Rustic furniture

Adirondack chair

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 a 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 (Warwick, New York) ^[1] is a well-known furniture maker who has authored several books on the subject. Ralph Kyloe ^[2] has written books on rustic furniture and related topics.

History

Rustic furniture was originally made from whatever natural materials were in greatest supply, and often by poor people as items of trade for food or cash.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.^[3] 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.^[4] Typical items of rustic furniture include chairs, love seats, tables, desks, smoking stands (often with a cabin on top), clocks, chest of drawers, rockers, coat racks, mirror frames and lamps.

Contemporary rustic furniture

Present-day manufacturers of rustic furniture may also craft architectural details such as bridges, porches, banisters, stairs, chandeliers and complete works of rustic architecture.

See also

• Adirondack chair

References

1. ↑ http://www.danielmack.com
2. ↑ http://www.ralphkylloe.com
3. ↑ http://www.logcabinrustics.com
4. ↑ http://www.adkmuseum.org