Reclaimed Barn Wood Furniture Reviews

One of the many joys of summertime is planting vegetables, watching them grow, and harvesting them when the time is right.  Of course, none of that compares to finally eating those garden-fresh vegetables that have an extraordinary crunch and flavor that can’t be found in the produce purchased at your local grocery store.  When grown at home, a garden can be a learning opportunity for your kids and peace of mind for you, since you know exactly what products were used on the plants as they grew to the peak of ripeness.

Planning the location, size, and content of a garden can be quite a challenge.  This is especially the case for someone who rents, does not have a suitable yard, or does not want to tear up or kill any of the existing sod in order to have a garden.  If you fall into one of these categories, research whether there is a community garden in your area, or if someone in your vicinity would be willing to rent out a piece of their land so you can raise a garden.  If none of these is an option, container gardens may provide you with enough area to grow some of the vegetables you most want.

Growing a garden in a pot may take a little more planning than the traditional layout.  First determine the growing seasons of the vegetables you want to grow.  Some veggies, like radishes, have a short growing season  After you harvest the radishes, you have time to plant, grow, and harvest another short-growing vegetable before the summer is over.  Sometimes different vegetable types do well living in harmony, like leaf lettuce and radishes.  The lettuce is harvested just above the ground and does not disturb the radish root vegetables.

If you love rustic decor and are in the market for some containers in which to grow your little garden, check out the Groovy Stuff Teak Wood Farmers Bucket Planter.  This tough little guy is made of reclaimed teak wood and will stand up beautifully to a filling of soil, daily waterings, and variable environmental conditions while still presenting you with a bountiful harvest at the end of the season.  At the affordable price of $169 each, you can buy enough planters to make an interesting outdoor classroom for your kids and a nice healthy harvest for your dinner table.

It is sometimes funny how life’s situations can change your outlook.  When it came to furniture, I used to gravitate most towards the things that I liked the look of and I could afford (not necessarily in that order).  As time went on, furniture shopping became more about finding pieces that were comfortable, fit in with my home’s décor, and were tasteful and attractive.  The price tag became less of an issue.

Now, since having children, I have experienced a large shift in the way I view new purchases.  I really appreciate things that can multi-task.  For both of my boys, I chose a high chair that attaches to an existing chair, reclines for the very young infant, then converts to a booster seat when the baby reaches toddler status.  The bouncy seat for our youngest turns into a rocking chair when he decides he is ready to sit like a big boy.  Our dining room table, with its glass top, doubles as an art desk.  When my toddler son gets his crayons and paint out, I don’t have to stress about him ruining the tabletop with colors that won’t wash away.

The Homestead Barnwood Laptop and Writing Desk is one of those multi-tasking pieces of barnwood furniture.  Not only does it look cool because it’s made out of reclaimed Barnwood, but (as its name suggests) it doubles as both a writing and laptop desk.  The single drawer under the desktop can hold writing supplies or can be slid out, flipped over, and used as a sturdy surface for your laptop.  Even when flipped over with a standard-sized laptop on board, the drawer can easily be tucked away under the desk.  Its small footprint and unobtrusive size make it an easy addition to any part of your house.  Double duty doesn’t have to mean double the cost…this little rustic piece of American history can be yours for only $349.

Reclaimed Barnwood furniture is truly unique, but the options found in the JHE’s Log Furniture Place catalog are very numerous.  The artisans at JHE’s are experts in using rustic lumber in a way that best accentuates its natural character.  In looking through the pages of available Barnwood pieces, one may think that anything you could ever want – or need – can be found there.  However, that may not always be the case.

If you have a space that has an odd size, or your creative mind has dreamt up a design that cannot be found, have no fear.  The artisans at JHE’s are happy to take your measurements and concept and turn it into reality for you.  The most difficult task you will face is pulling a tape measure out, writing down measurements, and drawing out a rough sketch of what you would like the end result to be.

