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You love rustic
furniture and are finally going to purchase some for your own home, but
before you grab your checkbook, there are a few rules of thumb you
should follow to ensure you make choices.
To start with, you have to consider the overall theme of your home. Is
your home overwhelmingly rustic, or is it a more traditional style? In
addition, you have to consider if you are only seeking to add a few
rustic touches to your home or completely use rustic furniture
throughout your home. Once you’ve decided how much or how little rustic
furniture, you want your next step is to measure the area.
To have furniture crafted of large logs you should have spacious
ceilings and large rooms. If your log home is built with huge logs and
has a massive fireplace, then you need to use furniture that will become
lost, therefore choose rustic furniture that is crafted from large logs.
Using a few large pieces of furniture will look better than filling a
room with several small pieces. When you use larger furniture, it makes
a room seem full without being cluttered. If your have a high cathedral
ceiling in your bedroom, then a log canopy bed can help give the room
dimension.
Another factor you have to consider is the type of wood that is used.
There are several types of wood used in producing rustic furniture.
However, steam-bent hickory, northern white cedar, and red cedar are the
two most widely used woods.
Hickory is an extremely durable and flexible wood. When hickory poles
are hated with steam they can easily be bent to formed various unique
pieces of furniture. The steamed poles are shaped, placed into a jig
then left to dry. Once the poles dry, they will retain their shape. You
can find steam-bent hickory made into dining room tables, chairs, coffee
tables, and rockers.
Northern white cedar is grown in northern Michigan and Canada. Because
it grows in such a harsh climate it can withstands the abuse of the
elements. When freshly milled, northern white cedar has beautiful light
tan color to it, which turns silvery-gray with age. However, it can be
treated with a quality finish, which will help preserve its color.
Red Cedar is also know as Aromatic Cedar, but is actually not a member
of the cedar family, but belongs to the juniper family. Red cedar is a
heavy wood that is naturally insect and rot resistant. This is why so
many chests are crafted from red cedar to protect clothes from moths.
Tight knots characteristic of red cedar that add to its beauty. These
knots can appear purple at times, but most often are a brownish red,
which can become browner with time.
When you purchase you furniture, you will notice some cracks. These can
be of various sizes and occur naturally in the drying process. These
cracks add to the rustic look and do not diminish from the function of
the furniture.
When purchasing rustic log furniture it is important to realize is that
not all log furniture is created equal. The quality of the materials and
craftsmanship used can vary greatly between manufactures and this is
usually seen in the price. You can find some bargains it is true,
however in log furniture you generally get what you pay for. Therefore,
you want only all-wood or solid-wood furniture. Solid wood furniture is
more durable, and also endures seasonal moisture changes. When shopping
for rustic furniture, look for well-fitted, carefully crafted
construction such as dovetailed drawers. When looking for finished
furniture you want a long-lasting, tough, and evenly applied coating.
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