Salvaged Soul: A Salvaged Wood Home in West Virginia

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While Mountain Lumber is based in Ruckersville, Virginia, Willie continues to trade in reclaimed wood throughout the West Virginia mountains. He and his wife, Lisa, and their two small children enjoy the area so much that they built a vacation home there on a pristine trout stream surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest.

Willie worked with architect Jay Dalgliesh—another Virginian with ties to the mountains—and local builder Bruce Wohleber to create the 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom house with an open porch and a massive outdoor hearth built from stone gathered on the property. “We didn’t need a huge house,” Willie says, “because there’s so much to do outside.” Hiking, fishing and cross-country skiing are right out the back door.

Willie used reclaimed wood for nearly every part of the house, from the floors to the ceilings, built-ins to cladding. The crew only used new lumber for the frame. The home’s interior glows with the patina of aged timber; outside, cypress board-and-batten siding harmonizes beautifully with the rustic, wooded surroundings. The home’s beauty works to Willie’s advantage as both homeowner and businessman. “We bought about 40,000 square feet of the cypress [we used on the house’s siding] in Michigan, but when clients saw it, they passed because they thought it looked too dirty,” Willie says. “Once we cleaned it up and I used it for the house, customers could see how beautiful it was. We sold out of our supply in six months.”
“Salvaging lumber is a green practice,” Willie says, “and I love it for that reason. But ultimately, what engages people with this product is its unique look and what that look accomplishes. Old timber has a warmth and a patina that cannot be duplicated.”

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