When you are ready to decorate your home with Barnwood furniture, take a look at the options available to you, find some pieces that you like, and decide whether they will fit into your rooms.  If you need help with customization, don’t hesitate to give JHE’s a call at (877) 564-3876 and talk with one of their friendly customer service agents.  Building your own Barnwood furniture has never been so fun and easy.

I think it is true to say that over the past decade, concern over our environment and the impact each of us have on it has grown tremendously.  The government has imposed regulations that reduce the amount of air pollution.  Most communities have curbside recycling programs.  Grocery stores reward the use of reusable bags by deducting a small amount off your purchase.  A number of new homes are built with a “lean and green” philosophy.  Most of us are becoming increasingly aware of the advantages that recycling and upcycling have on our own environmental footprint.

In fact, it seems a whole lot of “cycling” goes on these days, and it can all become very confusing.  Upcycling is a process that does not degrade the original materials.  The advantage in upcycling is the lack of a need for new materials in order to make a finished product.  The process can be repeated over and over, so the need for raw materials is very low once the initial product is introduced.  The demand for energy is less in this process because parts of the product are already finished.  A good example of upcycling is the manner in which we treat soda cans.  After you turn them in at your local recycling building or supermarket, they are transported to a facility that melts down the cans and uses the aluminum to make new soda cans.  No raw materials are needed and the amount of energy to upcycle the cans is much less than when the cans are created from scratch.

Recycling is a term that is likely familiar to us.  Every week, we gather up last Sunday’s paper and rinse out our tin cans and milk cartons, place them in a specially marked container, and leave them out on the curb for a truck to come and take away.  Unlike upcycling, materials in the recycling process are degraded and converted into a product of a lesser quality.  An example of recycling is a deck chair made out of recycled milk jugs.  Recycled items extend the amount of time before material is introduced into a landfill, but eventually that deck chair will become brittle or fade or crack, and the only place for it is the garbage.

Both “cycling” methods are environmentally sound processes that help each of us to reduce our impact on this world.  Purchasing Barnwood furniture is a step in this direction.  According to the definitions above, reclaiming wood from old barns is definitely part of the upcycling process.  The wood does not undergo any changes and no new lumber is needed.  The only energy needed to construct this furniture is what is required to prepare the wood and pound the nails.  Furniture made from seasoned barn wood is extremely sturdy and will be dependable well into the future.  Purchase a Wyoming Reclaimed Barnwood Dining Room Set, starting at $403, to increase your home’s style and reduce your footprint.

Have you ever picked up a copy of a home decorating magazine and glanced through the pictures with awe?  Some of the most beautiful rooms, furniture, and accessories I’ve ever seen reside in those glossy photos.  I am always humbled by the creativity and eye for design that some people have.  Of course, I’m also thankful for those visionary people and the magazines they work for, because they are the purveyors of some really useful ideas that we can all incorporate into our own homes.

I also love how the magazines usually put a list of the items from the photos in the back of the magazine, along with their price and where you can look to find one of your own.  Those lists make shopping pretty darn easy, which I’m sure is their intended purpose.  Usually the only items not included in the back of the magazine are those that reside in the coveted cover image.  Those pieces get their own writeup, usually located somewhere around the table of contents.

Ah, the cover photo.  That is a prestigious piece of real estate.  Browsing customers are lured to pick up, leaf through, and then buy the magazine, largely in part to what they see on the cover.  Only the most beautiful pieces of furniture and attractive accessories find their way onto the outside of the magazine.

The Wyoming Reclaimed Barnwood Coffee Table is one of those pieces of furniture that is suitable to stun prospective buyers with its beauty and class.  This is a coffee table that exudes rustic character and classic elegance through its breathtaking exhibition of reclaimed Wyoming barn wood.  Even though it may typically be characterized as country decor, this would make a perfect addition to virtually any style of home.  With the attractive price of $519 and free shipping, adding this cover-worthy coffee table to your home is pretty and easy.

Add the Wyoming Reclaimed Barnwood Coffee Table to your living room for only $519.00 from this page.

