Sodura

How Green is Green?

Brian — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:16:15 +0000

Our finishes are now even more green

We’ve always used low VOC finishes for our modern kids furniture, and today we’re taking another step forward in becoming more natural and more eco-friendly.

What makes Sodura’s finish a Green product?

The toxic components that are traditionally found in wood finish are displaced with recycled whey protein, which produces a finish with a neutral oder that’s safe for pets and kids. Whey is a renewable resource and a natural by-product of the dairy industry. This use of a natural product in our professional finishes produces low VOCs, and better indoor air quality. By using the whey in furniture finishes we are also keeping it from ending up in the waterways. So, it is green in two different ways, first being much safer than traditional finishes and also by recycling the leftover whey from the cheese making process.

Why is our new finish better than other water-based furniture finishes?

It has greater durability, with a cured hardness that is twice that of the average water-based finish. It also has 25% less VOC content than the standard that most water-based finishes try to meet. Our newly formulated finish accomplishes this by using whey, a natural, renewable resource, as its bonding agent.

What is whey?

Whey is a by-product of the dairy industry, specifically of cheese making.

Toddler Testimonial from Karla in TX

Brian — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:35:44 +0000

We just received this awesome testimonial from Karla, who has two pieces from the Aero collection and one custom piece. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this Karla.

My search for the perfect bookcase for our toddler ended when I found this product [the Aero bookcase], and we couldn’t be happier! It was so easy to put together (there’s an online instruction video, but I didn’t even need to refer to that, as the written instructions that came with the bookcase were sufficient), and it truly is a well-made, beautiful piece. It was important to me to find a U.S.-made product that was eco-friendly and didn’t off-gas harmful chemicals, and I was really pleased that the bookcase had no initial or subsequent odors. It’s deceptively small (i.e., unobtrusive, with a relatively small footprint), but I was pleasantly surprised at how many books it holds. My toddler adores it and will stand at it for a long period of time just arranging and re-arranging her books, and I like that it gives her a special place in our living room for her “treasures.”

On a more general note, I have spoken directly with one of the founders/co-owners of Sodura about their products, and he is very open and willing to discuss their design and manufacturing process. He even helped us with a custom piece for our daughter, and the process was smooth, fast and resulted in another beautiful product that adds to our growing Sodura collection. Now I’m just waiting for my daughter to be old enough for the Aero bed!

Sitting on Brother’s Stool

Carmen — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:05:36 +0000

Little Sis is sitting on her brother’s Aero Stool, reading his books from his Aero Small Bookcase in his room, all while he is at school. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Her Own Aero Chair

Carmen — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:27:31 +0000

Our little one has her own Aero Chair and she LOVES it. Although the Aero Chair is rated for children 2 yrs and up, it is easy for even smaller kids to get in and out of. The legs and angle of the chair hold it very steady and it will not tip over. This video is of Munchkin getting in and out of her Aero Chair all by herself for her favorite snack, yogurt! Thank you to the little one for giving us our first toddler testimonial.

Fun Colors – Mix it up!

Carmen — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:14:32 +0000

While taking some pictures of stools in my son’s room, I came to the realization that I really like the look of having different colors together. This color combination looked great together, very earthy, but the yellow brightened it up. I say, mix up the colors and make it interesting and fun!

The Yellow Snack Stool

Carmen — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 01:29:31 +0000

The kids were adamant about using the yellow Areo Stool for snacks today.

What Needs Hiding in Your Kid’s Room?

Carmen — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:21:03 +0000

One of our newest designs is the Aero Dresser/Changing Table. I love that it has drawers, which I can say from personal experience are great for hiding all kinds of junk! We, like many parents these days are using cloth diapers, and I have had a really hard time trying to keep them organized. They seem to be everywhere and take up a lot of space. Stacking them neatly doesn’t work. Storage bins don’t really work, because by the time you find what you are looking for in them, everything is back out, plus the kids love to get stuff out of them too. These drawers in the Areo Dresser/Changing Table are large, wide, and deep. I can keep ALL the cloth diapers, liners, diaper cream, and bun wipes in just the top one. Then I have the next drawer for pj’s, pants, socks, etc or it could be used for miscellaneous toys or anything else that needs a good hiding place. Last but not least, the bottom shelf makes a great place for those storage bins.

Trial Yellow

Brian — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:44:35 +0000

We are testing out some new colors here at Sodura. Yellow seems to be on our minds for spring and summer. Here is our first trial yellow. Tell us what you think! Is it fun and funky? Is it inspirational? Too bright? We’d like your input. You can can check us out on Facebook on Sodura’s page, and tell us what you think.

Away With the Highchair!

Carmen — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:47:56 +0000

I have decide to put my daughter’s highchair away. She is only 16 months old. But she is a very active 16 month old. She never really wanted to sit in it for very long. If I didn’t strap her in, then she would stand up in it and try to get down. If I did strap her in she would throw a pretty dramatic fit about it. Plus, with all the cleaning of the tray, the legs, the straps, seat etc, I was tired of it too. Not even to mention how much space that it takes up!

So, now she has her very own Aero Chair to go along with the Aero Table. It fits her just right. It is low enough that she can, and does, get in and especially out of it all by herself. I tell her to go sit in her chair and she practically runs because she knows that food is on the way! She eats better now that she can see what everyone else, like her brother, is eating. She likes to pick off others plates. (Could this be a learned behavior or inherited from her mother? I’m not sure.) And yes, of course there is still clean up, but it it is much easier to clean than all the highchair parts.

I am happy with my decision to put the highchair away. Now my only complaint is, it is hard to keep her in her chair.

Movin’ On Up

Brian — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:46:09 +0000

Sodura is expanding! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks trying to get everything moved into the new space. We now have almost 2500 square feet of manufacturing space, plus offices. That’s a new thing for us. Up until now, we basically made an office where ever there was space available to fit a couple of chairs next to a stack of wood for a desk. We know, that is impressive. That’s the good part, but the hard part was getting the machines moved, which was BRUTAL. Check out the picture of the ‘beast’, as we call it. That was no easy feat to get it moved and set in the new spot. So, now we have our stuff scattered all over our new home and next on the agenda is sorting it all out.