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The Making of the WT Lath Collection

Posted by Woodward Throwbacks on
The Making of the WT Lath Collection
In designing and producing our latest furniture collection, we used lath that we salvaged from the #WTPhillyHouse. We wanted to give a bit more background on what that really means and why we chose to feature a collection made entirely of lath. 

Here's the lowdown on lath.

Lath is thin strips of timber, usually about 1" x 1/4" in size. These wooden slats are positioned approximately 1/4" apart, nailed into wall studs, and then coated with plaster. This was the preferred interior wall creation from the 1700s to the 1940s. In the 1950s, drywall became much more common and began replacing the lath and plaster method.

The pros:

  • It is believed to increase insulation, combined with plaster
  • It provides natural soundproofing
  • It is said to be fire-resistant
  • It offers a whole lot of character with the ability to create curves and arches on walls and ceilings

The cons:

  • Because of the highly brittle nature of plaster, natural settling can cause cracking
  • The plaster can fall off in chunks
  • Updates or new electrical work is complicated
  • In old homes, there are entire portions of wall where insulation was not installed within the lath and plaster

Lath on lath at the #WTPhillyHouse. 

Over at our renovation project, the #WTPhillyHouse, we had a lot of lath to work with. In our experience, lath is commonly wasted when renovating or demolishing old homes and buildings. Obviously, this didn't sit well with us, so we decided we would not let any lath from this project go to waste.


The stairway at the #WTPhillyHouse. 

After removing and loading up all of the lath we salvaged, we took it back to the shop to be processed, including removing nails, sanding smooth, and cutting to size. Once that was done, it was time to hone in on our ideas and decide how we'd use the lath, so we began designing.

 

These pieces reflect Woodward Throwbacks' philosophy in every way, and we're so excited to share the story behind them.


The #WTPhillyHouse has given us so much opportunity to continue pushing boundaries, thinking outside of the "box" with materials and waste, and designing some rad furniture. Our first three pieces are linked below and are available in 4 different finishes.

 

The Lath Collection Sofa Table. 
The Lath Collection Coffee Table. 
The Lath Collection End Table. 

Shop the full collection here!

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