© Gold Coast Bulletin

Brad and Sara Friend opened Tongue N Groove in Southport, Queensland in 1994, designing and producing premium, custom-made timber furniture from reclaimed (recycled) timber.

Furniture and picture frame mouldings are all produced using recycled timbers that have been salvaged from old buildings in and around the south-east Queensland region.

Brad is motivated by a genuine love of timber and the satisfaction of turning an old piece of wood into a beautiful piece of furniture.

"I have a passion for timber - not chipboard or veneer board. Recycled timber really appeals to me."

"There's an art to it. You have to know the colours, especially as they come out of houses. You have to have an eye to pick out the timbers. It's great when you put the timber through the plane and it comes out the other side with all this grain - every piece is a complete surprise."

"I find the pieces are not just furniture items - they are talking pieces. No one piece can be exactly the same as the other", he says.

Tongue N Groove are committed to using recycled timber. . . their small contribution to saving the planet for their two young boys.