If you are looking for rustic furniture or decor that provides an old-timey cabin theme to your interior space, live edge wood slabs and cookies are the way to go! The free form of live edge wood slabs is what makes them unique and exceptional. With the raw beauty of live edge woods, your pieces will stand out and bring life to any space.
What Are Live Edge Wood Slabs and Cookies?
Live edge wood slabs are exactly what they sound like. Instead of cutting the edges into straight boards, you get lumber that has not been cut, sanded, or processed to uniform sizes and shapes. When you see a "live edge" table, for instance, you will see the natural curve of the tree that the board was cut from. Many live edge pieces available in our lumber yard are top-of-the-line, which makes them perfect pieces to make furniture stand out!
On the other hand, cookies, or tops, are smaller pieces of live edge wood cut horizontally. The colloquial form for "cookies" comes from its circular shape. At least, that is how these pieces appear. Cookies are exceptional because they can show off the history of the trees they come from, especially when the rings are prominently visible, making them fabulous conversational pieces as well as functional furniture.
Popular Wood Species Used in Live Edge Wood Slab Furniture
Our lumber yard has a wide selection of species of live edge wood slabs. The most popular wood types are:
Oak: Both red and white oak are popular choices because of their affordability and availability. Vertical cuts produce relatively straight grains with jagged edges.
Cherry: Cherry is preferred by woodworkers who look for paler woods. With their pinkish-tan to deep brown color, they have a complexion that fits many room types. Cherry is known for its durability and tight grain patterns.
Walnut: Though walnut is challenging to work with, it is an excellent live-edge wood material because of its durability and rich color.
Hickory: A durable wood, hickory makes excellent structural pieces for live edge furniture. Newer hickory live edge pieces have a pale yellow appearance that turns darker with age.
Mahogany: This exotic wood is also trendy and sought-after. Its rich brown color, durability, rot resistance, and insect resistance make this an excellent live edge wood material for outdoor furniture.
Padauk: This beautiful and rare species has straight grains with a distinct border between the sapwood and its darker heartwood. This exotic species is very durable and highly coveted.
Awesome Projects You Can Create With Live Edge Wood Slabs
Whether you are a seasoned woodworker or just starting out, when you are seeking a perfect board for a piece of furniture, there is always something in a particular piece that catches your eye. Compared to processed boards, each live edge wood slab and cookie has a unique appearance. Its natural shape adds a genuinely artistic touch to any furniture or decor. Moreover, its shape can be the inspiration for exactly what you choose to create with a piece.
Though woodworkers need several steps to process live edge wood slabs and cookies before turning them into fine furniture and decor pieces, the effort is worth it. Woodworkers will still need to sand or stain these pieces to transform them into exceptional home decor and furniture, with each piece having a unique and incredible character and history.
Live Edge Coffee Tables
A live edge coffee table can transform any outdoor or indoor space with the wow factor desired. Boards measuring 3 feet to 6 feet present woodworkers opportunities to make tables. Metal accents or narrow wooden sections can transform these wood slices into fabulous pieces. Using appropriate varnish and staining can enhance their appearance.
Live Edge Cookie Chairs
Bring a distinct character to a room by pairing live edge cookie chairs with live edge tables or matching them with current furniture. For cookies with dimensions of one foot, adding hardwood legs can turn these into excellent backless chairs. Live edge lumber pieces are also available in smaller sizes.
Live Edge Wood Tables
Larger wood slabs are popular and exceptional materials for making tables. With just a little sanding and staining, its natural edges instantly lend a unique character to a dining room. Choices for legs may vary. Whether choosing metal or sturdy hickory sections as legs, the room's highlight will always be the distinct beauty of the live edge table.
Wall Decor
The natural beauty of wood can transform a room, especially when displayed over the right background. Bring a natural feel to a room by punctuating walls with live edge branches or boards. Displaying them free-standing or placing them on walls using wall mounts are possible options.
Live Edge Table Legs
Though live edge table tops are a popular way of using live edge wood pieces, live edge branches and stumps also make excellent furniture segments. One way to use live edge branches and stumps is by using them as legs for tables. By stripping the bark and doing some sanding, you can turn tables into something more unique and natural.
Live Edge Servers and Cutting Boards
The round shape of smaller-dimension cookies can make excellent servers. Whether from softwoods or hardwoods, these can be transformed into unique trays and conversation pieces. You may choose to leave on the bark to ensure the wood retains its character.Hardwood cookies may also serve as fantastic cutting boards. Preparing food-grade cutting boards will require more work to ensure your project is properly smoothened, water-proofed, and oiled with the appropriate products.
Live Edge Benches
Another widespread use of live edge wood is making benches. Whether cutting them straight or carving spaces to make comfortable seats, live edge wood benches can lend a distinct character to a room. Boards measuring one-and-a-half feet by three to four feet make excellent benches.
For Live Edge Wood Pieces, Visit Our Los Angeles Lumber Yard
A section of our Los Angeles lumber yard is dedicated to displaying our inventory of live edge wood and cookies. Many of our visitors are excited to see pieces of live edge wood in person and allow the pieces themselves to inspire their next project. The shape and unique character of live edge woods instantly usher a natural feel into any interior space. Our live edge woods and cookies come from a vast range of hardwoods and softwoods sourced from domestic and international sources. That means our lumber yard allows woodworkers or enthusiasts the versatility to choose the right pieces of any color of live edge wood they want. We also offer delivery and sanding services for live edge lumber pieces. For the price and availability of live edge wood in our lumber yard in Los Angeles, call (323) 263-9361.