Adding character to a room is essential to make it beautiful and appealing. Sometimes, it takes a unique item or accent to achieve this. Wood paneling that has been reclaimed is a great way to upgrade the look of any room. Wood has an innate beauty at any age. What’s more, it is sustainable, allowing you to do your part in helping the environment.
The patterns on wood create a visual effect that is pleasing to the eye and compliments other colors and features of a room. Reclaimed wood, which can be considered as an art honed by time and nature, is also a way of adding a touch of history to your home. Imagine getting wood from ancient ships or old houses–it will truly be a conversation piece.
Here are just some things to consider when utilizing reclaimed wood wall paneling in your renovation:
1. Consider Where To Put The Wooden Wall
Reclaimed wooden walls work best when they’re used as an accent and do not overpower a room. Plan carefully where to put your reclaimed wood wall paneling so they wouldn’t look out of place. Wooden walls can add so much to a room, such as warmth, texture, as well as character. Some things to consider when using reclaimed wood is to keep furniture pieces and other elements in the room simple. This way, the wooden wall will stand out and will truly be the focus in the room.
One of the places to consider adding wooden wall paneling would be the bedroom wall. In a bedroom, it would be good to put the reclaimed wood on the headboard as a point of focus. In the living room, you can consider putting the reclaimed wood near the staircase to give it some focus and depth. You can also put repurposed wooden walls in the bathroom. Put it behind a clawfoot tub to add some historical ambiance. You can also use it to offset light or artworks.
2. Consider Proportion And Color
Consider proportion and color when putting up reclaimed wood wall paneling. When you are using wooden walls, you should make sure that these look proportional to the effect you want to achieve. Make sure you have enough wood to achieve height if that is your goal. If you just want a small wooden accent piece, make sure it works well with the rest of the room. Another factor to consider is color. There is a vast array of reclaimed wood; they can look rough, gray, smooth, or hewn. For best results, you should use a neutral or white paint for the rest of the room.
3. Choose The Right Reclaimed Wood
You can get reclaimed wood from a variety of sources. A good place to get them is through Manomin Resawn Timbers. You can get them from old ships, barns, sheds, mills, and commercial structures. It is possible to get the best reclaimed wood if you know where to look and do proper research.
Especially if you live in a place where there are many barns, you may find it easier to stumble upon reclaimed wood. You may source them directly from the owners of an old barn, and they might be more amenable to give it away to you, especially if you haul it away yourself. If this isn’t a viable option for you, you can go to local excavation companies since they are mostly responsible for demolishing old buildings and structures, so they most likely have discarded wooden materials in their stores.
Furthermore, you might want to look for wooden materials that are closer to your area because shipment can be a problem. These are large and heavy, and shipping them to long distances can be a hassle and quite costly.
If you look for wood online, it may look different when you see it in its actual state. The colors may be off, and the wood grain may not be to your liking. What’s worse, it may not complement the rest of your interiors.
4. Find Wooden Pieces In Good Condition
Reclaimed wood may have parts that are unusable, thus you have to look for wooden parts that are still in good condition and can still be used. You have to look for wood that is not overly warped or has bug infestation. Reclaimed wood may sometimes be brittle and non-uniform, and this requires extra steps to make it usable. It requires carving the tongue and groove parts, and milling the surface to make it smooth. However, do not be afraid of wood finishes that have some roughness because this is a distinct mark of their history.
Old wood that has come directly from a demolished building must have nails removed. They should also be cut to the right proportions in order to be suitable for your particular projects. You need a professional to cut the wood and make it conform to your design purpose.
You should also consider using high-quality wood instead of the cheaper ones. High-quality wood means you will have more pieces that will be usable, while cheaper wood would mean there would be more pieces that you would have to get rid of.
If you live in a place where reclaimed wood is hard to come by, you can always use a little creativity to create that reclaimed look. Get new pieces of wood from the hardware and stain them to look like reclaimed wood. It will have the same effect, and nobody but you will notice.
Final Thoughts
Reclaimed wood is beautiful and durable. It also has a rich history, which is manifested in its marks, roughness, and grooves. Reclaimed wood is also more environmentally friendly and tougher, unlike virgin wood. But, in order for it to become a spectacle in your home, you need to know in which areas you can to incorporate it, as well as the right proportion and color of reclaimed wood to use. Furthermore, you need to do proper research in order for you to find the best reclaimed wood for your home renovation project.
