There’s a trend growing in interior design: Live Edge Furniture. You’ve probably heard of it before or even seen a few pieces on your favorite design show. With its popularity increasing, you may be asking yourself: What exactly is live-edge furniture? Well, look no further; this blog has the information you need.
What is Live Edge Furniture?
In the most basic terms, “live edge” refers to furniture that retains the natural curvature of the tree from which it was sourced; it is built from lumber that has not been fully milled, particularly along its edges, allowing the wood’s unique organic shape to remain intact. Manufacturers will typically remove the bark, given that it will dry out and fall away anyway. Additionally, the live edges are lightly sanded to create a smooth finish and prevent potential snagging.
Since their introduction to the design scene, live-edge tabletops have almost always been considered “rustic,” given their more natural finish, which highlights the grain and texture of the wood; as a result, live-edge tops have often been paired with stump bases. However, in recent years, many unique metal base styles have been blended with the live edge to create more contemporary interpretations and offer a variety of options to suit any style.
The species of wood used for live-edge furniture can vary, but in our store, we mostly feature Black Walnut, Wormy Maple, and Hard Maple. You will also occasionally find White Oak, Red Oak, and Cherry available.
How Is Live Edge Made?
There are three methods of producing live-edge furniture. The first method uses a solid wood slab from the tree. In this process, the tree is cut longitudinally, with cuts closest to the center yielding broader slabs and those farther from the center yielding increasingly narrow slabs. The tree itself will determine the width and shape of the slab. The thickness of the slab can vary with the preference of the sawyer, but typical final slab thicknesses will run anywhere from 1″ thick to 2″ thick, with many coming in at about 1-⅝” thick.
Occasionally, during the drying process, solid slabs will split. When this occurs, “bow ties” of wood or metal may be inlaid flush over the splits to stabilize them and create aesthetic interest, incorporating the splits into the table’s natural look. Alternatively, a resin or fill can be used in the void to add interest. Additionally, very unique slabs can sometimes be produced by incorporating the “crotch” of the tree — the place where large branches separate from the main trunk, as seen in the image above.
The slab versions of live-edge furniture are usually the most expensive because they require sourcing a specimen tree or slab, but they are often the most interesting and unique because they allow the full variation inherent in the tree to be expressed.
The second method for producing live edge table tops is involves “book matching.” This means that two adjacent pieces of wood are cut from the tree and subsequently reversed or mirrored to each other, like the pages of a book.
The resulting piece has a beautiful mirrored grain match down the center of the table and is twice the width of the individual slabs used to create it while maintaining the natural characteristics on both outside edges.
The book-matched versions of live-edge furniture are usually slightly less expensive than the full-slab versions because you can be more efficient with a smaller tree, while still providing lots of interesting, natural variations.
The third and final method requires “planking” or “gluing up.” This is the same process that has been used for years to make most table tops. Essentially, in this procedure, planks of wood are joined to form a single solid piece. When using this method for live edge, the two outer planks simply have their natural edge left intact to create the live edge effect.
The benefit of this method is that it allows for a more standardized size. Table tops can be held to a tolerance of 1 to 2 inches within the desired width. Meaning that if you want a table that is 42 inches wide, with the planking method, the table will generally be no narrower than 40 inches or wider than 44 inches at any point.
Planked or glued-up versions of live-edge furniture can be engineered to achieve more uniform dimensions and shapes. As such, they may have less variation than their full-slab or bookmatch counterparts but can still produce striking, beautiful furniture.
Every piece of live-edge furniture is different; you’ll never find two pieces that are exactly alike. However it is made, live-edge furniture is a one-of-a-kind heirloom and a bold statement for your living room, dining room, bedroom, or wherever you choose to place your piece. If you have questions or would like to learn more about the live-edge furniture offered by Steiner’s Amish Furniture, we invite you to call, click, or visit our Tempe & Sun City showrooms! Our team is here to help and would be happy to discuss our range of live-edge products with you.