If you were to ask the average person what they though pine might be used for, chance are that they would answer crafting or perhaps for the home woodworker to build things with. The last thing most people associate pine with is furniture. Pine is a soft wood and nobody makes furniture with soft woods right? Wrong, you might be surprised to learn that rustic pine furniture has been around for a very long time and is once again becoming very popular. The concept of rustic pine furniture is rumored to have gotten its start among the wealthy elite who began to build cabins and summer homes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. According to an article published in the Log Cabin Directory, this type of practical, yet charming furniture was first created by those charged with taking care of these homes during the winter when the owners were back home. The rustic look became very trendy and soon no summer home in the country was complete without several pieces of this type of pine furniture. Some of the wood was new, but the majority of it was made from weathered pine, branches, cut logs and so forth. Today you will find that you can find reproduction rustic pine pieces being sold in many stores many of which are still being manufactured in the traditional way by master craftsmen. If you are planning to buy rustic pine furniture, you should be prepared to take care of if you want it to continue to look good and last for many years. One thing that many people do not realize is that you should keep any furniture made of pine out of direct sunlight and away from any sources of heat. The extra heat will cause the wood to dry out and crack. The same applies to putting hot cups and dishes on a pine table; you should always use place mats or coasters to protect the wood.