Let’s be honest…reclaimed Barnwood furniture is expensive.  The price tag can be quite a  detractor for people who might otherwise readily welcome rescued barn wood furniture into their homes.  However, one must realize there are legitimate reasons for those hefty price tags.

Solid wood furniture like the Antler and Barnwood Nightstand is an investment that pays for itself over the course of time.  Consider the process that each rustic piece goes through before it arrives at your doorstep.  First, the timber spends a good many years as an integral part of an outdoor structure.  It becomes seasoned and hardened, enduring wind, weather, and scars from the activities and animals that it shelters.  Then, the lumber is carefully taken off the barn piece by piece and transported to a storage facility where it is inspected and selected for a specific use.  Once enough is collected for a piece of furniture, artisans cut and assemble it entirely by hand.  If a finish or accessories are to be applied, that is also completed with individual attention to detail.  A lot of time is spent on a single piece to ensure its quality is supreme and that it will achieve many years of stability and usefulness.  Caring human hands touch reclaimed Barnwood furniture many times before it leaves the shop where it was built.

On the other hand, furniture from the big box stores carries a much smaller and seemingly more affordable price tag.  It may look great when you first bring it home, but before long it is showing considerable wear and tear.  I have a nightstand that is made of particle board and veneer.  Sure, it looks like Barnwood from a distance.  At closer inspection, however, its appearance is not so pretty and the wood grain is obviously fake.  Even though it is only about two years old, the surface where I put my water bottle every night is becoming very worn and the particle board underneath is beginning to show through.  There are mysterious cracks in the headboard of the bed that matches the nightstand.  When the air becomes humid, the plywood and particle board swell under the veneer and crack it.  Gaps have appeared in some areas where the robots didn’t drill holes in the right area and the pieces aren’t fitting right as a result.  In a few more years, this seemingly affordable bedroom set is really going to be showing the wear and tear and will be coming close to the end of its useful life.

Even though rustic Barnwood furniture seems like a big splurge, it is actually much less expensive over time than its big box counterpart.  If you consider the useful life of solid wood that has been completely seasoned before it is crafted into furniture, you will find that it FAR exceeds the lifespan of its particle board and veneer cousin.  Next time you are shopping for furniture, keep that simple fact in mind and try to steer clear from the veneer.  You won’t be sorry.

Check out the Antler and Barnwood Nightstand for more details and you’ll  see that the discounted price of $695.00 is worth it.

There is a commercial running in my area that focuses on the dining room table.  Images of a busy family flash across the screen as the narrator talks about how the dinner table is the centerpiece of the family.  It is the place where you cautiously offer your baby his first spoonful of food, then where your precocious toddler throws his food, and eventually where your entire family gathers together for meals.  The dining room table is a common place for your kids’ friends to gather, for art projects to transpire, where complicated math homework is conquered.  It may even be the place where you write out letters to friends and family, figure the checkbook, put piles of clothes after you fold them and before you stash them away in their respective dressers.

Of course, we love our families and the hustle and bustle that comes along with them.  We may not love the mud that those kids track into our dining room, but we still don’t hesitate to serve up snacks and drinks for our kids and their friends.  We want the centerpiece of our family to offer the same kind of unconditional devotion that we mothers have for our children.  Dining room tables from the big box stores can’t withstand the rigors of a busy family.  They break, chip, crack, scratch and fall apart under the pressure.  Our centerpiece should be solid and sturdy and have the same amount of character as our youngest jokester son.

This is the description of a reclaimed Barnwood table.  It is built with the same timber that has kept a barn standing for decades, and proudly shows the scars that prove it.  It can put up with scissors and crayons and paint and still show up in its Sunday best for a formal family dinner.  The Cottage Barnwood Harvest Dining Table offers all of these characteristics with the added bonus of seating flexibility.  Choose from five different sizes and add benches, armchairs, or plain dining chairs to suit your family configuration best.  This table will be the perfect centerpiece for your family, from the first spoonful of food you offer your baby to the day that baby’s baby takes his first bite.

