Tag: reclaimed wood

3 Design Trends to Transform Your Bedroom

Your bedroom is the first thing you see every morning and the last thing you see each night, shouldn’t it be your sanctuary?

Often we leave bedroom design as the last priority on our list, focusing more time on the common areas where we entertain. However, we think it’s time to create a warm, comforting space for you through simple bedroom updates! From updating your furniture to adding a splash of color to your walls, here are some current design trends that will instantly transform your bedroom.Canopy Bed

Cozy Up to a Canopy Bed 

Once seen as a symbol of wealth, the canopy beds of yesteryear were ornate and hand carved. Nowadays canopy beds are far more obtainable for the masses and come in a variety of styles.

We particularly like this piece made from reclaimed pine, and the best thing is that reclaimed barnwood beds are durable and built to last – a great piece to pass on through the generations.

bedroom wallpaperWallpaper’s Triumphant Return

One of the easiest ways to transform your bedroom is through wallpaper. With endless designs ranging from traditional to bold, wallpaper can set the mood for the space in a way that a simple paint job won’t do.

Wallpaper isn’t just the floral pattern you’ve seen at Grandma’s – modern wallpaper designs include stripes, chevron, or just add some subtle texture. If you have a bold print, consider using wallpaper to create an accent wall that draws the eye in.

The bonus? Wallpaper is said to last five times longer than paint – making it an economical choice and giving you savings to use in other rooms of your home.

reclaimed wood desk

The Ultimate Master Bedroom

Many are turning their master bedrooms into a ‘home within a home.’ A popular way to achieve this is by incorporating elements of a home office within the space. Adding a reclaimed wood desk to your bedroom can serve as the perfect space for those who require extra privacy while working.

Desks made from reclaimed wood can be custom built to suit your specific style and living space and the warmth of the wood keeps your entire bedrooms still feeling cozy and welcoming.

Ready to update your bedroom? Contact us to begin designing your one-of-a-kind reclaimed wood furniture.

Furniture Spring Cleaning: How to Freshen Up Your Home

The snow is melting, flowers are blooming and spring is in the air!

The arrival of spring means it’s time to clear out the house and start spring cleaning. Naturally, getting the clutter out of your life and showing your barnwood furniture some love is the perfect way to celebrate the season of renewal.

Cleaning Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Properly caring for your reclaimed wood furniture is crucial for long-term preservation. Barnwood kitchen table

  • Use a damp cloth and take great care to thoroughly dry the piece after wiping it down. Any excess water will seep into the natural cracks of the wood, damaging the piece and its finish.
  • Avoid silicone-based products and cleaning products with an ammonia base, as the chemicals in these cleaners can irritate the barnwood. Much of the barnwood used in our furniture is over 100 years more and proper care will keep it looking good for 100s more!

Now that your barnwood pieces are in tip-top shape it’s time to clean the rest of the house!

KitchenCleaning your bathroom

  • Sanitize Your Sink: Believe it or not your kitchen sink is home to more bacteria than a toilet seat. Combat this by disinfecting regularly, begin with soap and water, and then spray vinegar followed by mist of hydrogen peroxide. Take care not to mix the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
  • Goodbye Paper Towels: Eliminate waste by using microfiber cloths around the kitchen. They tackle messes and sanitize floors, tile and more. When you’re finished cleaning simply toss them into the washing machine!

Living Room

  • Keep Your Couch Fresh: Sofas and couches get a considerable amount of traffic in any home, leaving them prone to stains and dirt. When it’s time to show your upholstery some love there’s several household products you can use:
  1. Mild laundry detergent and warm water: Mix well and create suds, do not saturate the fabric. Allow the furniture to dry naturally.
  2. White Vinegar: A solid choice for tackling surface stains; make sure to follow up by cleaning with a soapy solution. Open windows and use a fan to help reduce the lingering smell of vinegar.
  3. Baby Wipes: The best choice for spot cleaning stains. Since they’re gentle there’s no fear that they’ll damage your furniture.

