About Us:
The Vermont Wildwoods Story
From the beginning, we've looked at wood differently.
We are a specialty hardwood manufacturer dedicated to transforming naturally occurring forest phenomena into design materials.
Based in the heart of Vermont, we are best known for Spalted Maple, a rare and visually striking wood created through a unique interaction of nature and time. Our logs are harvested sustainably before setting them up to begin the spalting process. We then have our logs sliced at premier mills, resulting with premium veneer. We work with partners to manufacture plywood panels, wall panels, and paper back veneer for designers, architects, and makers seeking something truly distinctive.
With rigorous quality standards and an unwavering focus on craftsmanship, Vermont Wildwoods produces spalted maple to bring organic artistry into stunning residential, commercial, and retail environments.
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The Japanese term for this appreciation of the flaws in the natural world is called Wabi-Sabi. And for almost 20 years we have turned the lumber industry's leftovers into some of the most beautiful wood products imaginable. We slice veneer and make plywood.
We are tree huggers and scientists at the forefront of wood alchemy. Think of us as a boutique veneer and plywood mill.
Most recently we realized that by watching the natural rhythms of life and death in the forest, we can mimic the way wood ages - to imperfect perfection: spalted.
The crisp black lines and deep rich color patterns created by spalted maple are incredibly diverse and exciting. When sawn, every log contains its own unique artistic patterns and themes.
Wild to mild, it's all one-of-a-kind. And that's why we love it.
We were founded by Parker Nichols.
Parker is a true Vermonter, having grown up on a hilltop maple forestland.
An inventor, repurposer, designer, sailor, and occasional maple-sugar maker, he is inspired by design heroes as diverse as Salvador Dali, George Nakashima, and Antonio Gaudi.
Parker’s earliest memories involved watching and learning from the forest and everything in it, riding on the back of the family farm tractor through the network of wooded roads.
His years on the family hill instilled in him a fascination and appreciation of the natural world and all its cycles; the woods, the oceans - their beauty and their hidden mysteries. The original Wildwoods consisted of 200 acres that were his home. A small portion of the land was cleared out for a working farm and animal pastures and the rest remained idyllic woodland.
In 1998 he started Vermont Wildwoods. With an eye towards sustainability and an entrepreneurial spirit, he began salvaging the dead and dying butternut trees from his family’s land - producing beautiful lumber, veneer, and plywood.
In the years since, the company has evolved along with his own understanding of the forest and he's gathered a world class team - bringing science to the art - and intentionally aging and spalting maple logs for artistic intent.
They say it takes a lifetime to know a place. After decades of staying tuned to the land that raised him—of watching, learning, and understanding the life cycles of the forest in his backyard—Parker was able to align his work with his artisan’s spirit and with nature’s own designs.
Next: Our Team →