Designer Turns Demolished Building Wood Into Furniture

When buildings come down in Bengaluru, most people see rubble and waste. Gracy Elezebeth sees potential.

For the past 19 years, the 53-year-old design consultant has been rescuing Burma teak, rosewood, and other quality wood from demolished buildings across Karnataka. She transforms these forgotten beams, pillars, and planks into elegant doors, kitchen cabinets, tables, and chairs for homes around the city.

Her journey started simply in 1998, browsing antique shops along Puducherry's East Coast Road. She'd rummage through piles of unappreciated wooden pieces, picking up straight-back chairs and bookshelves for her own home. When friends visited and fell in love with her vintage finds, they asked her to source pieces for them too.

By 2004, word of mouth turned her passion into a full venture. Today, she completes two major home projects each year, designing 35 to 40 houses total using only reclaimed materials.

The process takes patience and skill. First, her team removes all nails, screws, and paint layers from the salvaged wood. They run it through a planing machine to even the surface, then sand it by hand. Sometimes old doors and windows get reused exactly as they are. Other times, door frames become shelves and shutters transform into wardrobe faces.

After carpentry comes hand polishing with a matte finish that showcases the wood's natural grains. A final coating of melamine protects against weathering. Each home takes about two months to complete.

The results speak for themselves. Old wood from mango, jackfruit, and matti trees (native to the Western Ghats) proves far sturdier than new manufactured alternatives. It can be taken apart and refashioned into new pieces indefinitely, something engineered wood products can't match.

The Ripple Effect

Gracy's work does more than create beautiful spaces. Every project keeps quality timber out of landfills and reduces demand for newly harvested wood. Her clients get unique, durable furniture at reasonable costs, while Karnataka's architectural heritage lives on in new forms.

She credits her minimalist upbringing for her sustainable mindset. Growing up with three older brothers meant hand-me-down bikes and school bags. "We grew up very aware of the value of things, whether it was water, food or clothes," she says. "Recycling and upcycling was always part of my life."

That childhood awareness has blossomed into nearly two decades of proving that sustainability and style go hand in hand. Each restored piece of wood tells a story while building something new.