Each Table Tells a Story: The Reclaimed Wood of Saltwoods
For the story of our reclaimed wood, we need to go back in time, in two steps. Before your hand-crafted table enters your home, it’s had a very long history.
We salvage the wood from abandoned barns, mills and factories of New England (and occasionally elsewhere; each table is individually built by a craftsman and branded with the exact coordinates of its salvage).
Most of these old New England structures were built between the 1700s and the 1920s. Many of them were built by early generations of citizens of our new country; maybe some by the earliest. Historically-relevant buildings are justly protected as national treasures. Sadly, many of these New England barns did not hold up well enough to be preserved. However, the wood they were built with remained undamaged. In a way, they have a second life as your custom-designed table.
Of course, the history of the wood used in our tables goes back even further. The barns and other structures they were salvaged from were built using trees from old New England’s pristine, largely undisturbed forests, in the days before industrialization, pollution and deforestation. So-called “old-growth forests” are quite different from new-growth. Trees from old-growth forests are large; the wood is stronger and harder than more recent growths.
These days, old-growth forests are being preserved when possible, but at the time these rural New England barns and mills were built, there was no shortage of trees. These trees were harvested long ago. In fact, both the age of the trees at the time of harvest, and their years of use, give them a character and quality that is unmatched by typical modern wood-mill wood.
Our reclaimed wood has variations in color, ring pattern and size. While mass-production manufacturers cut away knots, holes and other “imperfections,” we prize these as the wood’s own unique beauty. That’s what makes our tables so striking – their ancient wood and past lives. These variations are the spice and allure that makes our tables so much more satisfying than the typical generic furniture-store product.
Why use reclaimed wood?
These trees, which remained undisturbed for centuries, were tall and strong. They grew in a time without pollutants to weaken their structure, in clean, clear air, under an unveiled sun. Their wood is denser, stronger and more imperious to rot. Moreover, reclaimed wood means recycled, re-used natural resources, a very environmentally-friendly approach. And most importantly, reclaimed wood has unique features that stem from its age.
Under the expert hands of our craftsmen, the wood reveals its charm and radiance. As you live with your table, you can feel a connection to the primeval woodland that grew it. We’re proud that our tables serve as a central hub for dinners, gatherings of friends and family, and quiet evenings. Reclaimed wood combined with the care of hand-craftsmanship produces not just a table but a functional, unique piece of art and history that will warm your home for many, many years to come.
