On a quiet patch of countryside in Derbyshire, England, rows of carefully shaped trees are growing in unusual directions. Some curve into loops, others bend like armrests, and a few already resemble the outline of chairs. But this is not an art installation or a sculpture garden. It is a long-running experiment in growing furniture directly from living trees.
For nearly two decades, British couple Gavin Munro and Alice Munro have been refining a process that allows willow, oak and ash trees to slowly grow into functional furniture. Instead of cutting timber and assembling pieces together later, the couple shape the tree itself while it is still alive.
