The Hero Behind the Marais Collection- Cypress
Our Marais Collection in full shot by Jacqueline Marque
Our new Marais Collection is outdoor wooden furniture made from Louisiana cypress. It combines clean modern lines with storied local materials. To learn more about the significance of cypress in our beloved state, I reached out to my friends Andrew Ferris and Gardener Goodall who run the native plants program at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL). They walked me through why this specific tree is so significant to our culture but also why it is a vital part of coastal restoration and wetland protection.
In Southern Louisiana, much of our swamps are bottom land hard wood swamps that are primarily cypress and water tupelo trees. Cypress trees are known for their distinctive knees- the knobby roots that expand from the base of the tree into the water or land. Andrew explained that this feature is what makes cypress so ideal for coastal restoration. Louisiana looses 1 football field of land every 100 minutes so preserving land is paramount. “Cypress roots and their knees create reinforced land underneath it which erodes way slower than the land around it. This is why we love to plant cypress, it is so good at shoreline stabilization and erosion control.”
CRCL plants thousands of cypress trees all around Louisiana to either stabilize existing land or help build new land. Cypress’s root structure has the unique ability to capture sediment from water around it and trap it onto existing land.
CRCL’s cypress planting.
Andrew explained that cypress trees are the bedrock of the swamp. They have been used by generations to create their own built environment. Native Americans carved out whole cypress logs and used them as pirogue boats. Marooned freed Black people used the dense cypress trees to create shelter in the swamp, sometimes referring to the protection they provided as the “green veil.”
More recently, cypress trees have been used to build houses. After the civil war, cypress forests were heavily logged and their wood was used around the country in homes. In fact, Doorman first started using cypress when Alex started the company in 2008. After Hurricane Katrina, so many homes were being gutted to be rebuilt and beautiful wood was getting discarded. He would pull out old cypress planks from architectural salvage and give them a new life. Each piece of Doorman furniture would contain a little note about where the wood was sourced, making sure its story lived on.
Picture IDs: 1- Cosimo Matassa in front of his North Rampart Studio. 2- Matassa mid recording. 3- Marais Chaise Lounge shot by Jacqueline Marque. 4- Cypress saplings from CRCL 5- Cypress from a recent canoe trip. 6- Cypress wood sample 7- CRCL native plants planting
The Sound of the Swamp
Today, Doorman is weaving this material back into its repertoire. We are excited to offer the Marais collection in two cypress options- newly milled cypress and reclaimed cypress. Our reclaimed cypress is from J & M recording studio, an infamous studio in New Orleans created by Cosimo Matassa. The studio, residing on the edge of the French Quarter, ran from 1945 to 1956 and was built out ancient cypress. Matassa recorded the Rhythm and Blues icons such as Little Richard, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Fat’s Domino, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint and many many more.
In a deeply segregated south, Matassa brought white and Black musicians together to record iconic songs that shaped the history of American music during a time where they could be arrested for performing publicly together. The studio was seen as a refuge and safe place for Black artists all around the south. Matassa wasn't afraid to stand up for his political beliefs.
As the building has undergone many renovations over the years, the cypress has been preserved and we are able to use it for our furniture today. It is a true honor to be able to use this material for our Marais Collection.
Our Marais Daybed made from reclaimed cypress from J & M Recording Studios. Shot by Jacqueline Marque.
Branching Out
Today, cypress is used more for furniture more than anything else and whether it is reclaimed or newly milled, cypress is laden with history. “Cypress can build our home but is also the living home of so many different creatures.” says Gardener, “Cypress is a dominant plant that holds together the most abundant wetland we have in the country. It is a place that has such a far reach both on land and in the ocean- whether its providing a home for all the birds that migrate to South Louisiana each fall and spring or the nutrients it provides in the ocean ecosystem.”
Bringing any piece of furniture into your home is a big important decision. Bringing in a piece from the Marais Collection means you're taped into the history of cypress- your crafting your home out of it as many generations before you have.
Resources:
Learn more about CRCL Here
Read more about Cosimo Matassa’s legacy here
Learn more about the history of self-liberated slaves and cypress swamps in “Living Through a Marooned Landscape” by Diane Jones Allen.