Bellying up to a bar is an activity that can be enjoyed year-round.  During the cold winter months, the bar is usually found indoors where the air is heated and the conversation is warm.  However, as the weather grows warmer and the days turn longer, beverages are enjoyed in many different locations.  Many bars take up residence in the backyard, where fire pits and barbeque grills rule the summer months.

Folks who are lucky enough to own a home with a walkout basement can enjoy the best of both worlds.  They can set up their bar just inside the doors that lead out to the patio so that thirsty visitors can come and go from inside to outside with the twist of a handle or the slide of a screen.  These are beverage hotspots that withstand the rigors of the elements while providing a carefree party venue.

These walk-up bars are often situated as part of a larger game and entertainment area.  The Lonestar Rustic Barnwood Bar is a perfect candidate for such a configuration.  It is a rather small piece with a large personality.  Its knotty pine construction resembles aged barnwood.  Nailhead trim around the bartop and a sturdy footrest give a nod to casual Western styling.  Matching barstools and tables complete the beverage area, while a Barnwood billiard table provides a surface for indoor entertainment.  Once this ensemble is in place, the only things left to add for the party are the beer and the bartender.  Bottoms up!

Ah, the season of spring!  Warm weather, greening grass, delicate flower blossoms, cheerful birds chirping.  It’s like a rebirth every year when the buds of the trees start pushing their way out to the ends of the branches.  Spring fever sets in and many of us make our way to the local gardening stores to pick out our flowered friends for our gardens, beds, and pots.

Spring may also bring on a different kind of rebirth.  Sometimes major cleaning projects get underway, and demolition of old sheds or garages or outbuildings is at the top of the “honey do” list.  While their removal makes way for a fresh new view or location for a new garden, the issue pervades of what to do with the wood and materials left over from the demolition of those buildings.  Obvious possibilities are to burn it or take it to the dump.  Or, perhaps, salvage some of the wood and reuse it for other projects.

Flower beds are an ideal location to used reclaimed wood.  Resourceful gardeners can use the boards to make hardscape planters that provide some vertical interest to a garden that otherwise may just draw the eyes horizontally.  Accent pieces like the Rustic Wagon Planter can be situated on patios or the front stoop and occupied with pretty pots of flowers or herbs.  This planter can be sawed and nailed together by an inspired DIYer, but is also available for purchase through JHE’s Log Furniture Place at a very affordable price.  For a minimal amount of effort, a touch of reclaimed wood can be added to your outdoor decor, showcasing your love for all things rustic.  Once this wagon planter is sitting on your doorstep, the compliments will start rolling in.

Back in my grade school days, art was my favorite subject.  When I was a kid I would make endless sketches on whatever I could find to write on, and I did not discriminate between using a pen, pencil, or even a crayon as my medium.  Art class was a way to expand my creativity with the opportunity to use so much more than pen and paper.

I remember one of the most abstract and challenging assignments we were given.  The project was a contour drawing, and the goal was to look at a live subject, touch writing utensil to paper, and draw without ever lifting the pen or taking your eyes off the subject.  So, basically, you make a “blind” drawing that is quite loopy and abstract.  It may seem difficult in theory, but it’s actually a refreshing way to exercise the right side of the brain.  Often the results are quite surprising and pleasing.  Some famous artists have even sold their contour pieces for high amounts of money.

If you are a connoisseur of contour art, you will appreciate the lines of the Groovy Stuff Reclaimed Teak Root Bench.  Teak tree roots have been hand selected, sanded and cut, then strategically placed along the back of this bench.  The finished product has the same carefree and abstract feel of a contour drawing.  Unlike a piece of fine paper art, this bench can be used either in or out of doors, thanks to the naturally occurring oils in teak wood that enable it to withstand a variety of environmental conditions.  This rustic reclaimed wood bench is even a suitable spot for you to sit on while you make your own contour drawings.