Earthy, textural, and rich — live-edge furniture has it all.  A technique that emerged after the Arts and Crafts era, it shows off the relatively unrefined beauty of wood, highlighting its burrs, grains and knots.  Sometimes it’s as understated as a shelf or bar with a bark-clad edge. Other times it’s as organic as a cross-cut slab made into a table or bench.

Here in our Portland salvage department we were lucky enough to happen upon some amazing slabs.

This piece of curly maple was in the truck of a picker who had come to sell us something else entirely.  Keen-eyed Justin spotted the mud encrusted wood that he was going to throw out!  With patience and diligence — he cleaned it and painstakingly applied many layers of Danish oil and spar varnish.  A couple of chunky industrial legs and it makes a unique cocktail table or bench for your entry way.

This redwood burl is a mid-century unused slab sourced locally.  We refinished the top to bring out all of its rich color and patterning and added those skinny retro legs to bring back that mid-century modern look.  We have it displayed in a vignette that’s a mix of traditional furniture and salvage pieces and it looks dynamite!

Consider capturing a little Mother Nature with the organic beauty of a live edge in your home!