A Feast to Remember

As we approach Thanksgiving and reflect on our blessings, we are very grateful for all of our customers and friends that have supported Reclaimed Wood Chicago over the past year. It has been an awesome experience to see your talents and creativity breathe new life into old wood.  Thank you! Thank you for sharing your pictures, too! They continue to inspire and amaze us. The photo below is from a customer who used reclaimed flooring and beams to build this dining table and bench, just in time for the holiday. Looks to us like it will be a hit at this year's family gathering. Enjoy!

Reclaimed Wood Dining Table, just in time for the Feast

Repurposing Old Legs

Before giving the entirety of that old dining or coffee table to Goodwill, think again about how it's parts may be repurposed. Those old hand-crafted wooden spindles may be just the accent your reclaimed wood furniture needs to become a masterpiece. The end product here is from a client who mixed antique legs with reclaimed barn wood for a sleek, fresh look with historic character.

Salvaged antique furniture legs mixed with reclaimed barn wood

Gray Reclaimed Wood Basement Wall

Step 1) Rip out that old 1980s wood paneling
Step 2) Replace the entire wall with salvaged wood
Step 3) Enjoy stunning visuals

One of our customers did just that, and invited us in to check out the finished product of his DIY project. We are happy to report that the gray reclaimed barn siding from RWC has safely found a second home, and it looks to be thriving in its new space.

Reclaimed Gray Barn Siding Wall

Post wrapped with old barn siding

Are you staring at the TV or the wall?

Visuals with character

Farmer's Fridge adds character with Reclaimed Wood

Ever seen a vending machine with this much character?  Check out the Farmer's Fridge, now vending fresh salads with the best ingredients at the food court in 201 N. Clark in downtown Chicago.  We are excited that the founder of this healthy option came to Reclaimed Wood Chicago to add to the creative idea of farm to table.

Reclaimed wood vending machine casing

Touch of Reclaimed Wood in a Modern Condo

How to add texture to a modern condo in Chicago's Gold Coast? Try wrapping the support posts with the back of reclaimed barn siding. As you can see in the pictures, the old wood offers an historic touch to the modern lights and darks in the space. 

The backside of reclaimed barn wood

Texture of reclaimed wood added to balance the lights and darks in the room

Adding to the view in the condo

Reclaimed Wood vs Wall Paper

Two customers came in to RWC with a common vision: to use reclaimed wood as an alternative to wall paper on an end wall in their respective homes. The husband of one of these customers would be doing the carpentry and came along to pick out the wood. They found smaller pieces of red, gray, and brown reclaimed siding from 3 different barns, selecting unique pieces that would add character and depth to the room that wall paper couldn't replicate.  While the ladies were a bit hesitant at first because of the random pieces he selected, we think the carpenter put together a masterpiece. He nailed it!

End wall beautifully remastered with Reclaimed Barn Siding

Reclaimed wood from 3 different barns went into creating this unique indoor wall

Now that's a good lookin' mirror!

When was the last time you looked into a mirror and thought, "Wow, that mirror frame is almost as good lookin' as me!"?  Our customer picked up an ordinary mirror at his favorite home improvement store, added some reclaimed wood flooring from our shop, then put the two together to create quite the handsome mirror for his Chicago condo. Our guess is he'll definitely be checking out the character in the mirror every time he walks past it! 

Reclaimed wood flooring mirror frame

A mirror with real character

Restoring antiques with Reclaimed Wood

Sometimes the dusty antique pieces from the flea market just need a little TLC and creativity to be brought back to life. This customer used reclaimed barn siding to spruce up his recent finds.  3 of the Ice Cream Parlor chairs have new seats from barn siding that was planed, shaped, sanded and stained. The coffee table has a beautiful new top also from barn siding. The tight grains and old knots from the reclaimed wood definitely add even more character to the antique table. Nice work!

Restored Ice Cream Parlor chairs with reclaimed barn wood seats

Restored antique table with reclaimed barn wood top

Headboard and Necklace Holder from Reclaimed Wood

Anyone else dream of reclaimed wood? Our customer used the back of reclaimed barn siding to create this creative headboard in her bedroom. Looks like it turned out just the way she dreamed it would! There was even a piece leftover to make an artistic necklace holder. Can't wait to see what she dreams up next.

Headboard from Reclaimed Barn Siding

Artistic necklace holder from Reclaimed Wood

Useful Reclaimed Wood Gifts - Birdhouse & a 6 Pack Carrier

Why yes, we have heard that birds are eco-friendly and frequent houses made from reclaimed wood more often. Now grab a beer from the reclaimed wood 6 pack holder and head to the backyard for some serious bird watching. Special thanks to our woodworker customer for sending these in! Looking good.  

Birds love Reclaimed Wood

Grab and go durability and style

Dog house with a Twist

This reclaimed wood dog house was a little small for our shop dog, Findley, so he gave us go ahead to sell it at the Randolph Street Market this weekend, August 24th & 25th. Come check it out along with some other small items and furniture pieces made from reclaimed wood. Looks like great weather, see you there!

It's official! RWC will have a booth at the next Randolph Street Market August 24th & 25th!

Looking for reclaimed wood in downtown Chicago? Well, we are excited to announce that RWC will be exhibiting with our sister company Modern Urban Woods at the Randolph Street Market in 10 days! There will be a selection of finished products made by Modern Urban Woods (click here to see the store), as well as raw pieces of reclaimed lumber (kiln dried) from Reclaimed Wood Chicago for those looking to complete their own project.  The Randolph Street Market is a fun collection of vintage and antique goods from unique corners of the world. Should be a great weekend...see you there!

http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com

Hanging Reclaimed Barn Door

Having a wide entry into the master bedroom, our client searched for something other than the cumbersome French double door that currently filled the space.  The appeal of installing a hanging reclaimed barn door was three fold. First, something tall and wide to cover the larger than normal entry into the room. Second, something nostalgic that reminded the owner of her youth on a midwest farm. Third, a historic and textured look to add character to the main living area. This is actually two doors secured together, with the original hinges adding even more depth.  Sliding hardware and installation coming soon.

Can't wait to see this salvaged barn door installed!

Reclaimed Barn Wood Nightstands

Our shop built these nightstands / end tables from the smaller pieces of reclaimed lumber in our stock. The idea was to take a few boards with character, split them in two, and use one on each of the two stands. While there are similarities, each maintains unique characteristics. Oxidized nail holes, circular saw marks, dents, and old paint exhibit the long history of the aged wood.

Built with Festool Domino Joining System for superior stability, the nightstands are light weight and have a high strength to weight ratio. A water based polyurethane with a matte finish was used to seal and protect the wood, while also highlighting the unique grains and textures. Could also be used as end tables. 19.5" tall x 15.5" deep x 19.5" wide. The nightstands are for sale at $399 for the pair through Modern Urban Woods. Or you can visit us and pick out some salvaged wood to build your own!

Low profile nightstands or end tables

Lots of character from saw marks, paint and knots

100% reclaimed wood!

Children's Measuring Stick

They grow up so fast! Well, this customer built a memorable way to record their progress with reclaimed wood. Old growth pine from a salvaged barn door was stained and marked to be a measuring stick for kids. These are sure to be unique and lasting baby shower gifts!

Reclaimed wood ruler to measure kid's growth

Reclaimed wood ruler measuring stick close up

Cool way to measure kid's growth!