What to Expect When Buying Live Edge Furniture
What exactly is live edge furniture? What can you expect when having a piece made for you?
I’m glad you asked!
Let’s get straight to it.
What is Live Edge Furniture?
Live edge furniture is furniture that features at least one edge that is not cut square, rather it is left with a “live” edge. This becomes the main aesthetic and feature of the piece as the sapwood edge is exposed. The style is common for tables of all sorts.
The style was first made popular by architect George Nakashima in the 1940s. He developed the aesthetic by incorporating nature’s imperfections. He used pieces of that other craftsman would normally throw away.
They have grown in popularity ever since due to their “wow factor”.
What to Expect
Asymmetry and Uniqueness
Live edge furniture is created from slabs of wood that look like a slice of a tree- long-wise. Because sides are left natural with whatever shape is present, this leads to asymmetry in the piece. There are no two pieces we make at Origin Woodworks that are the same due to this asymmetry. Every piece is one-of-a-kind.
Quality and Durability
When building live edge furniture, the wood joinery (if any is needed at all) is simple and this means durability. A typical live edge table is 1.5” to 2” thick, further adding to longevity of the piece. We build high-quality pieces with attention to details to ensure your piece lasts several generations.
Minor Imperfections
If there’s one thing we love about building live edge furniture it’s that each piece has it’s own character and imperfections. Knots, divots, and small cracks become interesting features when filled in and stabilized with epoxy. When wood slabs get surfaced and planed, you never know what the next layer of wood grain will reveal!
Years of Enjoyment
Whatever we build, we build it to become an heirloom piece for you and your loved ones to enjoy for years to come. We enjoy the fact that our pieces bring people together. Whether it’s sharing a meal at the table or serving your guests on wine and cheese night memories are sure to be made.
John