In accordance with a sedentary lifestyle, Korean traditional houses have low ceilings and narrow living spaces. Thus, the furniture was usually low (by Western standards), which created much empty wall space where a painting or calligraphy could be hung for decoration. Other popular wall decorations included brush racks (for calligraphy and writing) and letter racks, like this one, which also served the practical purpose of storing stationery items. The style of letter racks varied according to the tastes of the male head of the household. Some racks were simply made from pine or odong (Paulownia coreana) wood, to emphasize the natural texture and feel of the material. Some featured simple intaglio or embossed designs, while others were made by connecting and bending pieces of cut bamboo. Every letter rack features several hollowed spaces and slots where letters and colored paper could be kept, but some letter racks were highly aesthetic, so that their subsidiary function as wall ornaments almost took precedence. The four long pieces that serve as the main supports of this letter rack were all cut from a single large bamboo stalk. The supports are connected horizontally with smaller pieces, such that letters could be inserted either parallel or perpendicular to the wall. The seemingly contrasting firmness and flexibility of bamboo are used to great effect here, so that this letter rack exemplifies the case of making the best practical use of natural beauty.