There is something beautiful about antique furniture. It’s the age and the history that it comes with. Antique furniture has majesty and strength, and the quality that comes with good workmanship and materials. But, that being said, the style of the piece itself is not to everyone’s taste. Some antique furniture is too heavy, or too dark, or of a design that doesn’t always suit our modern sensibilities. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find a modern piece of furniture with the strength and majesty of an antique? Reclaimed wood can give you that. By using reclaimed wood for your furniture you can give new life to old wood and the modern antique is yours.

What is reclaimed wood?

Reclaimed wood is processed wood made out of old lumber that was once used in barns, boxcars, wine barrels, fence posts or factories and warehouses. It is re-used for home decorating and makes absolutely beautiful sidings, cabinets, or furniture such as vanities. In the past, Americans built everything they used out of wood because it was so readily available and very durable. It was also quite inexpensive. Today there is a lot of this wood available as old buildings make way for the new. The original buildings cannot be put to use, and left standing can be a fire hazard, or expensive to renovate. But the wood still has a lot of life left in it and should not be consigned to the landfill.

Why use reclaimed wood?

It really is too good not to reuse. It has a beautiful appearance. Each piece of wood is aged and unique, so you will have a piece of furniture that looks like no other. As well, it is environmentally friendly, and that is so valuable these days. Finding the balance between the new building and sustaining our environment is essential to our growth as a species. It would be a crime to waste this wood. And it certainly would be a waste. This wood is better than any of our new growths. This wood is strong. It has been harvested from trees that spent hundreds of years growing at a time when there were few demands on the lumber supply, and little air pollution. It has had long-term exposure to changes in temperature and humidity, so it is not as prone to damage due to expansions and contractions.

What kind of wood is reclaimed?

American settlers built their homesteads with many different woods. Longleaf pine was very popular and abundant at the time. It is strong, and straight, and resistant to mold and insects. Other common woods were redwood and chestnut, but these were not all the varieties. Oak, poplar, hickory and maple are also reclaimed from furniture today.

Custom Ordered

Reclaimed furniture has the beauty and the durability of an antique, but can be custom designed by our skilled artisans at FoxDen Decor into a piece of furniture just right for you. The wood has its own appearance and color, which will result in your piece being uniquely yours. Plus, the piece will be handmade and hand cut.

There’s something magical about a piece of furniture with history behind it. It’s not just something that you buy from the shop, ready-made and completely unused. Antique furniture seems to retain something of all the people who have used it, some piece of the home that it was part of. At FoxDen Decor, we try to capture some of that uniqueness and authenticity in our reclaimed wood furniture, but with a bit of a twist. Our furniture may be new-made, but it comes from materials that have already lived a long and rugged life as parts of barns, corrals and other structures. They make a fabulous addition to any home.

Personality in Every Piece

The magic of our reclaimed wood furniture comes from the origin of our materials. Just as the name implies, we reclaim wood from old buildings, most often barns and corrals. This wood has spent its lifetime out of doors, being weathered and shaped by the elements. Every rainstorm and every blazing hot summer day has left its imprint on the wood we use to build our furniture, and that shows in the uniqueness of every piece. No two of our pieces of FoxDen Decor reclaimed furniture are the same, and that’s what makes them a special part of your home.

Customizable For You

Just like each of our furniture pieces are different, we understand and celebrate the fact that every home is different too. We know that you enjoy personalizing your home as much as we enjoy personalizing our furniture, so at FoxDen Decor, we offer to help you out with that personalization. We offer custom-built furniture to fit your home and your needs. You can choose the dimensions, the colour and all other elements of your furniture, so you will know for certain that the furniture we craft will be exactly what your home needed.

Flexible and Durable

One advantage that reclaimed furniture has over traditional antique furniture is that, although we use weathered, aged wood, our furniture is new-built. Where antique furniture has often become fragile with years of use, the reclaimed wood furniture at FoxDen Decor has the sturdiness and durability of brand new furniture. This means that you need have no worries about using it in any room that you see fit. Our furniture has the flexibility to look great and be useful in the bathroom, the kitchen, the bedroom or anywhere that you feel it would fit.

Your Home, Your Spirit

At FoxDen Decor, we like to think that while our furniture is a great addition to your home, you are only making its value increase as you make it a part of your house and your life. Each of our lovingly hand-made pieces has its own story, and when it moves into your home, it continues that story, becoming richer and more beautiful. We hope that you will find a piece of furniture whose spirit and story match yours, and make it a part of the home that you love.

You may have noticed that there has been a huge shift in what’s hot for home décor. This shift has been the move away from commercially available products to handcrafted items – some of which have been repurposed, or upcycled. One of the most sought after items is furniture made from reclaimed wood.

Where does it come from?

The wood for reclaimed wood furniture can come from pretty much anywhere, but a lot of it is from old barns and other farm structures that are torn down to make room for more modern buildings. The reason why this wood is so fabulous to use is because of the wear and tear, as well as the weathering that the wood goes through. It gives it a lot of personality and uniqueness that translates to anything you make out of it. Reclaimed wood vanities, dining tables and cabinets, can be a show stopping piece in your home.

Is it all the same?

Unfortunately no. Like anything, the original quality of the wood will determine if it’s good enough to be reclaimed and used to create something new. Soft woods, or wood that was cut too thin, often doesn’t last long enough to be reclaimed, or doesn’t retain its strength well-enough to be reclaimed. Hardwoods are always the best choice when looking to reclaim wood. The climate of where the wood was originally used will also determine its viability. Wet or frequently damp climates wouldn’t normally produce usable materials.

What else can be done with it?

Although there is a strong market for handmade reclaimed wood furniture, it’s also popular for home design and construction features. Reclaimed wood plank floors, or even large reclaimed beams can make great real load bearing beams or columns in your home, or can be utilized to appear as if they are load bearing, when in fact they are only decorative. This look is a lot like having exposed brick walls. Depending on where you are sourcing your materials, reclaiming old barn boards for flooring is a great idea that can save you money, but it can be difficult to find an adequate source.

Home décor

We are all sorts of obsessed with our personal space. From man caves to custom walk-in closets, and custom kitchens to spa-like bathrooms – we are all striving to create a certain atmosphere in our homes so that we can be surrounded by spaces that help us relax and de-stress. Reclaimed wood furniture can help you achieve these key atmospheres easily. With a variety of finishes possible, adding a piece of reclaimed wood furniture to your home can add a real touch of character and a lot of history to any space.

Not only is reclaimed wood furniture a great conversation piece, but it’s also a good way to contribute and encourage to recycle materials like this. Rather than cutting down new trees to make the same piece, why not reuse perfectly good wood with a lot of life left, rather than seeing it burned or sent to a landfill. It’s an easy choice, and at FoxDen Decor, we have a great collection for you to consider too.