Design Elements: Beautiful Reclaimed Wood
Weathered boards and beams add character and a sense of history to interior spaces
Want to add an aged patina to your home and save a tree or three at the same time? Consider sourcing reclaimed wood. These boards come from torn-down barns, homes or even factories. If you own an older home, you may already have some beautiful wood behind the drywall or on the attic floor. Here are some stellar examples of how architects, interior designers and builders are adding reclaimed wood's wonderful texture to floors, walls, cabinets and more.
Architect Robert Hawkins used reclaimed hardwood for this vertical interior paneling. As for its former life, he says, "I believe it was on an old barn structure in the Midwest originally. It has been milled with a shiplap profile.
"We love the warm character and feel the material exudes into the space; knowing that the material is getting a second life is a good feeling. Because the surface of the wood has a natural aged patina, no stain is necessary or desired, thereby avoiding the potential intrusion of VOCs into the interior environment," he says.
"We love the warm character and feel the material exudes into the space; knowing that the material is getting a second life is a good feeling. Because the surface of the wood has a natural aged patina, no stain is necessary or desired, thereby avoiding the potential intrusion of VOCs into the interior environment," he says.
This beautiful fireplace wall stands up to the scale of the soaring ceiling, making it possible to use a small fireplace. The wood was originally in a barn in Texas. "The house was designed to be a part of the landscape. This was accomplished by how the house sits in the site, the placement of windows and the position of walls for views," says Pam Lamaster-Millet, the project's architect. "We felt the reclaimed wood was appropriate for the main focal point of the living space, as an extension of the wooded site into the house, and a nod to the agricultural area of Algoma."
Architect Richard Bubnowski kept white walls as a backdrop to highlight a rich mix of textures in this home. The fireplace facade is covered in local reclaimed oak, which conveys a sense of age to the new build and plays off the kitchen cabinets and island.
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Here's a peek at that kitchen cabinet wood mentioned previously, which has been whitewashed.
The counters and shelves in this industrial kitchen are made of reclaimed barn wood, which navigates between the exposed brick and stainless steel. The wood adds character and a sense of history to this sleek loft.
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If you want the element of reclaimed wood in your home but are not up for a renovation, you can bring it in with furniture. This coffee table is made of reclaimed railroad ties.
This table's top used to be a door, and is complete with the original rusty and crusty ring door pull.
If you're good with tools, you may want to take on a reclaimed table as a do-it-yourself project. A happy accident enhanced the look of this dining table, which is made from repurposed wood planks. The look was inspired by some spilled paint.
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Of course, I can't talk about reclaimed wood without featuring Tricia Rose's one-of-a-kind driftwood headboard.
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The old beams and ceiling planks in this contemporary kitchen give it a charming and warm European feel.
Pairing reclaimed wood with other reclaimed objects is a winning combination. This sink, salvaged from an old industrial building, sits atop cabinets fashioned from reclaimed wood.
Learn more by reading about 'Salvage Secrets'
Learn more by reading about 'Salvage Secrets'
Reclaimed wood is a wonderful eco-friendly option for floors. If you are recycling floorboards, you can often find planks that are different sizes than the usual standards on the market today. If you're renovating an older home, mine the attic for unfinished wide plank boards and replace the attic floor with something less special.
More:
10 Great Picks for Eco-Friendly Tile
10 Ways to Go Greener Through Design
Kitchen of the Week: A Warm and Eco-Friendly Update
5 Unusual Wood Floors
See a Creative Salvaged-Wood Wall
More:
10 Great Picks for Eco-Friendly Tile
10 Ways to Go Greener Through Design
Kitchen of the Week: A Warm and Eco-Friendly Update
5 Unusual Wood Floors
See a Creative Salvaged-Wood Wall
See the rest of this home