Live Edge Elm Bench, with steel hairpin legs. The bench is finished with natural tint Danish Oil and water-based matte polyurethane, the legs in black acrylic spray paint.

After milling lumber from the fallen elm tree, I built a solar kiln in my backyard to dry this and other furniture grade wood I’d accumulated that needed seasoning. After a couple summers of drying, on this slab I peeled the bark away and rounded the ends to produce a look similar to the live edge. I filled in the knot on top with darkened epoxy and sanded all around to a 220 finish. After staining with Danish Oil, I sealed the deal with the polyurethane.

After I attached the hairpin legs and readied the bench for use, my wife asked: “Where am I going to put that?!”

Launch Gallery