Invasive Vines Get New Life as Stairway Railings
If you want an amazing stairway that’s different from those in all the other homes on your block, then check into the custom work of Laura Spector.
She makes furnishings from a vine called Oriental Bittersweet, which was imported decades ago and become an invasive vine, growing out of control in the countryside. As she says, “With no natural predators to keep its growth in check, the vines took over gardens and woodlands, killing trees and shrubs by strangulation. Now considered an invasive weed, I am granted permits from various land trusts, The Audubon, towns, parks and hydraulic companies to forage their properties to help rid them of this beautiful, but dangerous vine. In short, my work helps save our beautiful specimen trees while recycling the vines into a functional object of beauty.”
On the site, you can check out everything from arbors to sculpture-like stair railings to lamps, benches, and tables. Since each piece is handmade, no two look the same. More pictures of the stairs here.
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