Growing chairs from living trees: a 20-year Derbyshire design project
A Derbyshire couple have spent 20 years bending trees into chairs and other furniture, growing them upside down on formed molds, pruning and grafting to create a single solid piece. Each piece can take up to 10 years to shape plus a year of drying; the collection includes stools, benches, and even a chandelier, with several pieces displayed in museums and used in fashion and art contexts. They plan to launch the Full Grown Academy to teach their method, and a bronze chair cast will feature at the Chelsea Flower Show.