Have you ever looked at your kitchen countertops and thought of replacing them with reclaimed wood? If you’re looking for ideas about how to use salvaged wood in your kitchen, here’s some advice.
Why Reuse Old Wood?
- Harder than new lumber
- Popular distressed look
- It looks great in any style kitchen
- It gives usable wood a second chance
- It’s part of a green lifestyle
What is Reclaimed Wood?
Also known as salvaged wood, reclaimed wood is rescued primarily from old barns. It also comes from abandoned properties and closed businesses like general stores, pubs, wineries and breweries. At Maryland Wood Countertops, we’ve even worked with wood salvaged from boat yards. If you have a piece built from our salvaged wood, chances are you’ll add a piece of history in your home.
We quality-assure each of our reclaimed wood pieces. We examine pieces multiple times, even using a metal detector to ensure that no metal remains. It’s common to find nails and screws in reclaimed wood.
After inspection, we sand down rough areas or fill them with epoxy. We leave knotholes and insect holes, along with peg, hook and hinge marks to maintain the rustic character of your unique reclaimed wood countertops.
Replacing Your Old Countertops
Reclaimed wood countertops add a rustic touch to your kitchen while maintaining a traditional kitchen ambiance. Chestnut is a great choice if you want an eye-catching wood that won’t overshadow your kitchen. Chestnut can be golden brown or honey-colored, so either shade will brighten up your kitchen.
Reclaimed pine is another popular choice for countertop projects. Pine has a lot of character. It’s a luxurious reddish brown with prominent knotholes and a wavy grain. It looks good with other woods, like your hardwood floor, but will be the standout wood in your kitchen.
Adding Wood to Existing Stone Surfaces
Reclaimed woods and stone can work well together. A great way to add salvaged wood to a kitchen with stone countertops is to add a wood island top, which creates extra eating or prep space.
Reclaimed chestnut has knotholes, smaller dark spots and a lustrous grain. It can add warmth to a white kitchen and also looks beautiful with light blue walls, as we recently discovered during a client’s reclaimed chestnut countertop project. One client asked us to add reclaimed chestnut to her stone countertop. She wanted a kitchen bar where her children could hang out while she cooked dinner.
A Strong, Rustic Solution for the Kitchen
Reclaimed oak is your best choice if you need a tough, durable wood for your kitchen surfaces. Reclaimed white oak is a creamy brown that looks stunning near darker hardwoods.
We also like reclaimed oak paired in the same piece with other reclaimed woods for an authentic, old-fashioned style. One of our favorite pieces to build for a client was a reclaimed heart pine basement bar. While designed for a basement entertainment area, try to imagine that bar top as your kitchen countertop. It would certainly bring a genuine rustic feel to your kitchen.
Our Maryland Wood Countertops design team is waiting to work with you and bring your reclaimed wood countertop ideas to life. Call us at 443-840-7373 to schedule a consultation.