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Heron
Heron
Heron
Heron
Heron
Heron
Heron
Heron
Heron
Heron

Heron

From $109.00

Handmade Mid-Century Minimalist Wooden Heron Sculpture in Walnut or Layered Edge-Grain Baltic Birch

  • Available in walnut face or layered edge-grain — every Heron is one-of-a-kind
  • Bird silhouette reduced to only the curves the form needs — 24" tall, quiet presence on a shelf or mantel
  • Hand-rubbed oil and wax finish — enhances the walnut grain or the layered edge-grain stripes
More Details
Choose Face

Handcrafted in Minneapolis — ships in ~1-3 business days (as of 07/12/2026). .
Request Customization or Rush Order

Lead Times

The truth is, good furniture takes time.

Every Relic Modern™  piece is built by me, start to finish, in my Minneapolis studio — no warehouse, no assembly line. I select and mill the lumber, join, sand, and finish each piece by hand. That care takes time, but it's also why the wait exists: it's the difference between something pulled off a shelf and something built for you, by hand, meant to last generations.

Reviews of the Heron

Beautiful wood and exactly as described. We love it!
Diana
Cuts a beautiful, sleek figure — love the size of this piece and the update on a classic mid-century motif.
C.
Amazing work and amazing customer service.
Kevin M.

More information

About this Piece

The Heron is a tall, narrow, mid-century minimalist sculpture — a bird silhouette reduced to the curves the form needs and nothing more. 

The Heron is a quiet piece — elegant and hopeful, carved into a form that strips away ornament and keeps only what the silhouette needs. The walnut variant carves the Heron shape into layered, walnut-faced Baltic birch, with the exposed Baltic birch edges showing the signature Relic Modern™ stripes down the sides of the piece. The edge-grain variant rotates those same Baltic birch layers 90°, bringing the striped edges to every face — the layers form unique patterns across the sculpture, so every edge-grain Heron is one-of-a-kind.

A piece of minimalist home decor made for a mantel, a shelf, or a reading nook in a living room, a den, or a nursery; a good gift for a cabin-warming, a birder, or anyone drawn to the natural world. Finished with a hand-rubbed oil and wax blend, the piece has a matte, warmlook that enhances the natural grain of the walnut or the layered edge-grain.

American Made · Ships Free

Dimensions

Overall

  • 24"H × 4"W × 4"D, approximately 1 lb 8 oz

Orientation

  • Reversible — both sides are finished and the piece can face either direction
Materials

The Heron is offered in two faces. The walnut variant is built from a single sheet of ¾" Baltic birch with a walnut face, set on a solid walnut base. The edge-grain variant is built from multiple sheets of Baltic birch laminated and rotated 90°, so the layered edges form the visible surface, set on a 28-layer laminated Baltic birch base with a walnut face. The exposed Baltic birch edges are a signature detail. Handmade in Minneapolis.

(01) Wood, Walnut Heron: ¾" Baltic birch (13-layer) with solid walnut base

(02) Wood, Edge-Grain Heron: Edge-grain Baltic birch (striped face), on a 28-layer laminated Baltic birch base with walnut face

(03) Finish: pure tung oil, boiled linseed oil, beeswax, carnauba wax — a durable, water-resistant matte finish that feels like silky-smooth wood

(04) Edge Grain Baltic Birch: 13 thin layers of birch are glued together, with the grain alternating in direction, to create sheets that make it more stable than solid wood. On most Relic Modern™ pieces, a single sheet is cut flat — the walnut or maple face you see on a nightstand, a media console, an end table. An edge-grain piece is built differently: multiple sheets are laminated together and then cut and turned on their side, so the 13-layer stripes run through the wood and appear on every face of the piece. On a sculpture like the Robin or the Heron, you see the stripes on the front, the back, and the sides — the same layered pattern wrapping the whole form. At the fullest expression of the technique — the Entryway Bench — it's nearly 300 layers laminated and rotated, every face of the piece showing the same layered wood. The same material, taken as far as it can go.

Product FAQ

How long does shipping take? This piece is made in batches and ready to ship from Minneapolis. Current lead time is listed in the box above the Add to Cart button. See Shipping, Pickup & Returns for details.

Will the wood color change over time? Yes. The walnut face will deepen and take on warmer, reddish tones over the first year or two. This is a natural characteristic of the species and part of what makes the piece feel alive. The edge-grain Heron carries a similar shift on its walnut base, while the layered birch face stays close to its original tone. The hand-rubbed oil and wax finish supports this patina rather than sealing it off.

How do I care for this piece? A damp cloth is all that's needed for cleaning — no furniture polishes. The piece can be refreshed with a bit of furniture wax when it feels dry. Additional details are on the FAQ page.

Is the piece reversible, or does it have a front and a back?Reversible. Both sides are finished, so the Heron can face either direction depending on how it's placed.

Meet Justin

The Maker Behind Every Piece

Real Furniture,Made by Real Hands

I build every piece by hand in my Minneapolis workshop — one maker, one standard, no shortcuts. While big-box stores fill warehouses with particle board and mass-produced templates, Relic Modern™ starts with real, high-quality wood and ends with something built to last. Some things are worth buying from a real person.

Original Designs
Stale, Recycled Templates
Hand-Built Craftsmanship
Factory Assembly Lines
Real, High-Quality Wood
Particle Board & Cheap Fillers
Built to Last a Lifetime
Disposable by Design

Mid-century modern isn't a trend — it's a discipline. Clean lines, reasonable proportions, and modest, organic shapes. At Relic Modern™, that means stripping every design down to its essential form and building it from high-quality Baltic birch with walnut or maple faces, finished with a hand-rubbed oil and wax blend that lets the wood speak for itself.

2205 California St NE, Suite 123, Minneapolis, MN 55418

(612) 300-1950 | justin@relicmodern.com

Showroom Hours

Tues/Wed: by appointment
Thurs/Fri: 12-4
Sat: 11-2
Sun/Mon: Closed

Closed July 16-18, August 6-8, Sept 5, 12 and 24-26

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