Once you see a piece of live edge wood furniture, you understand what the buzz is all about. It might be a thick wood tabletop with an uneven edge and eye-popping grain, or a bold desk with an intriguing pattern of knots and other “imperfections”. Whatever its form and function, this furniture style has compelling visual impact. It’s also a growing trend on the vibrant edge of upscale interior design.
Crafted from a raw wood slab by a master woodworker, each live edge furniture piece is as unique as the artisan who made it and the tree it came from. It’s a design-forward, refined and sophisticated style that still manages to look like it was just sliced off a tree. The one-of-a-kind pieces are functional art that amplify any décor, from post-industrial lofts to cosy traditional homes.
The style was first introduced by Japanese-American architect George Nakashima in the 1940s and is inspired by a distinctive Japanese design tradition of simplicity, respect for nature and the elusive “wabi-sabi”, a kind of perfect imperfection. Revived by craftsmen in the 21st century, the live edge style is in sync with the spirit of our times. Most often made with salvaged or reclaimed wood, the pieces are in harmony with an increasing eco-consciousness, a desire to bring nature into our homes and a move away from disposable objects to designs with an enduring legacy.
The “live edge” refers to the cambian layer of the tree that lies just under the bark. When the tree is cut into slabs, this layer is preserved in its natural, uneven form and defines the unique shape of the finished piece. In conventional lumber processing, the wavy edges, knots, twists and divergent grains are removed and smoothed out to make a uniform piece of wood. Live edge craftsmen value these quirks and flaws as the tree’s natural “beauty marks” and work with them to give the finished designs distinctive signatures.
Because of this, crafting live edge furniture requires first-rate woodworking skills and then some. The wood is not uniform and working with it can be full of suprises - decisions have to be made on the fly. There’s also more physical labor involved in handling, prepping and finishing large raw slabs than conventional lumber. One craftsman painstakingly takes all the bark off the slabs one bit at a time with a hammer to preserve the pristine edge of the cambian layer.
Experienced live edgers insist that drying the wood properly before working it is critical to getting good results. Some air dry the wood for months, even years; others combine air and kiln-drying and others kiln dry only. Large, thick and uneven pieces of wood with knots and varying grains can warp, cup, crack and split if not dried and handled correctly.
Within the live edge style are many variations determined by available wood species and the artisan’s preferences. For example, Live Edge Design on Vancouver Island in British Columbia favors locally salvaged bigleaf maple slabs with dramatic forms and robust textures that define a vibrant West Coast style. Peter Bunnett in Ontario salvages damaged or diseased maple, oak, black cherry and other eastern species in his own forest and creates designs that optimize the shapes, colors and character of these trees. Taking the concept from down home to downtown, Urban Salvage in Toronto rescues trees cut by city arborists and turns them into contemporary designs with a distinct urban edge.
Some live edgers also sell raw slabs to other woodworkers or DIYers or let clients choose a slab to have custom made into a design of their choice. Whatever the result, creating live edge wood furniture is an interactive and dynamic process. And that makes it on point for the way we live today.
But in the end it’s the furniture itself, its esthetic appeal, natural warmth, functional artistry and spirited - even spiritual - quality that make it a design choice for today destined to be appreciated for generations.
Ricki Normandin - Ricki Normandin
Join the Conversation