An Evolution of Rustic Log Furniture

Custom rustic log furniture is the original style of custom wood furniture by custom furniture maker Kelly Maxwell. He also teaches how to build a log bed.

Custom rustic log furniture

Hi, everyone! I’m Cathy…. Kelly’s wife.  ‘Incredibly busy’ is an understatement for Kelly these days, so I thought that I would take over management of the Littlebranch blog with a goal of posting at least once a week.  Rustic furniture has evolved over the past ten years. At Littlebranch Farm, we take pride in our commitment to not only staying on top of rustic furniture interest-trends but also to being trendsetters for innovative and creative rustic original pieces.

Custom wood furniture

In 2001, log furniture, mainly rustic log beds, was very popular. We would take four or five log beds to various shows, and we would sell out.  Rustic cedar log beds, from simple to wild, were favorites. Interest in log-based, stump pedestal vanities exploded as customers wanted a beautiful ‘attention-getter’ for the home. Other log-based items, including rustic dining tables, rustic accent tables, and twisted juniper lamps were also top-sellers.

Over time, interest in log furniture as the focus opened the door to more innovative designs, including free-form live edge wood, burl wood slabs, root bases, contemporary metal design, and custom rustic furniture.

Burl wood furniture

The use of free-form live-edge in black walnut slabs, maple burls, redwood burl, curly redwood, and quilted maple burl has attracted buyers. The beauty of these pieces lies in the free-form edge itself, as well as the gorgeous grains of the wood species. A single accent piece can truly be the focal point in any room, bringing warmth to any setting.

Burl wood slabs are leading items these days for an array of furniture, including rustic desks, dining room tables, coffee tables, accent tables, and natural wood countertops. Our customers are often awe-struck when they see a wood slab for the first time and realize the charm that it brings to the home. We’ve also seen greater interest in the incorporation of the live edge slab into the work/office setting. A desk or conference table built from live edge redwood or black walnut creates an atmosphere that anyone enjoys.

Natural wood furniture

Root bases can even ‘stand alone’ as a focal point or as a base for that unique piece of art that one wants to showcase. Our root bases come primarily from western cedar and redwood. The character of the wood displays grain patterns that are simply gorgeous and the growth patterns bring intricacies that only nature can display.

About a year ago, we began incorporating contemporary metal design into our custom wood furniture. From a 12-foot solid slab black walnut wine-tasting table to metal base bar stools, we’ve seen a clear interest in a sleeker and more modern look while retaining the beauty and warmth of natural wood.  A recent job was for an office desk with a marbled black walnut live edge top for a college professor.

Natural wood rustic log furniture

When it comes to cabinetry in a rustic home, customers realize that they do not have to settle for traditional designs. Custom rustic cabinetry can incorporate live-edge wood doors, mesh-panels, hand-forged hardware, live-edge countertops, and blending of two or more wood species. Favorite woods include recovered barn wood, knotty hickory, knotty alder, cedar, old-growth redwood, black walnut, cherry, and maple.

Rustic wood furniture

So… to wrap up…. rustic furniture truly has evolved over the past ten years. We look forward to the future as we stay on the cutting-edge of rustic furniture design. More so, we look forward to continuing to build custom, one-of-a-kind items that bring joy and satisfaction to our customers!