Plateau-otter

Started With a Single Table

In 2008, Plateau-otter began not as a business plan but as a personal project. The founding piece was a dining table built for a family home, using reclaimed Douglas fir from a demolished barn in the Fraser Valley.

That table still stands in the same kitchen today. Friends who saw it began asking for their own pieces. Word spread through neighbourhoods, then communities, then across provincial borders. What started in a garage workshop now occupies a dedicated facility in North Vancouver.

Our approach has not changed since that first table. Each piece begins with understanding the person who will live with it. The wood comes second. The design follows from both.

Traditional woodworking tools on workbench

Material Philosophy

We source our timber primarily from Canadian forests, working with suppliers who share our commitment to sustainable forestry practices. Western red cedar, black walnut, maple, and oak form the core of our material palette.

Whenever possible, we seek out reclaimed wood. Old barns, decommissioned ships, and century-old structures yield timber with character that new-growth wood cannot replicate. The history embedded in these materials becomes part of the furniture we create.

We reject materials that show signs of instability or hidden defects that could compromise longevity. A piece of furniture should serve multiple generations, not a single decade.

Our Values

Integrity in Craft

We never cut corners that clients cannot see. Internal joinery receives the same attention as visible surfaces.

Respect for Material

Wood is not just a medium but a partner in creation. We work with its natural tendencies rather than against them.

Client Partnership

The best furniture emerges from genuine collaboration. Your insights about how you live shape our designs.

Environmental Care

Sustainable sourcing and minimal waste practices guide our operations. Quality furniture reduces consumption.

Finished furniture piece in contemporary interior

The Team

Our workshop employs six full-time craftspeople, each bringing distinct expertise to different aspects of furniture making. Some specialise in joinery techniques perfected over centuries in European traditions. Others focus on finishing methods that protect wood while revealing its natural beauty.

We take on apprentices annually, maintaining the tradition of hands-on skill transfer that formal education cannot fully replicate. Knowledge passes from bench to bench, generation to generation.

Every team member participates in client consultations. The person who shapes your table leg should understand why you chose that particular design.

Recognition

Our work has been featured in homes and spaces across Canada

Vancouver Design Week

Featured exhibitor showcasing sustainable furniture practices and reclaimed wood applications in contemporary design.

Canadian Craft Council

Member workshop recognised for maintaining traditional joinery techniques while embracing modern design sensibilities.

Commercial Projects

Tables and seating installed in restaurants, boutique hotels, and corporate spaces throughout British Columbia and Alberta.

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Our Story