Decorating with reclaimed wood is a popular trend these days. The old wood look has a lot of value, and we see items such as live-edge tables and recycled wood doors in rustic style homes as well as modern ones. Marvelous Woodworking has created a number of pieces by repurposing wood our clients have brought us. Sometimes they find a pile of logs in a shed their dad had cut years ago, or they are tearing down an old barn but want to keep part of it for the memories. We have built everything from small frames to fireplace mantels to new furniture pieces from found wood.

A Rare Find

Typically, houses are built with common woods like pine and poplar, used in baseboards, door casings and shelving. However, every once in a while you’ll find richer woods like oak, cherry, walnut, and even mahogany. We were on a remodel project when our client found her home had hidden stashes of mahogany in the door casings as well as big wooden planks serving as closet shelves. Mahogany is a lovely material, and our client wanted to use it for something more prominent than stacking her towels on. We replaced the mahogany with pine, and built a bathroom vanity and a matching bench from the richer material.

This is a rare find—the home was built in the 50s or 60s, and at the time expensive woods like mahogany were incorporated into houses that were considered upscale. Sometimes these woods have been painted over and remain hidden treasures, until the homeowner starts to pull things apart.

Reclaimed Barn Door

As housing development expands, and the Indiana fields are turned into neighborhoods, many old barns are coming down and becoming reclaimed wood resources. A client was tearing down a horse barn where she had grown up, and she salvaged one half of a door. We mounted it on a sliding hardware hanger for her and turned it into a decorative piece that holds many great childhood memories.

If you have found some raw wood that has sentimental or family value, Marvelous Woodworking can turn it into a beautiful piece, either small memorabilia items like a coat rack, or sometimes even heirloom-quality furniture. Contact us, or call 317-679-5890.