Chinese man Grows Chairs on Trees

Aesthetically speaking, this isn’t the most TH item that we’ve ever run, but in theory, we think Mr. Wu here is on to something. The chair “designer,” from Liaoning province, China, molds pliant elm tree branches into shape while the tree is still growing, like some kind of functional seating topiary. It takes Wu about five years to grow a tree chair, during which time he constantly trims and guides it into shape before harvesting it. He currently has one tree chair in his home, and six more in production. Talk about growing and using local products…This chair may not be a looker, but what a smart hobby. Imagine the day when people have furniture gardens instead of ordering from the Pottery barn catalog. Now that’s cradle-to-cradle. Thanks for the tip, Brian B! ::Annanova [by MO]