A sprinkling of sawdust
Marina Bulan, founder of Cedarella, creates eye-catching wood products like jewelry, kitchen decor, and children's toys. Recently, she introduced metre-high outdoor planters that can also serve as home street-number indicators. After immigrating to Winnipeg a decade ago from Russia, Bulan and her partner researched their new home by watching the surrealist film My Winnipeg.
The film's whimsical depiction of Winnipeg, including unfounded claims about it being the sleepwalking capital of the world, amused the couple. They eventually moved to Winnipeg in 2016 due to Russia's war in Ukraine and the government's stance on LGBTQ+ rights. Bulan worked as a graphic designer before attending a cabinetry course at Red River College Polytechnic.
She chose the name Cedarella, a combination of cedar and "Cedarola," after learning about the wood species in her design course. The company launched at a Christmas craft show and later incorporated a CNC machine for customized wood pieces. Cedarella has donated to Ukrainian relief efforts and offered accommodations to refugees in their North Kildonan home.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
