Rustic Twig Furniture

You’ve built your sustainable home with low cost, natural materials. Now you want to look at furniture options that match your new home. Rustic twig furniture can be built practically for free if you make it yourself, and is quite attractive.

“Rustic furniture is furniture employing sticks, twigs or logs for a natural look. Many companies, artists and craftspeople make rustic furniture in a variety of styles and with a variety of historical and contemporary influences. There are two basic types of rustic-furniture construction: bentwood (sticks are harvested fresh or steamed to make them supple, then bent into a variety of structures and decorative shapes) and twig work (sticks – straight, curved or forked – are assembled into structures and decorative shapes within a structure). Sometimes both types are used in the same piece. Some rustic furniture makers use mortice and tenon construction; others simply nail or screw members together. Dan Mack is a well-known furniture maker who has authored several books on the subject. Ralph Kyloe has written books on rustic furniture and related topics.

Rustic furniture was originally made from whatever natural materials were in greatest supply, and often by poor people as items of trade for food or cash. It is associated with the Great Depression and other hard times in America; however, it is also associated with the Great Camps built by wealthy Americans in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Various rustic styles reflect the personality of their maker, with techniques such as chip carving, silver or gold brushwork, milk paint, peeled bark and other decorative enhancements. The basic wood used for rustic furniture was usually willow, although many other hard- and softwoods were also used. In the American South, palm fronds were occasionally employed. Historical examples of rustic furniture may be found in museums and antique shops, although fine historical pieces are rare outside a museum setting. One showcase for this style of furniture is the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Typical items of rustic furniture include chairs, love seats, tables, desks, clocks, chest of drawers, rockers, coat racks, mirror frames and lamps.”

Source: Wiki
Image source: Natural Tree Furniture.com
Image source: Log Cabin Rustics
Image source: Twig Furniture
Image source: Custom Rustic Furniture.com