Town guide / Wirral, the Dee side
Rustic furniture with a Thurstaston outlook
Thurstaston is a small place of sandstone buildings, its church and hall close by, with heathland on Thurstaston Common and the Dee shore below.
i.
The houses
Homes here range from older stone buildings to later houses set along the roads. In the older ones, floors may be flagged or uneven and walls thick and cool, which suits sturdy country furniture but needs a little care. A piece with four legs can rock on stone flags, and anything set against a solid outer wall should have some space behind it for air to circulate.
ii.
Rustic furniture in that setting
Rustic Welsh and country furniture takes in stick-back chairs, three-legged cricket tables, settles, benches and simple cupboards, often in oak, ash, elm or pine. A three-legged table stands firm on an uneven floor, which is one reason they were made. Ask Sara for the dimensions and photographs of the underside and joints, as these show how a piece was made and repaired over the years.
iii.
Buying from Caernarfon
Life: Full Colour is based in Caernarfon, not on the Wirral, and has no branch in Thurstaston.
Buying works the same way from anywhere: find a piece, ask Sara about it by the enquiry form or on 01286 400155, and buy through Creative Caernarfon.
Visiting and delivery
Life: Full Colour is based at 9 Segontium Terrace, Caernarfon LL55 2PN. Ask Sara whether delivery or viewing is possible for a particular piece.
iv.
Questions for a Thurstaston buyer
Sturdy country furniture usually looks at home on flags, but uneven stone can make a four-legged chair or table rock. Three-legged pieces sit steadily on any floor. Small felt pads or packers help, and a rug under a table can soften cold and protect the feet.
The main risks are damp and sudden heat. Keep pieces a little away from cold outside walls and from wood burners or radiators. Wax finishes can be refreshed occasionally, but ask Sara about the finish on a specific piece before treating it.
It usually means country-made rather than town-made, built by local makers for everyday use from local timber, with simple construction and a well-worn surface. It does not mean rough or poor quality. Many rustic pieces are carefully made and have lasted generations.
A settle is a long seat, a country relation of the bench, that went with farmhouse tables. Today one suits a hall, a kitchen wall or the end of a dining table, and gives seating for several people in little floor space. Check the seat height and depth suit you.
They are upright, light chairs, so they suit a table better than a lounge. A flat cushion tied to the seat adds comfort for long dinners without hiding the shape. Check the seat depth and height against the table, as these vary from one chair to the next.
Broadly, yes. Pine is the softest and shows knocks soonest, while oak, ash and elm are hardwoods that wear more slowly, though all of them move a little with the seasons. Ask Sara what a particular piece is made of, as country furniture often mixes timbers.
A cricket table is a small, three-legged table, handy beside a chair for a lamp, a book or a cup of tea. Its footprint is small, so it fits where a larger table would not, and it is easy to move when you rearrange the room.
Lift, do not drag, since dragging scrapes the feet and can twist the joints. With a second person, lift the bench by its frame and set it down on felt pads or a folded blanket. Empty it first if it has a lid or drawers.
Often very. Country pieces were made for daily use in busy households, and a few more knocks will barely show among the old ones. Run a hand over every edge first for splinters or sharp corners, check that drawers cannot pull right out, and watch for any chair that has begun to loosen.
Solid wood moves a little as a room warms and cools, so a joint may creak and a panel may tick. It is usually harmless, and often fades as the piece settles in your house. A joint that opens up or a leg that wobbles is a different matter and worth a closer look.