KATE CUNNINGHAM

"Tree Stump Tables:Custom Furniture for High-end Interior Design"



Posted: Friday, December 26, 2008

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Tree stump tables are prized for many reasons, not the least of which is their individual uniqueness. Created as custom furniture for the high-end interior design market, no two pieces will ever be exactly alike. The owner of the tree stump table can take pride in the fact that their piece is one-of-a-kind in the world. This solid wood furniture, which takes a minimum of one to four years to air-cure and be produced, is hand-made in the USA. No tree is ever cut to make a table. Rather, they are sculpted from a variety of already-felled, American hardwood trees. Each finished stump table serves a two-fold purpose: it is a decorative, as well as functional piece of art furniture. A wood tree trunk table is designed to offer lasting beauty to the home for generations to come. It is a time-honored piece and depending on size, can be anywhere from 20 years to 200 years old.

The presence of a tree stump table in the interior environment provides direct contact with the organic beauty and healing power of nature. Throughout history, trees have offered a myriad of gifts: shelter, shade, moisture, fruits, flowers, medicine, oxygen, clean air, fertility, beauty and grandeur. The lore of trees is woven through time. Trees were held sacred by all recorded ancient civilizations, religions and mythologies. Trees symbolized the bridge between earth and sky, matter and spirit. The tree was seen as a channel of divine power and viewed as the very pinnacle of the plant kingdom, epitomizing the wisdom, strength, and majesty of nature. In ancient times, each tree was thought to possess a spirit or "dryad" and embodied a specific meaning: oak-power and strength; ashbalance and harmony; cedarwisdom; acaciarebirth; walnutprophecy. Within tree groves, the Celtic Druids performed sacred ceremonial rituals. Sacred groves were also widely used in Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia and Africa. The Buddha received enlightenment under the pipal tree, later called the Bodhi Tree. The Yggdrasil tree of Norse mythology, an ash tree, connected the underworld and heaven with its roots and boughs. Sacred forests of trees still exist today in India, Bali Indonesia and Japan.

The creation of tree tables as custom furniture involves many procedures over a lengthy period of time. The initial quest to locate the proper type of wood is an uncharted treasure hunt through a labyrinth of exciting surprises and frustrating dead ends. Once procured, the wood is air-cured for a minimum of one to four years or longer, depending on size and type of wood. Even when cured enough to be sculpted and released, it remains "alive" at cellular level for the duration of its existence. Naturally occurring "checks" (cracks) are part of the curing process, as the wood dries and shrinks over a long period of time, relative to the size of the stump, type of wood and its environment. These variations are an inherent and desirable accent feature of the design and in no way compromise the quality or structure of the piece. The tree stump tables are finished with low v.o.c. and eco-friendly stains, oils, waxes and topcoats.

As the tree has given us life, instead of being relegated to sawdust, decay or landfill, it is only fitting that it be resurrected so that it may live again as art. It is also a gesture on the part of the artist to remind us all of our important role as stewards of the planet. Please visit our website to view the variety of styles available. http://www.katecunninghamcompany.com

2007 Kate Cunningham

All Rights Reserved

Kate Cunningham has worked as a visual artist, singer, songwriter (ASCAP), teacher of meditation and yoga (CYT) and businesswoman for many years. She owns and operates Kate Cunningham Company, which designs and manufactures one-of-a-kind, art furniture for the high-end trade.  Her tree stump tables, geometric form wood tables, antique beam tables and metal clad tables are handmade in the USA from reclaimed materials.  Clients include architectural firms, design firms, corporations, collectors and exclusive, high-end retailers worldwide.  Visit the website: www.katecunninghamcompany.com 


 
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