This rocker is crafted from walnut with a story written in the heart of the tree itself. The lumber was carefully selected from the crotch of the main trunk — the point where the tree splits into its “Y.” This area, a natural point of stress and growth, is where some of the most dramatic figure and movement in walnut occur. It’s a place where the grain twists, swirls, and collides, creating character that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else in the tree.
To showcase that natural drama, I took two slabs from the very center of the crotch and opened them like a book. From there, I carefully selected components for the left side of the chair from one slab and mirrored them on the right with its matching pair. The result is perfect bilateral symmetry across the seat and arms — a mirrored grain pattern that feels both intentional and alive, as if the wood is still in motion. Every curve of the chair becomes a dialogue between strength and beauty, shaped by the pressures the tree endured as it grew.
The story deepens with the back braces, crafted from the same spalted maple used in another rocker. These pieces were once destined for the burn pile — remnants that, much like the walnut itself, reveal extraordinary beauty when given a second chance. Together, the figured walnut and spalted maple create a striking harmony of texture, tone, and story — a piece born from nature’s resilience and the art of thoughtful design.