Edmonds entrepreneur sells sustainable furniture, planters

  • By Andrea Brown Herald Writer
  • Wednesday, February 13, 2013 10:57pm
  • Life

This planter is no clay pot.

It lights up, stores water and is indestructible — unless you’re hellbent on destroying it.

The plastic pots, made of recycled milk jugs, are among the many items that will be featured at the Northwest Flower &Garden Show in Seattle. Designed by Edmonds entrepreneur Hanz Lammersdorf, the planters cost $90 to $900 and come in 10 colors, from Seattle Gray to Citrus Yellow.

Some are big enough to bathe in, even if you’re not a plant.

Inside is a reservoir and a removable wick made of felt. A dipstick measures the water level.

“The plant drinks what it wants when it wants. Through Mother Nature capillary action it pulls up the water as it needs it,” Lammersdorf said. “You never have to worry about your plant.”

His company, KuL Designs, also makes products to use as tables, bars and stools that, like the planters, can be illuminated by solar, standard bulb or LED lighting.

It’s like big Fisher Price playthings for adults.

The market ranges from patios to party houses. “We shipped some to Italy for cruise ships,” he said. “Some celebrities have bought them. A lot of hotels and restaurants.”

A Canadian manufacturer molds the recycled plastic into shape. Lammersdorf and three workers assemble and ship the products from a small workshop compound on a residential street off Highway 99. It housed a cabinet workshop before he bought it in 2000.

Lammersdorf, 57, started making planters in 2008 after returning to Washington from four years in Ukraine, where he got married and remodeled several bland Soviet apartment blocks.

He isn’t the type of guy to be pinned down to one product.

He made cedar waterbeds in the late 1970s; plastic mannequin torso forms in the ’80s; and caffeine-infused “Turbo Truffles” in the ’90s.

He still sells the torso forms, but not as many.

“The competition from China has been brutal,” he said.

He also keeps a finger in the truffle business.

His first batch of planters were a flop.

“I started with concrete. They were too heavy to move around and weren’t water-saving,” he said. “I never sold one of them.”

Recycled plastic was the perfect fit for his goal of modern, functional and sustainable pots.

The planters are easy to move around when drained.

“They hold an average of 11 gallons of water,” he said.

Outdoor models have an overflow valve.

Most of his sales are online.

“People will buy sight unseen on a website from a picture,” he said. “Don’t you find that strange? I’m a touchy-feely guy. I’d never buy a big planter online.”

You don’t have to go to the garden show to touch and feel one.

“Molbak’s will be carrying it soon,” he said. “After the show, they are going to give me a little section there.”

The planters have a lifetime guarantee.

“I sold 30 to the city of London, Ontario, for their downtown streets,” he said. “Somebody took a hockey stick to one in front of the hockey stadium and whacked it pretty good and cracked it. Other than that I haven’t had any problems.”

Andrea Brown; 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com.

Northwest Flower &Garden Show

The five-day show has been a rite of spring for garden enthusiasts since 1989. The 25th anniversary theme is “The Silver Screen Takes Root … Gardens Go Hollywood.”

The show has 23 display gardens, 300 vendors, free seminars and hands-on demonstrations. It covers landscaping, livable outdoor spaces and edible gardens.

Dates: Wednesday through Feb. 24.

Times: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Place: Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, Seattle

Cost: Adult tickets range from $10 for half-day pass to a $16 early-bird daylong special; $5 for ages 13 to 17; 12 and younger are free. A five-day pass is $65.

For more information: www.gardenshow.com and www.kuldesigns.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Everett P. Fog, 15, in front of an Everett mural along Colby Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Hello, Everett! No escape when your name is same as the town

Everett P. Fog, 15, sees and hears his first name wherever he goes. His middle name is also epic.

Jared Meads takes a breath after dunking in an ice bath in his back yard while his son Fallen, 5, reads off the water temperature on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Chill out: Dive into the cold plunge craze

Plungers say they get mental clarity and relief for ails in icy water in tubs, troughs and clubs.

Schack exhibit to highlight Camano Island watercolorists

“Four Decades of Friendship: John Ebner & John Ringen” will be on display Jan. 16 through Feb. 9.

XRT Trim Adds Rugged Features Designed For Light Off-Roading
Hyundai Introduces Smarter, More Capable Tucson Compact SUV For 2025

Innovative New Convenience And Safety Features Add Value

Sequoia photo provided by Toyota USA Newsroom
If Big Is Better, 2024 Toyota Sequoia Is Best

4WD Pro Hybrid With 3-Rows Elevates Full-Size

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser (Provided by Toyota).
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser revives its roots

After a 3-year hiatus, the go-anywhere SUV returns with a more adventurous vibe.

Enjoy the wilderness in the CX-50. Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda CX-50 Adds Hybrid Capability to Turbo Options

Line-Up Receives More Robust List Of Standard Equipment

Practical And Functional bZ4X basks in sunshine. Photo provided by Toyota Newsroom.
2024 bZ4X Puts Toyota Twist On All-Electric SUV’s

Modern Styling, Tech & All-Wheel Drive Highlight

Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus Hatch Delivers Value

Plus Functionality of AWD And G-Vectoring

2025 Mazda CX-90 Turbo SUV (Provided by Mazda)
2025 CX-90 Turbo models get Mazda’s most powerful engine

Mazda’s largest-ever SUV is equipped to handle the weight, with fuel efficiency kept in check.

Provided by Bridges Pets, Gifts, & Water Gardens.
Discover where to find the best pet supplies in town

Need the perfect store to spoil your furry friends? Herald readers have you covered.

VW Jetta SEL is a sedan that passes for a coupe. Photo provided by Volkswagen U.S. Media.
2025 VW Jetta Offers Greater Refinement, Technology And Value

A Perfect Choice For Small Families And Commuters

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.