Turning Fallen Trees into Fine Furniture: The Art of Alabama Sawyer
The creative couple behind Alabama Sawyer breathes new life into Birmingham's fallen urban timber, transforming potential landfill waste into (beautiful!) reclaimed wood furniture with a story. Image: Alabama Sawyer
We Southerners have a long-standing love affair with our trees — and if you’ve ever sat under a shady oak on a sweltering summer day, then you understand why! But what happens when a storm hits, or a property is cleared, leaving piles of fallen urban timber behind? Sadly, most of it is destined for landfills … unless Cliff and Leah Spencer get to it first. The husband-and-wife team behind Alabama Sawyer breathes new life into Birmingham’s salvaged trees, creating jaw-dropping reclaimed wood furniture with a story to tell.
From Hollywood Sets to Birmingham Roots
Long before they were transforming fallen trees, the Spencers’ career landscape looked a little different. Cliff, a Birmingham native, had followed his passions for theater and woodworking out West, eventually landing a gig in Los Angeles as a film set designer. Meanwhile, Leigh was busy building a career in graphic design in Boulder, Colorado.
After splitting their time between Colorado and California, the couple put down roots in Los Angeles to welcome their first child. Leigh’s passion for environmental sustainability took root during her time at a large European financial services company. Meanwhile, she played a key role in growing her husband’s custom cabinet and furniture business, overseeing everything from website design and public relations to bookkeeping. As the company expanded, she left her day job and joined the business full-time.
The business shifted significantly in 2014, when Cliff returned to his hometown to give a presentation during Design Week Birmingham. His topic? The untapped potential of utilizing Birmingham’s abundant urban timber. “He was just sort of pitching this idea as something that should happen here,” Leigh says.
At the time, Cliff never dreamed he would be the one to bring that vision to life. But when the opportunity presented itself, it felt like fate.
“We were at a point in our lives, with Cliff’s parents aging in Birmingham and our kids starting new schools anyway, that it just kind of worked,” Leigh says. “Plus, whenever we would come to Birmingham to visit family, I started making the visits as long as possible because I was just having so much fun. I just really liked being here.”
With a shared passion for design, a dedication to sustainability, and a welcoming community waiting for them, the couple packed up their L.A. life, moved to Alabama, and Alabama Sawyer was officially born.
Stewards of Storytelling
As word of Alabama Sawyer’s stunning reclaimed wood furniture spread across Birmingham, business began to boom. According to Leigh, their success has just as much to do with the community’s deep emotional connection to the land as with the furniture’s excellent craftsmanship.
“People reach out to us and ask if there is anything we can do to save their tree. They don’t want it to just go to waste,” she tells us. “It has sentimental value. These trees offer a sense of belonging. So when you can make something with it, and it comes from the community, that matters.”
While sustainability is at the heart of Alabama Sawyer, Leigh says it’s the shared sentimentality that fuels the communal effort to be good stewards of the urban forest. They aren’t just preserving nature; they are preserving local history. “It’s more than just being resourceful,” Leigh agrees. “Yes, there is so much wood that’s just wasted, but these trees are part of people’s homes. They’re part of [our] place.”
The Spencers aren’t working alone. They have built strong partnerships with local tree services and sawmills that share their values. Whether it’s salvaging a fallen tree from a backyard or reclaiming rejects from a paper mill, Alamama Sawyer and its partners work together to ensure these pieces of Southern history skip the landfill and find a second life in someone’s home.
The Beauty of Imperfection
Where others see the knots and burls of a fallen tree as imperfections, the Spencers see them as an opportunity to create something that’s one-of-a-kind. They allow the tree to drive the process, carefully considering the size, features, and wood type to determine its ideal use. Cliff’s relies on his inner “wood whisperer” to design something beautiful with every unique plank, board, and beam. But turning urban timber into works of art takes time.
Alabama Sawyer sources its timber directly from its neighbors. In fact, 90% of their wood is salvaged from within 50 miles of Birmingham. Then it is cured in the warehouse, which can take up to two years, before it’s moved to a kiln for several more weeks of drying. Trees are about 70% water, and the timber will warp, shrink, twist, and crack if not properly dried, so it’s a process that can’t be rushed.
This meticulous approach ensures that Alabama Sawyer’s products, from the popular Hyo Table to chairs, shelves, desks, and even guitars, are built to last.
Tree Concierge Service
Leigh emphasizes that Alabama Sawyer does not cut down or haul away trees themselves. However, if you have a tree that needs to come down, they offer a tree concierge service to make sure its legacy lives on.
Before the first cut is made, they will help you decide on the best design for the specific wood type, draft custom blueprints, and handle all the milling, drying, and woodworking to bring the plan to life. For a tree already down due to a storm or other unexpected damage, Leigh says it’s important to act quickly to prevent wood rot.
Decades of Design: Leaving a Mark on the South
This fall, Alabama Sawyer celebrates 10 years of keeping wood out of landfills and putting stunning craftsmanship into the world. Today, their work can be seen in some of Birmingham’s hottest spots, including the Michelin-recommended Hot and Hot Fish Club, Magnolia Point, and Mountain Brook City Hall.
Further south in Montgomery, their work takes on a deeply historical note. There, they manufactured the signature benches at the Legacy Sites, along with the custom display cases greeting visitors in the museum bookstore.
Whether they grace a family living room or enhance the ambiance of a business, the impact of Alabama Sawyer furniture is far-reaching and significant. These pieces do more than fill a room — they tell the stories of the South, preserving history for generations to come.
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Katie Leigh Matthews
A Birmingham native, Katie is a lifelong waterfall chaser and is passionate about the outdoors. She also loves connecting with remarkable women in the Birmingham community and bringing their stories to life. Katie has been writing professionally for over six years; you can find more of her work at Moms.com and Islands.com.