Diane Husson’s stunning works of art return faux bois furniture to a new era
What is faux bois? It’s French for “false wood,” and its history dates to 19th-century France. A variety of materials, including steel and cement, and intricate techniques are used to mimic the appearance and texture of wood and wood grain when creating this type of furniture. In 1873 Joseph Monier, one of the earliest adopters of ferrocement (a composite cement material), designed the first faux bois bridge of reinforced concrete at the Château de Chazelet in France.
It still resides there today, and several other faux bois bridges can still be found throughout France. After a series of bridges, garden art, such as planters and birdbaths, became popular and are now highly prized by collectors. The beauty of faux bois traveled to the US, and we too have areas where its beauty is displayed.
Diane Husson, who resides in Norfolk, Virginia, studied at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy for sculpture. After spending several years creating beautiful ceramic pieces, Diane decided to learn the art of faux bois. She has always had a connection to the beauty of the outdoors, especially trees, and knew that creating furniture that resembled nature was her calling. Her focus has been directed to faux bois furniture for the last 10 years. Doing custom work, she has clients throughout the United States.
The process is complex, and the best way to learn about the steps to creating beautiful benches, tables, chairs, furniture sets, and decor items is to visit Husson’s website. You will learn about the stages of development and gain respect for the revival of an art form that began over 150 years ago.
