Old doors – many from western China – get new life as Minnesota-made tables

Andy Higgins has found a way to transform weatherworn century-old doors from China into custom tables that grace homes in Minnesota and beyond. Last summer, Higgins launched Pikka Design Co. online and inside Ciel Loft & Home, his furnishings store in St. Louis Park.

With Pikka, customers choose a tabletop, made from salvaged old door wood, then pick the finish and base style. (Get it? You pick a, or pikka, table.) Wood finishes range from natural to espresso tones. The brushed metal or wood bases are "warm modern with a rustic patinaed look," Higgins says. You can pick up the finished product or have it delivered in a week.

The Pikka line was spun off from Ciel after customers inquired about authentic furniture with "real" one-of-a-kind qualities, and could be customized by size and style, says Higgins.

"Most of them are reclaimed wood from old doors from villages in western China," he says. "It's really hard wood and you can see where the rain grooved it out." The sustainably sourced material is given a second life in someone's home "instead of winding up in a wood chipper," he says.

Higgins currently stocks 70 different tabletops in a variety of sizes, starting at $1,389 for a 5-foot-long table and base.

For ideas, check out the communal Pikka tables at the Lynhall in Minneapolis, visit Pikka's showroom inside Ciel, 4415 Excelsior Blvd., or go to pikkadesignco.com.

Plus, your purchase helps give back. The table is a place of gathering, says Higgins, so for every piece sold, Pikka sponsors a food shelf hosting community meals.