Honoring the legacy of a family farm through handcrafted heirloom furniture. In early 2018, John and his father, Don, stopped by my studio at the Littlebranch Farm Gallery. In a spring storm, a large white oak had toppled under the storm. They were searching for a furniture maker to craft legacy handcrafted heirloom furniture as two conference tables from the tree.
Don, a fifth-generation farmer passionate about the land and family business, passed away in 2019. Before passing away, Don assigned the task of constructing the furniture to his sons, Sam and John. They both possess his energy and passion for the land and family.
Natural wood Heirloom furniture
In late 2022, Sam and John Halcomb met with Kelly Maxwell to discuss a project. Back in 2018, Kelly suggested having the tree milled into three-inch-thick wood slabs. These slabs were subsequently stacked and left to dry naturally. After following Kelly’s advice, they expressed their interest in building a legacy of handcrafted heirloom natural wood furniture. Recently, Kelly had the opportunity to visit Walnut Grove Farms in Adairville, Kentucky. He personally viewed their collection of air-dried live-edge wood slabs during the visit.
Designing and handcrafting natural wood furniture for clients is an absolute privilege, regardless of the project’s scope. As a self-taught furniture maker, Kelly takes pride in his craft and prioritizes using high-quality, air-dried wood. Crafting natural wood furniture is a time-consuming process akin to the art of producing top-notch whiskey.
Kelly has found that using air-dried wood in his projects produces the best results, even though he has previously used kiln-dried wood slabs. However, he has realized that this method requires much time and patience. It can take up to three to five years for most wood species, milled at three inches thick, to dry and stabilize naturally. Additionally, not all wood species are suitable for making legacy handcrafted heirloom furniture slabs, and some may have unique challenges. Crafting natural wood furniture is like making a cherished family whiskey – it’s a process that demands patience and attention to detail.
Handcrafted heirloom furniture
As a tribute to their father, Sam and John wanted this saying carved into one corner and their logo in the opposite.
The Halcombs wood slabs are a beautiful species of white oak. Kelly decided to book-match two slabs together, which perfectly fit the tabletop. He also built a custom table base with a shelf for eye appeal and functionality. Discovering the owl’s eyes in the woods was a pleasant surprise. They complement each other perfectly on both the bottom shelf and the tabletop. He added a natural premium hardwax finish to their legacy handcrafted heirloom furniture to protect the wood and keep it looking beautiful.
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