If a tree falls in the woods... it turns into art

We’ve all seen driftwood and decaying wood including moss, mold, mushrooms, mildew and the bugs creep in. Fungus, however has a way of being sneeky, it can work on the inside of the tree often carried inside by water and insects. The fungus can get into the log and start the process of decaying while a tree is still standing. It also occurs while a log sits for months wait to be processed by a sayer.

If a log is cut for slabs or lumber, and the wood is dried in a kiln, the decay process is halted. But the tell-tail signs of the fungus show up in the form of lines and patches. In some cases this material is discarded. For some projects, woodworkers will celebrates this form of decay and use the spalted wood dispite the decay.

Here are some examples…. The result is a true work of art and its often not what the woodworker had very much to do with.

Thoughts on a slab and what It can teach us.

“It is a stirring moment when out of an inert mass drawn from nature we set out to produce an object never before seen, an object to enhance the world; above all, a tree will live again.” George Nakashima - The Soul of a Tree

A mix of two pigments, each contributes to enhance the resin that makes the art more functional

Finding Joy in walnut

Furnishings and accents in a new home setting

Book matched slabs

Live edge, book matched slabs are highly valued. This type of high quality lumber is commonly used in public areas of high eye traffic where they will be properly appreciated. Such slab pairs are made into bars, benches, beds, bookshelves, dining tables, coffee tables, etc.

Live edge, book matched slabs are appreciated due to their aesthetic value, their symmetry, and the uniqueness. No, two pairs of book matched slabs are the same, giving this type of lumber a special, almost exclusive “nothing like it” appeal.

Before

During

After

Finding roots

The George Nakishima book, The Soul of a Tree, has influenced the mission of fallentreegoods. Design today is generally a bit different, however the spirit of finding what the tree has to offer is the same. The position of the log when slabs are cut and how the wood is processed determine the outcome.

The goal

Our goal is to design and build quality products from sustainable sources. Tables fashioned from slices of trees their cracks and seams bridged with joints like butterflies caught in resin. The work is integral, how we work and live is connected, organic, improvisational and individual. Products of special value may be handed down from one generation to the next

Seating for 16

End Grain

Steps to end grain cutting boards

Simple beginnings

In the beginning we learned to keep it simple, the basics, a garage and hand tools. Jewelry was first and then some basic servers. Then came decayed wood, spalted and wormy and wood from dumpsters and firewood piles. Re-use, refurbish and re-purpose were the buzzwords. Over time folks started asking for furniture.