From Alabama Fallen Trees to Sustainable Urban Timber Furniture: Inside Alabama Sawyer

In this episode of Afield, we step inside the world of Alabama Sawyer, where fallen city trees are reborn as heirloom furniture with soul. Host Christiana Roussel visits the Birmingham workshop of Leigh and Cliff Spencer, the husband-and-wife team behind Alabama Sawyer—an acclaimed design studio turning urban timber into custom furniture, guitars, and one unforgettable Turkey Credenza (yes, really 🦃).Cliff, a Birmingham native and self-described “wood whisperer,” shares his journey from building theater sets in New York and working in film in Los Angeles to founding a nationally recognized furniture company rooted in sustainability. Lee brings the big-picture perspective, discussing strategy, community, and how Birmingham’s creative ecosystem—especially Make Birmingham—helped shape Alabama Sawyer’s path.Together, they explore craftsmanship, conservation, and what it means to design with intention—honoring the full life of a tree and creating work meant to last generations.In this episode, you’ll hear about:What urban timber really means and why it mattersHow fallen Alabama trees are saved from landfills and transformed into furniture, flooring, and artThe full tree-to-table process: log, kiln, and finished pieceAlabama Sawyer’s most popular designs, including the Winston TableWhy so-called “junk trees” like hackberry and sweet gum deserve a second lookLimited-run guitars crafted from salvaged Alabama ashFeatured in Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Food & Wine, and Architectural Digest, Alabama Sawyer blends organic modern design with deep Southern roots—proving sustainability and beauty can go hand in hand.Whether you’re into design, woodworking, architecture, conservation, or Southern stories, this episode is for you.Learn more & follow:Alabama Sawyer: https://alasaw.comGarden & Gun feature: https://gardenandgun.com/articles/alabama-sawyer/Instagram: @soulgrown_alabamaHost: @christiana.russellInterested in sponsoring or supporting Afield?📧 [email protected] or DM @soulgrown_alabama on Instagram