Wood furniture formed by artisans bending wood and nature inspired homes are a match made in heaven.
As many of you know I believe that bringing nature into our homes is a great way to add serenity and calm and offer a refuge from the increasingly frenetic pace of our day. It feeds our need for that connection to our natural surroundings that is increasingly missing in our lives.
What could be more natural than furniture formed from nature’s most resilient symbol, the tree? It sways with the wind, ever so gently, yet retains strength and resilience when faced with the force of a hurricane that is awe inspiring.
The Artisans featured in this post have found a way to create rustic yet refined furniture. The work is organic but it is also sophisticated. They each possess a unique talent for manipulating these natural forms which remains lyrical in every way while creating beautiful and functional art.
I have gathered some of my favorite finds to feature in this article. Some are traditional wood benders working with steam to mold their wood in curves just as ancient shipbuilders did. Others find their muse in the castaways from harvested forests such as roots, branches, and stumps. Some even have taken the time to shape their forms while still in live growth with the patience and care of a parent tending their child. I hope this will inspire you to think outside the box when you are ready to purchase furniture for you own space. It is an opportunity to own something formed from nature that will speak to you for many years to come.
Laura Spector
First up is a designer and artist I have followed for many years, Laura Spector, owner of Laura Spector Designs. One of my favorites, she works with oriental bittersweet found near her home in Connecticut. Her furniture is made almost entirely by hand and each piece preserves a flowing, organic movement that you just have to see to appreciate. Judging by what I see, others agree. For example, she has done work for celebrities such as Sting. The Press page has a thumbnail labeled “Interview” with a photo of Sting lounging on one of her custom bench pieces. When opened this is what you see: “Enough Said”. Just Perfect. Her work has been featured in many publications over the years including House and Garden, Garden Design, Interior Design, and many more. It is timeless and enduring. I do not receive any compensation or have any affiliation with her work but great work needs to be recognized. Hers certainly is that.
Justin Roberts
Justin Roberts, lives in Kentucky and works with willow in the traditional way. Kentucky Educational Television features a film about Justin Roberts and his process. It tells a bit of his story. He started making Easter Baskets and it led to work with a master craftsman, George Beard, who taught him the craft. My favorite line…
Roberts promises the furniture will be comfortable. “Rustic, yet you could sit in it with a satin shirt and it wouldn’t snag,
So much of craft work is passed from master to apprentice and as this method of teaching becomes less and less common all of these beautiful crafts are in danger of being lost forever. That is one reason this story really resonated with me. I try to support those artisans that are working to preserve these crafts. I applaud them for keeping the craft alive for future generations. More about Justin and his work can be found on his website The Stick Bender and also on his facebook page Walk the Willow. While you are there check out the tub skirts wrapped in willow! Fantastic.
Matthias Pliessnig
Matthias Pliessnig is a Brooklyn based artist with a more contemporary style. His work can be seen in large massive installations but he also has smaller pieces such as the bench below. He uses traditional methods of steam bending as part of his creative process. There is a fascinating glimpse into the nature of his work process with hand drawn images in the Process tab on his website. You can read more about this process and see the hand drawn work here. Click below to travel to the home page of his website for more. You won’t be disappointed.
Below is a photo of a bench I took a few years ago at the Keflavik Airport in Iceland where I had a stopover between the U.S. and Europe. It is constructed in a very different way but I think it shows how furniture can give us a connection to nature in any space, large or small. I loved the way the tones in the wood warmed up the space and organic curved design of the bench paired with the contemporary surroundings. Biophilic Design in furniture, design that connects us to nature, has been gaining momentum in commercial spaces for some time. This is a great example.
Jeffro Uitto -Knock On Wood
Jeffro Uitto is another noteworthy artist whose work has been featured in many publications. If you are not familiar with his work he is based on the Washington Coast and finds inspiration in the found roots, slabs, and sticks rescued from the nearby shores, banks, and valleys near Tokeland according to his about page on the Knock on Wood website. The chair above is featured on his website along with many other furniture and sculptural works by the artist. I think it is the perfect example of rustic yet refined furniture that is organic and one of a kind. He offers ready made pieces but also commissions and custom orders. Click the photo to go to the website for more.
Teak 22
This company works with the pieces left behind after the teak forests have been harvested in Indonesia.
They have a beautiful story and their work is not only Biophilic but sustainable in every way. They take all of the unwanted parts, including “roots, stumps, limbs, branches, root balls, and burls.” and in their words….
“The very features that make it unusable for other furniture, are what create these “wooden diamonds.”
The website has just a sampling of what is available and it changes rapidly. Teak is such a great wood for both interior and exterior applications. If you are looking for something totally unique and one of a kind this might be the place to find it.
Etsy
Etsy is also a great place to go to find unique artisan furniture. Below are some of the outstanding pieces that I sourced for this article utilizing teak and driftwood roots and branches.
Full Grown: Alice and Gavin Munro
Full Grown is a company based in London that takes tree bending to a new level. They actually grow lamps and chairs into beautiful organic shapes. While they are functional they also are excellent as sculptural pieces of art. Because it takes so long for each piece to come to fruition only a few will ever own them. Still, I think it is important to acknowledge exciting work that is being done to push the envelope of what is possible. This topic surely does that. Below is a sketch showing the anatomy of the grown chair. Here is the address: https://fullgrown.co.uk/ to learn more…
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