What is Live Edge – we often receive questions about this key feature of our Teak and Suar wood slabs. Used interchangeably with Natural Edge, it’s a theme in rustic and organic interior design relating to wood furniture.
In Live Edge, the original characteristics of the tree bark – the curves, bumps, and grooves at the edges of the wood slab – are left on the finished furniture. That’s how it got its name, as the woodcrafter attempts to incorporate the slab’s “living edge”, retaining the natural beauty of the tree and forest.
Hearing the definition of Live Edge without actually seeing an example, it may actually sound like a turn-off. Tree bark sure sounds rough. Do people get splinters and bruises bumping into these things? Also, wouldn’t an assymmetrical and uneven desk look ugly? Well, nothing can be further than the truth.
Image: Suar Standing Desk
The natural grooves in Live Edge furniture looks more subtle than it sounds, and a finished product is smooth to the touch. While beauty is a subjective matter, we’re also a decade-old interior design firm, and we can say with confidence that Live Edge design features look much better – more refined, sophisticated – than ordinary furniture.
Live Edge is harder to produce than the usual straight edge in furniture. It’s much easier for a woodcrafter to cut the edges off uniformly to produce desired shapes. You also need larger slabs to incorporate the “live” edges of the tree. On the other hand, it’s much easier and cheaper to slap smaller pieces of wood together in furniture design. That’s why Live Edge wood furniture typically comes at a premium.
How these curves and grooves look really depends on the specific slab you choose. You can see in our examples, some slabs have 1-2 large curves, and others have many but smaller grooves at the edge. And that’s why picking your wood slab is an important part of the purchase journey. You’re not just buying furniture, you’re trying to select a slab, the only slab of its kind in the entire world with one-of-a-kind patterns and grooves.
Some customers do prefer to cut the Live Edges off their Teak and Suar slabs, and that’s alright as great design is truly a personal preference. But if you’re thinking of trading your Live Edges for a more uniform look, just consider that it’ll affect the overall value of the furniture. It’s not something you might need to worry about right now, but quality solid wood like Teak and Suar are well-known for lasting a long time – long enough to be passed down to future generations.
Whatever your wood slab preference is, we’re happy to help you through this journey. Reach out to view some wood samples to get an idea of what’s available, or ask us for a recommendation if you’re new to ‘wood shopping’ 🙂
