Sometimes you find a diamond in the rough.
Early last year, my friend approached me about salvaging siding and other items from their barn they were going to demolish. Trust me, I have driven by old barns and white knuckled the steering wheel with the urge to pull over and put on my tool belt, and armed with prybar and hammer, get to work.
I said, “Send me a picture.” She complied. The picture text I received on my Iphone looked like a relatively small shed rather than a barn. I had to jump on it.
When someone offers you a gem like this, I believe in being fair. After all, these items assist me in my repurposing/recycling/refinishing. I will use old wood for furniture, tops, shelves, home décor……really, a lot of things. I insisted that if I were to salvage the wood from this shed/barn, then it would be only fair that I haul off the debris. She also indicated I would be able to help myself to the endless rusty goodness inside. I was excited.
In July, I headed to her house with a set of bags(tool belt) and some hand tools.
Ummm, if there was ever a “Items are larger than they appear” disclaimer, this would be one of them. This was a barn, just as she said. Not a shed as I saw it. A Barn. I said, a Barn. Full of awesome stuff.
Yeah, I was going to need some help. Good thing I also own a construction company with my brother.
I called in the big guns, my brother Shawn. This is nothing new to him. He already had a garage full of my furniture projects, in addition to our company office, our woodshop and a few items in our offsite commercial storage facility.
He always has a can-do attitude and is very supportive of my “other business”. We salvaged old windows, shutters, shelving, black walnut and maple hardwoods, nesting boxes, gluelam beams, hardware, saddles, old doors, and old wood cook stove, cow milking stools, and siding. I am sure there are other items, but I am operating on memory because a lot of it is still in my brothers garage. 😊
I can’t even remember how many trailer loads of items we came home with but it was a lot. Dreamy.
Since then, I have fabricated several tables, hutches, shelf units, frames and so much more.
In return, I promised my friend a headboard and two nightstands. They will be timeless pieces built with memories from their barn.
Be happy in what you do.
Daphne