BathroomReclaimed wood bathroom

  • The Power of Citric Acid: You don’t always need harsh chemicals to tackle your toilet bowl, simply pour a teaspoon of Tang Drink Mix into the bowl and let the citric acid work its magic. This is ideal for households with furry friends, the drink mix is nontoxic ensuring no harm should it be ingested.
  • Clean Your Shower Curtain: Shower curtains and liners are a hotbed for mold and mildew, but all hope isn’t lost! Wash them with a load of towels, which will scrub them clean. Simply hang the curtain and liner back up to dry and you’re all set.

We hope these tips will help you tackle your spring cleaning. Looking to introduce reclaimed wood furniture into your home this spring? Contact us to begin designing your one-of-a-kind piece.

What’s your go-to cleaning tip? Tell us on Twitter @OldBarnStar!

3 Reasons to Incorporate Reclaimed Barnwood Chairs into Your Home

Seating is one of the most important aspects of your house – it what makes others feel welcomed and comfortable in your home.

Here at Old Barn Star we handcraft stylish chairs from reclaimed barnwood and customize them to fit your needs. With a variety of styles ranging from rustic to modern, our furniture will fit the aesthetic of any home.

Read on to discover why reclaimed wood chairs would be the perfect addition to your home.

Reclaimed barnwood chairs

  1. Rustic Flair: Reclaimed oak chairs and stools can completely transform the look and feel of your kitchen. Mixing and matching paint colors helps brighten the room and provide a focal point for your guests.

Reclaimed barnwood chairs

  1. A Touch of History: When crafting our barnwood furniture we use wood that’s over 100 years old, absolutely NO new wood is used. This gives your custom reclaimed wood chairs an interesting and unique history. Old nail holds, cracks and natural imperfections may remain, telling the story of materials that stood the test of time, literally!

Reclaimed barnwood chairs

  1. Truly One-of-a-Kind: We build our chairs to fit your unique requests. You can customize your furniture however you see fit, allowing you to obtain reclaimed wood pieces that can’t be found anywhere else. Let your personality shine through and we’ll craft a piece that is distinctly you.

Feeling inspired? Contact us today to start designing your custom reclaimed wood chairs.

Have you incorporated reclaimed wood furniture into your home? Send us a photo on Twitter @oldbarnstar!

Barnwood Trends for Your Home in 2016

Many see the New Year as a clean slate; making resolutions to better themselves throughout the year. Here at Old Barn Star our only resolution is to continue bringing our customers the highest quality handmade reclaimed wood furniture. You can start the year off right by incorporating these barnwood trends into your home.

Go Beyond Frames With Unique Artwork

Barnwood Signs 

 No matter your style or personal taste, there’s a way to work barnwood signs into your home. Painted wood signs are perfect for those who enjoy the classic look of vintage hand painted storefronts. You can easily adorn your walls with your favorite quote or image. Those who desire a more rustic aesthetic will prefer wood burned images and phrases. To create truly one-of-a-kind designs, assorted pieces of barnwood can be assembled together.

Barnwood sign

 

Add a New Focal Point to Any Room

Barnwood Accent Wall

Adding a reclaimed barnwood accent wall to your bedroom, living room or bathroom is a great way to add texture to your home. The floor to ceiling barnwood creates an instant focal point, immediately drawing the eye of your guests. Utilizing a variety of paint stains and finishes can add color and contrast, while old weathered planks provide a rustic feel. Accent walls also serve as the perfect place to display artwork or install unique lighting fixtures.

 

Put Your Green Thumb to Good Use

Barnwood Vertical Garden

 

For those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty vertical gardens displayed in reclaimed wood frames can bring a touch of charm to any room. This living wall art works best with succulents, allowing you incorporate splashes of color to your home. Succulents are easy to care for and typically only need to be watered once a week, making this a fairly easy to maintain installation. Vertical gardens can also be installed outdoors, the perfect decoration for the summer months and hosting gatherings.

