You can have a super nice living space at your house, apartment, or patio/porch but if the furniture doesn’t match, you’ll never have that ‘wow factor’. It’s safe to say that most of the furniture available today is junk since it’s mostly made of particle board. It may look nice but don’t expect it to last you years, especially if you have young kids in the home. Real wood furniture on the other hand is quite nice but also quite pricey and of course we can’t forget the weight. And then there is the furniture that is truly made of real wood.
Uk-based company, Full Grown, has been working hard for the past nine years to create truly unique furniture that is nurtured and shaped into a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture that can last for decades. Owner, Gavin Munro, uses ancient techniques mixed with modern technology to have his living trees grow to “become” chairs, tables, sculptures, and whatever else you can think of.
About Full Grown
Over a period of three to eight years, depending on the piece of furniture, Munro coaxes trees over and around various plastic forms. With this method, the plant weaves and interlaces each branch to become a solid unit. The tendrils slowly become entwined legs, stiles, rails, and stretchers which result in a completely-formed chair, table, artwork, and etc. You won’t find any nails, metal fittings, and glue here.
Once the shape of the plant is achieved and the desired thickness is reached, the furniture is then harvested in the winter, then allowed to season and dry for several months. Certain surfaces of the plant/furniture are then planed to reveal the wood grain to make an already beautiful piece even more amazing.
Willow, Ash, Hazel, Sycamore, Sessile Oak, Crab Apple, and Red Oak are used to make these pieces of furniture. Although a long process, this is about as green as you can get when it comes to making furniture and minimizing the use of energy.
If you want a piece of furniture from Full Grown, you’ll have to wait until at least mid-2017. Maybe the furniture is still growing? Each unit will be marked with a Certificate of Provenance. No word yet on pricing but if it takes three to eight years to grow, you already know it’s going to be a hefty price tag. For more details, check out Full Grown.
