Our story is a simple one. For us it is not only about making furniture, it is also about quality, craftsmanship and creating the perfect surroundings that define a home where one can relax and get that special feeling of good company, good wine, good food and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I work towards my goal and vision of designing and creating high quality furniture for all aspects of life. Most of my designs are inspired by the 20th century industrial era as well as the clean cuts well known from the Danish mid-century design traditions.
We incorporate reclaimed materials into our designs where we feel that it will contribute to the overall look of the piece. The term reclaimed is very popular these days and we have come to realize that using reclaimed materials, we might contribute to destruction of old and otherwise well-preserved structures. For us the word reclaimed means bringing something old back – this could be the materials themselves or the revival of traditional craftsmanship techniques. It can also be an perspective on design and ways of thinking about design, functionality and longevity so that each individual piece of furniture can be passed on for generations to come – thereby contributing to a sustainable future. My profession and formal training is in metal fabrication, but I have a true passion for woodworking so I try to combine them in my work as much as possible.
My name is Chris Demant and I am the owner, designer and craftsman at Reclaimed by Demant, LLC.
I am a Dane by citizenship, but American by heart.
Ever since I can remember I have been interested in building things. When I was 2 years old, my dad got a job offer and took the family overseas from Denmark to Atlanta where we lived for 5 years. During the years in Atlanta I became familiar with woodworking as I drove around the neighborhood in my little electric car looking for houses that were being renovated. Here I traded cold Coca Colas for wood pieces and began building small furniture pieces on the porch. When my parents could no longer store any more of the completed pieces, they were put outside on the front lawn for the public to buy. I know for a fact and am proud to say that until this day some of those pieces still exist and are in use.
When my family decided to move back to Denmark in 1995, I continued the woodworking in my grandmothers basement where I created both wood and metal pieces. After primary school I attended the Danish technical school and a 4-year apprenticeship and graduated as a metal fabricator specializing in stainless steel. After graduation I worked as a metal fabricator in the food and dairy industry, which brought me to work in countries like Singapore, China, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, providing me an endless source of inspiration for my projects.
During my spare time I went back to working with wood learning all the traditional carpentry methods as well as reclaiming the old blacksmithing methods.
In 2009 I stumbled into a woman that turned out to be the perfect match for me – my wife Ann. She quickly saw something in me, that I didn’t see myself at that time – an artist. We quickly became a couple, moved in together, married and planned for the future. Only weeks after meeting each other I invited her to see what I considered my second home, Atlanta. Within hours of arriving she felt home and we started planning a future that would give us the possibility to follow our common dream of a work environment where our creative potential can be realized and where we at the same time can create a unique experience for each of our customers.