It’s so hot right now. Vintage is back and is creating an economy for pickers everywhere. Reclaimed anything is selling almost at market rate as new materials. Who woulda thought? If you’re a fan of the movement, here are 4 reclaimed materials we love to use in our homes.
Reclaimed Wood Beams
If you want to dress up a ceiling or wall, using reclaimed wood beams is an ace in the hole. They come in a variety of sizes, but what’s cool is they’re usually from an old barn or building. A lot of them were hand carved to fit in it’s old structure, and you can see the axe marks all up and down it. Wood that old usually has developed a beautiful grey patina that you won’t find anywhere else.
Tangent! - What Is Old Growth Wood?
Beams and posts that are 80+ years old often times are old growth wood. Not sure what that is? In essence, old growth wood is far superior to any wood found at your local home improvement store. Why? Because this wood was sourced in a virgin forest where the trees hadn’t been grown for production like on a tree farm today. An old growth tree from a virgin forest would take 100-200 years to grow, whereas on a tree farm they are grown to maturity in about 20-30 years. It’s stronger, more termite and rot-resistant, and far more stable. Plus, the character qualities are unmatched. If you can find beams from this era, and I mean IF you can find them because they’re very hard to come by, hold on to them!
Reclaimed Barnwood
Similar to reclaimed beams, barnwood is usually pulled off the siding of old barns and buildings. There’s a good chance it’s old growth wood too. I wouldn’t recommend using it for siding on your home, but it’s a great way to dress up an interior wall. Make it into a feature wall in your living room, or heck, decorate the whole room with it. Also if you can find enough of it, use it for flooring. Talk about wide plank wood floors!
Reclaimed Bricks
You can have your pick of all makes and models. Reclaimed bricks are being harvested from all kinds of buildings, old streets and homes. If you find the right seller, there’s types, shapes and sizes of bricks you’ve never seen before. This is a great way to add a lot of creativity to your home. Use it as a backsplash in your kitchen, make a feature wall, or even use it as flooring in one of your rooms. It’s warm, has tons of texture and stands out.
Reclaimed Cobblestones
Here’s my ‘wink wink’ secret weapon. Reclaimed cobblestones. They have so much character, they’re made out of granite and they tell a story. I have a guy that pulls up old cobblestones in downtown Chicago when they’re redoing streets and resells them to the public. It’s amazing. Unfortunately, as beautiful as they are cobblestones aren’t the greatest to drive on, which is why cities are doing away with them. But, they would look amazing as a driveway, patio or walkway at your place! What’s the coolest thing to do them though? Have someone split them, even out the tops a bit and use it as flooring inside your home.
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Here at August Development Co., we craft homes to fit your lifestyle. What do we mean by that? Well, it doesn’t matter if you’re modernist, traditionalist, some other kind of -ist, or a wannabe farmer, we’ll help you design a home around the way you live life in the style that you love. Your home should be a reflection of you, and we’re here to help you do that! To get in touch, click here.