Evan Shively
Salvaged and Reclaimed Specialty Wood
After being intrigued by a large wood sculpture in a gallery window and weeks of searching for the artist, Bardessono developer Phil Sherburne could scarcely have known that Evan Shively of Arborica in West Marin, would fast become one of the most potent influences on the design and a paramount figure in building the hotel.
From the memory of their first meeting, Sherburne described Evan as a "smiling husky man in his 40’s with a trace of the ‘hippie’ look and a sawdust encrusted shirt." A graduate in literature from Harvard University, and a former chef at Postrio in San Francisco, Evan owns a saw-mill specializing in beautifully expressing the grains of salvaged woods from Northern California. He and his unparalleled warehouse of woods made an immediate impression and Sherburne was quick to recruit him as a part of the Bardessono artisan team.
Salvaged wood means that it is not logged. An important distinction as Evan is mindful of the scarcity of this precious resource and has become known as someone wanting interesting old trees that would otherwise be chipped or burned. These are the trees that larger commercial mills don’t want, but that Evan is rescuing from junk heaps and landfills, turning them into pieces of art-wood and grabbing the attention of architects and those who see the distinctive beauty that these salvaged and "up-cycled" materials bring to life.
The wood Evan reclaimed for the Bardessono was all found within a 100-mile radius of the Napa Valley. The list of woods to be used throughout the hotel became Evan’s biggest order to-date. Monterey Cypress has been milled for the building’s wood sidings; the stunning grain and color of Orchard Walnut made into entry doors and laid as flooring in the guest rooms; desks are made of raw slabs of California Bay; Redwood recycled from wine barrels have become the entry doors to the reception area and restaurant, as well as the ceilings for many public rooms; large tables for the lounge and restaurant are made of Walnut and Cypress; and an art screen will be created from panels of Eucalyptus.
The celebration of California woods at the Bardessono is in no small part a curated experience informed by Evan’s relationship with the wood, its natural beauty, and its gift to the spaces that humans inhabit. His relationship with Phil and his ability to work on a large scale, has given the wood an interactive presence at the hotel and has affirmed a second life for dozens of otherwise wasted trees.
