Visit to a Reclaimed Lumber “Showroom”
Which reclaimed lumber is right for you? OR should I say “just how old do you want this to look?”
It seems that everyone is obsessed with Shiplap these days – ever since Chip and Joanna Gaines salvaged their first wall for their show Fixer-Upper more than five years ago – the industry is crazy for reclaiming the past. Lowes and Home Depot even have their own versions of this latest fad. Shiplap isn’t the only form of reclaimed lumber or salvaged materials that have become mainstream for interior design. I’m currently working on a few projects that might require some reclaimed wall surface material, so I invited my client along for a showroom visit to REAL ANTIQUE WOOD located in Irvington, NJ. My husband and I are also using some of their product for our Cistern to Wine Cellar conversion – so check out that blog to see what material we chose and how we are using it!
The owners of RAW (yeah, I love how this abbreviation of their name works, too!) source their wood from old barns throughout NJ, PA and Ohio. They even have a section of reclaimed pieces from Indonesia (but that’s another blog entirely.) Anthony, the general manager was really helpful in explaining our options. Fortunately these guys can mill the wood for our specific needs and taste – but remember that all comes at a price.
Their basic natural plank is approximately 1” thick - between 9”-12” wide – and 84” in length. The fronts of the planks are weathered gray from exposure to the elements. The backs of the planks are closer to a brown tone. If you were to install this directly onto your wall you would have an uneven front surface as the “hills and valleys” of the planks vary sometimes up to ½”. Let’s face it – this is RUSTIC to be sure. And while I love adding a bit of history and natural texture to a space – it’s part of my job to help guide my clients to the perfect quantity, balance, mixture or combination of every element to a space. I am also ALL ABOUT FUNCTIONALITY – who is going to dust this? Will the kids get a splinter? How will the wall need to be prepared to install it? The questions are endless and IMPORTANT to consider!
Anthony explained that they can plane the planks down to ¾” – this cutting the back side of the plank to make them more consistent. But you need to consider that if you start changing the front profile to make it more consistent then you will lose the beautiful gray-silver tone! The other element you can customize is the profile edge of the plank. This is where a true shiplap edge can be added so that the boards have a slight but consistent gap between each other. They can also add a tongue and groove profile similar to what you would commonly use for floor boards.
Then you need to pick the actual material of the planks, this comes down to what they have in their inventory, the species of wood, whether the barn was previously painted – the list of variables seems endless! In the end my client and I came up with a combination of wood, color and profile to merge with the rest of the elements in the space. Of course, this was after another visit from her husband. Guys always seem to want to get involved with the decisions that involve WOOD! (I will post images of that installation in a future blog.)