March 12, 2009 Issue
When Pigs Fly
Gum Ridge Mill and Flying Pig Furniture Featured on UNC-TV
When pigs fly is the appropriate saying for Ken Sevensky and wife Kristin’s success. They are owners of Gum Ridge Mill and Flying Pig Furniture, which is located in Fleetwood.
Ken fashions custom furniture from old wood, which has been recaptured from old barns, mills and houses. Furniture is not the only purpose for this aged wood. Flooring, cabinets and stairways are a few of the projects Ken is being commissioned to create.
UNC-TV recently filmed a spot on Gum Ridge Mill and Flying Pig Furniture, which aired February 26 and 27. This feature will not be played again this year, but you can catch it again in February 2010.
Ken also sells the wood “as is” to anyone needing the raw product for his or her own use. The services offered by this green conscious mill are as unique and diverse as the products themselves. For more information, click towww.gumridgemill.com or call 336-877-8888.
After moving from Columbus, Ohio, back to the Carolinas, Ken and Kristin decided to build a house in the High Country. The inspiration for this project came about while planning for the materials needed to build their home. It hit them like a falling barn may crash to the earthen floor. Why not use the wood from barns that are already scheduled for demolition? So the dream began as Ken fashioned ceilings, staircases and most furniture from this unlikely source.
As the house came together, multiple barns-worth of wood was left over. What seemed like out of nowhere, calls for raw product or finished pieces began rolling in. The idea was catching on more quickly than the Sevenskys could keep up. Gum Ridge Mill and Flying Pig Furniture were created as Ken and Kristen quit their full time jobs to follow a growing demand for a greener alternative to ordering furniture from a showroom or catalog.
“My favorite piece to create is a dinner table, because I can almost feel the warmth of a large family gathered around it enjoying a dinner together,” said Ken.
Many customers come to the mill with a picture in hand or just an idea of a piece they need. Much like the dinner tables he loves to make, every creation must have its own platform for memories to grow from. Ken spends a lot of time with each person helping them understand the many choices custom work offers. Ken pointed out that there are many different woods to choose from and they all lend themselves to a unique finished look.
Anyone interested in custom work is encouraged to call ahead for an appointment. Hours of operation are from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday appointments can be arranged by calling ahead.
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