Trends in the use of raw pinecones in furniture design

Abstract

The goal of this work is to determine the current trends in the use of raw pinecones in furniture design. Pinecones were selected as the research material and for seeking the technological solutions due to the fact that this is a natural raw material available in the entire territory of Russia. An analytical overview is conducted on the foreign experience of using natural raw materials that do not require processing of wood trunks. The article examines the stages of acquisition decorative slab material from the raw pinecones. The author describes decorative and utilitarian characteristics of such material and possibilities of its use in furniture design. The material obtained from raw pinecones has high aesthetic qualities, does not emit harmful toxins during production, and is biodegradable. This topic associated with the processing of pinecones and needles has repeatedly drawn attention of the researchers and developers of slab materials; however, the scientific elaborations have not find wide practical application. The novelty of this work lies in the use of natural product, which is literally underfoot, for producing new material with the  aesthetic characteristics that correspond to the modern trends in design. Although the technology of obtaining the material is quite simple, the process of collecting the raw material is time-consuming. In addition to high decorative properties, the slab material is eco-friendly due to the use of a low-toxic binder.