Old Wood Finds New Life
By Karen Adams

Old wood is like a good friend that you’ve had for years—it brings a warm quality that new wood cannot touch. We chose to incorporate some salvaged wood into our home to add warmth and richness to our new structure. 

In the kitchen, we chose Cypress wood that was living at the bottom of a regional swamp and refurbished it, instead of cutting down some new trees. Cypress is inherently beautiful, with subtle color variations and ages beautifully over time. Chaparral Cabinetry in Boerne crafted the cabinets and simply sealed them with a water-based product that lets the beautiful wood grain shine through—the cabinets bring a warm glow to our new kitchen!

An accent wall made from reclaimed beadboard from Texas farmhouses showcases how old wood can be repurposed into something unique. The contrast is beautiful between the reclaimed wood and the ceiling trusses, shown here, from the Natural Home magazine 2009 Show House.

We also used reclaimed wood from Discovery Antiques in Gonzales, Texas, in the living room, kitchen pantry and the second story.  We used some beautiful old beadboard from Texas farmhouses on a living room wall; an old door for the kitchen pantry; and some long leaf pine for the stair treads and upstairs flooring for two bedrooms and sitting area. 

We also used reclaimed wood for the fireplace mantle, the dining room table, and a small hall shelving unit. Local craftsman Bruce Calder made us a beautiful mantle out of the one oak that had to be cut down on our property to make room for the house. A big, heavy piece of wood was lovingly shaped and sealed and is a simple statement on how to use the most of your resources.  Bruce also crafted a beautiful, beefy dining table made from an old pecan tree from a friend’s property that was being cleared for commercial purposes. He designed and created a cherished piece from what would have otherwise gone wayside. Lastly, a friend gave us a fallen cherry tree for our project; we had it milled into a few simple, raw edge shelves for a hallway. 

Reusing materials is not only a sustainable practice, but brings with it personality from another time and place and an inviting quality that is hard to find with new products.