Picker’s Notebook

A soft cloth and a jar of furniture wax on a rustic solid wood end table by a window with tall pines outside
Caring for Solid Wood in Eastern Carolina Heat and Humidity
Long humid eastern North Carolina summers, AC and the occasional storm season: easy habits that keep solid wood furniture stable for decades. Read more...
A natural solid wood branch cat tree with round platforms beside a sunny window in a rustic living room
Natural Wood Cat Trees: Why Cats (and Owners) Love Them
Why real-branch cat trees outlast carpet towers, how tall to go and where to put one so your cat actually uses it. Read more...
A large rustic tree-shaped solid wood bookshelf filled with books, plants and a lantern against a white plank wall
Tree Bookshelves: Sizes, Anchoring and Styling
How big a tree-shaped bookshelf should be, how to anchor it safely and how to style the branches with books, plants and keepsakes. Read more...
A rustic farmhouse den with a barn-door solid wood TV console, a live-edge coffee table and a tree branch bookshelf against plank walls
The Rustic Picker Look — With Furniture That Doesn’t Wobble
Mix live edges, barn doors and branch shapes for a rustic, collected look using newly built solid wood furniture instead of fragile finds. Read more...