TACOMA, Wash. — A wine rack made of reclaimed metal from oil drums. Teak tables made of wood salvaged from boats and buildings. Soft throws made from soda bottles recycled into the fabric.
Just some of the things you will find at the Tacoma furniture gallery TREE.
“It's all about being eco-chic,” said owner Nicole Wakley. “It's all about sustainable style. It's all about upcycling pieces and making them with hand and with love into new contemporary modern pieces.”
Wakley was a lawyer in Hong Kong when she decided to follow her childhood dream to own her own furniture store. She has already made TREE a recognizable brand in Hong Kong. Now she's bringing TREE to the United States. First stop: Tacoma.
“Tacoma is a beautiful place for TREE to plant their roots because the community is so inviting and welcoming,” she said.
Wakley says she literally dreamt up the kind of building that has become her gallery, the old Nisqually Power substation.
“A magic historical huge building with amazing glass windows…and I told my people go find it. And here we are. It's our dream come true.”
A dream called TREE.
Since opening the first store in Hong Kong, Wakley's company has planted more than 77,000 trees.
TREE Tacoma, Nisqually PowerStation. 2416 South C St. Tacoma, WA 98402