We hope these ideas inspire you to give your home a new look this year. Interested in incorporating barnwood furniture in your home? Feel free to contact us to begin designing your custom pieces.

What barnwood design trends are you excited about this year? Tell us here in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter!

Reclaimed Barnwood Hutch: A Rustic Solution to Your Clutter Problem

Take inventory of your home. Survey your bedrooms, living rooms and hallways. Do you notice detritus? Yes, DETRITUS, the unhappy enemy of an orderly home. It comes to us in many forms.

Are there magazines and newspaper, random tools or other pieces of clutter cramping your style? It may be time to order them neatly in a reclaimed barnwood corner hutch from Old Barn Star.

reclaimed barnwood rustic hutch

For the uninitiated, a hutch is a piece of furniture with combinations of shelves and drawers that also has a flat, counter-like top upon which you can stack things. It’s the perfect remedy for a cluttered house. If you want to display your book spines, you can do so on an exposed shelf, but if you’d rather hide your extensive collection of Mad magazines from the 1960s, stow them safely in the cabinets.

reclaimed hutch

Do you have an abundance of knick-knacks? Never fear, there’s a hutch for that, too. Slip your assorted things into drawers like those pictured above. For all those miscellaneous items you’ve accrued over the years and all those trinkets that you can’t explain, you now have a home. When they’re out of sight, they’re out of mind, but if you ever need to find that particular crescent wrench, lint roller, rubber band ball, etc. you know just where to find it — safe and sound in your hutch.

A nice reclaimed barnwood hutch is the perfect way to clean up your house and keep it cozy at the same time. Our rustic hutch products present a nice, timeless aesthetic to help give any room definition. During holidays, you can use them as buffet tables and they store your various items year round. On top of that, they just look nice, and they can enrich your home.

We also offer unfinished hutches, so you can personalize your hutch and give your home the exact rustic styling that you desire.

Where could you use a rustic reclaimed barnwood hutch in your home? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Amish Spring Traditions and How Reclaimed Barnwood Furniture Fits In

Spring, the season of pastoral renewal, is upon us again. Some winters, it’s easy to forget that it will ever return, but we quickly acclimate to the freedom of sunny days, lush flowers returning and even youthful love.

It’s the best season to order an Amish reclaimed wood table from Old Barn Star and have a meal in the sunshine. Our tradition is taken from the Amish, a culture that appreciates a beautiful spring day as much as any other. Let’s look at how the Amish welcome the springtime.

amish reclaimed barn wood in spring time
IMG Src: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Amish_country.jpg

Springtime Amish Traditions

The Amish live their lives by the calendar because the calendar guides agriculture and many of their endeavors. Spring is the time for newlyweds to move in together. After the wedding, the groom begins to grow his beard. The Amish beard is a symbol for marriage that, like the fields and flowers, begins its journey of growth in spring.

Early spring is a time of preparation when Amish societies position themselves advantageously for the rest of spring. You’re likely to see industrious farmers tilling the freshly-thawed soil of their fields to ready it for seeds and to remove weeds. Then, the farmers plant and fertilize their crops.

reclaimed wood table for springtime

Spring is also one of two times per year the Amish hold communion. This rite typically ends with participants washing one another’s feet symbolically to honor the ancient customs of foot washing in biblical times, when travellers wore sandals.

Lastly, spring is a time the Amish use to sell their handcrafted products at market. With the entrepreneurship in the field, the same spirit persists in the workshop, where they produce wares like reclaimed barnwood furniture, baskets and quilts. It’s this culture we hope to represent with our rustic reclaimed wood pieces.

Whatever walk of life you hail from, spring is a season of activity. Take some time to get out there and appreciate it!

What are you doing to herald spring’s arrival? Tell us about it on Facebook and Twitter, and keep checking the blog for more updates!