dense and durable, and exhibiting a unique and attractive grain pattern. Additionally, the multiple years of storage and the attendant air exposure precluded the necessity to kiln dry the pieces prior to fabrication. Carter employed epoxy to fill in imperfections and crevices, creating a flat, uniform surface conducive to its intended use. It is interesting to note that one table exhibits two interior rings, and the other table, three, characteristic of cross sections obtained at the confluence of limbs with the primary trunk.
The resultant tree-to-table furnishings, much like the farm-to-table concept, not only meet the requirement for sustainability and enjoyment, but are also a testament to the innate human desire to remember and honor the past and to pass down to future generations a material representation of those things we value most: items connecting us to family and place.