Earth Day Post: One small way I try to lessen my environmental impact is to use materials I already have rather than buying new. These shelves are porcelain tile leftover from a remodel and California bay laurel rescued from a friend’s garage. The bay wood is a bit too light for furniture, but it’s too nice to not use. I intentionally used the weakest part of the lumber for the “handles” on this piece. Knots are an integral feature of wood. As a self-identified environmentalist, it hurts me to throw out the ‘imperfect’ wood.