Borano makes mahogany doors and then some
Recently, I've become acquainted with a company with an intriguing business model and some of the most beautiful, handmade, mahogany doors, windows, floors and moldings I've ever seen. The company is called Borano and here's some of their handiwork.
These aren't just any mahogany building products, there's a story behind them that's worth telling. Borano is is a company with a sales and fulfillment presence online and it's through their website that they can sell their exquisite products at the price points they do. Custom doors start at $3000, windows start at $2250, floors start at $7 a square foot and moldings start at $7 a linear foot. Those prices are spectacular for the level of craftsmanship at work here.
Since 2002, a team of carpenters and woodworkers in San Pedro Sula, Honduras has been making these custom pieces by hand from native Honduran mahogany. The mahogany used in Borano products is sustainably harvested and certified as such by the Forest Stewardship Council . For every tree harvested for a Borano door, window, molding or floor another mahogany tree is planted and tended in its place.
Someone who's interested in a Borano door starts on the Borano website . It's on the website that Borano explains their process and the business of custom door production begins. Though the process starts on their website, follow ups from a Borano staffer follow almost immediately. Once designs are finalized and the order's complete, the project then moves to Honduras for production. The order ships directly from the factory to the jobsite once its complete.
The doors particularly need to be seen to be believed. They are made from solid, 2-1/4" thick mahogany and the jambs are 1-3/4" thick. That's a solid construction that's downright rare anymore. The hinges required to support that kind of weight are a work of art in and of themselves. Each hinge is a 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" solid brass piece of functional art. I've held one and they are a marvel.
Borano will be at the International Builders Show in Orlando next week. They're at booth number W5691. If you're heading to Orlando and IBS, be sure to stop by Borano's booth and see their mahogany products in person. People who claim that craftsmanship is dead have never met Borano .
