Michigan Rustic Furniture

According to the dictionary, the term "rusticating" means �to live or go to live in the country; or to make something rustic or rural in style�. This expression became a popular in the mid to late eighteen hundreds. Rich city dwellers built elaborate country retreats and cabins and "rusticated" during the summer. Many of these "rustic homes" became America's castles.

Michigan rustic furniture had it beginnings was the American rustic furniture movement was born in the Adirondacks Mountains in upper New York State. The winter staff of these rustic manors frequently made furniture during the winter when the property owners were away in the city. The idea behind the rustic furniture movement was to create interesting pieces of furniture using natural materials such as twigs and logs. Many of these creations were often decorated with deer and moose antlers. Twigs (or willow) have been used to make furniture since people began making furniture. Many early twig furniture makers were migrants who traveled the country making willow furniture to sell to the local residents.

Today Michigan rustic furniture makers still follow the original tradition of using whatever natural materials are available to fashion spectacular unique furniture and accessory items. The vast majority of rustic furniture makers consist of small mom and pop businesses. Most of these manufactures got started selling their hand-made furniture items out of the back of their trucks or from their garages. With the wide spread access to the Internet almost universal, even the smallest, most remote furniture makers have a way to reach customers worldwide.

michigan rustic furniture is not like other styles of furniture such as traditional or contemporary. It rarely has ornate gilding. It can be made of almost any material found in the area. There are no predictable lines or patterns. Sometimes it can be difficult to decide exactly what the items function might be. A rustic saddle rack looks an awful lot like a vary fancy saw horse except that is has a pedestal instead of separate legs.

michigan rustic furniture frequently lacks the predictable lines or patterns we've come to expect in "conventional" furniture. A rustic chair might appear to have grown out of the floor with twisted legs and unparallel stretchers and back braces. Rustic furniture frequently recycles itself. Old barns are scavenged for wood, which is fashioned into tables, chests and anything the craftsman can envision.