Bark is beautiful!

Pickle Ridge specializes in rustic furniture with a long-lasting natural bark finish. We kiln-dry alder branches immediately after collection so that the cambium (growth) layer does not deteriorate--ensuring that the bark is permanently fused to the wood. The bark is sanded just enough to be smooth to the touch and easy to clean. Add a clear finish and the resulting rustic furniture will add a touch of natural beauty and elegance to any room.

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1.    Does the bark stay on?

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2.    Can I get your furniture without the bark?

3.    Is your furniture comfortable?

4.    Is your furniture sturdy?

5.    What kind of wood do you use?

6.    What kind of finish do you apply to the furniture?

7.    How is your furniture built or joined together?

8.    What holds the box spring and mattress up on your beds?

9.    Will you customize your existing furniture designs?

1.     Does the bark stay on?

The logs for our indoor furniture are kiln dried on a time schedule designed to keep the Cambium layer (which is just under the bark) from deteriorating. This keeps the bark adhered to the wood as the wood shrinks in the kiln. As long as the furniture stays dry the bark will stay on indefinitely with only the occasional chip of bark lost.

When exposed to the full weather with no finish, our outdoor furniture will lose it's bark in two to ten years. This causes no functional problem and the under-bark will grey nicely during the ensuing years.      Questions ^

2.    Can I get your furniture without the bark?

Yes, most of our furniture can be made without the bark. This is commonly referred to as "peeled log" furniture. We use a special technique to peel the bark off without leaving any machining or drawknife marks. Due to the increased labour there is an additional charge for removing the bark.      Questions ^

3.    Is your furniture comfortable?

Although some rustic furniture is not comfortable, it has little to do with what it is made from. Instead, what makes furniture comfortable is solid construction and good design that takes into account the way people actually use it. At Pickle Ridge we take ergonomics seriously and try our best to make our furniture comfortable.      Questions ^

4.    Is your furniture sturdy?

Not all rustic furniture is sturdy, but ours is! 

 Because of the "rustic" quality of this type of  furniture, some might overlook the difference between good and bad construction. Not all rustic furniture is created equal. Any kind of furniture that is well-constructed requires that the whole piece be properly engineered and that the parts are put together using the best method, or "joinery" technique. See below for more information about the kind of joinery techniques we use.      Questions ^

5.    What kind of wood do you use?

We have used a multitude of wood species for building rustic furniture, but our standard indoor furniture is made using Alder and our outdoor furniture is made with Red Cedar. (Red Cedar is one of the best, longest-lasting woods found anywhere for use in outdoor furniture.)  Both woods grow locally on Vancouver Island.      Questions ^

6.    What kind of finish do you apply to the furniture?

Indoor furniture: We normally use a clear finishing product called conversion-varnish on milled lumber surfaces. The log and stick portions of our indoor furniture are usually finished with linseed oil.

Outdoor furniture: Our outdoor rustic furniture has no finish. Most customers choose to leave their furniture unfinished, but some do apply a penetrating sealer like Sikkens Cetol #1 as needed to keep the surfaces looking pristine.      Questions ^

7.    How is your rustic furniture built or joined together?

We use round mortise and tenon joints for most purposes. The joints are glued and sometimes backed-up with a screw or dowel. The mortise and tenon joint is already a very strong mechanical method of joinery; add glue and you have a very strong joint that is built to last.      Questions ^

8.    What holds the box spring and mattress up on your beds?

We attach two log rails on the inside of the bed frame that run from the headboard to the footboard. These rails, plus three evenly spaced slats that have little legs, will support your box spring. If you only use a mattress we will add many slats to provide a flat surface to support it evenly.      Questions ^

9.    Will you customize your existing furniture designs?

While our products are sold in the standard designs and forms that have evolved over the years as best suitable for most needs, we can also design, construct and finish furniture to fit your own particular interests and needs.      Questions ^