From Barn to Table

The history and story behind reclaimed barn wood furniture.

From the Barn to… A custom table and benches. Custom picture frames. Custom couner-tops and shelving and mantles and flooring and basically any other project you can imagine.

You may have walked through a shop and have seen all of the various options for reclaimed barn wood. But where, exactly, does that wood come from? And how does it get to our shops to be crafted into custom pieces of furniture or art?

Well, as the name suggests, the wood is salvaged from old barns. Yup, those old structures you see, scattered around the countryside. While some are still standing tall (and structurally sound), many of those barns are on the verge of collapse. In fact, there have been a few of our barn sites where the barn has already collapsed. So, we go to those sites to deconstruct and salvage the barn wood and beams and doors… And whatever else is salvageable from those sites. The wood that is still in good condition we clean and prep for our workshop.

There is a fair amount of wood that we use for our own commissioned projects (you can see a lot of those here, as well as on our Facebook and Instagram accounts). The history and the stories and the memories that those 100 or 150 or 200 year old barns held are transformed into something new. Something new that brings life into those old pieces of wood, allowing it to be shared and enjoyed for many generations to follow.

Our founder, Jim, first started this business in 2009 because he saw a need for higher quality wood (as well as how much of it was available solely across the state of Michigan). Now, the stories the wood shares and the mystery it holds keeps us all captivated. Over the years, there have been a few sites where we learned the history of the barn from its owner. We don’t always hear the stories because a lot of times the structure has passed hands so many times, no one actually remembers it anymore. But, it doesn’t mean the story isn’t there. And it doesn’t mean the wood still does not hold all of that history.

If you’re anything like us, you know exactly how exciting it is to bring a piece of that story into your home. Next time you’re in, ask us about the barns. Ask where the wood came from! We are happy to pass along that story.