We went to Pinterest to curate a collection of reclaimed wood projects from small to large that might inspire you as you decorate your new home – or your old home!
Who doesn’t love a great reclaimed wood project? Not us!
First, let’s define what we mean by reclaimed wood projects. By definition, it’s very simple. Reclaimed wood is defined as “any wood used for building or furniture that’s already served a purpose in a previous life.” (Altruwood.com) This Old House references several benefits of using reclaimed wood in your home for decor or function:
- environmentally friendly
- inexpensive (or even free!)
- unique patina, age and character
- may be ‘old growth’ wood that is no longer available otherwise
- has it’s own history
We know you didn’t come here for the history or the definitions. So without further ado here are seventeen great examples of reclaimed wood projects you might want in your own new house.
17 New Home Must-Have Reclaimed Wood Projects
1. 2. 3. Racks, racks, and more racks! Reclaimed wood even in not-so-great-shape can still be repurposed. These DIY reclaimed wood projects show how a simple board adorned with antique door knobs can become an instant jewelry rack. Old nails turn another rough wood board into an elegant wine glass rack.
A wide stenciled board with iron piping becomes and instant farmhouse-industrial laundry room clothes hanging rack. Though not technically a rack, in the laundry room note how they also used reclaimed wood to build a floating folding shelf and another to hold supplies just above.
4. 5. 6. Wall art, trendy chevron wall decor and picture frames all crafted from reclaimed wood. These projects all show how easy it is to DIY wall decor and artwork in your new home.
7. 8. 9. 10. Reclaimed wood home accents. We love – LOVE! – how one home owner turned a long piece of distressed, painted wood into a curtain rod. This would be great for a window where you want to use tie-backs, especially since it will always leave your curtains perfectly spaced – pleats will fall exactly where you want and they will always be centered perfectly.
Another of our favorites, the simple piece of old wood-turned-family-heirloom with hand prints. This would be a great project to do as children are born and as they grow up. We also love the pet feeding station. Not only is this on-trend with farmhouse-industrial, it’s also gets pet bowls off the floor where they’re often kicked and spilled.
11. 12. 13. Reclaimed wood projects for the home don’t have to be small, they can also be large-scale for maximum impact. Attach several boards of the same length together with brackets underneath and build a folding and supplies workbench for your laundry room. Stagger reclaimed boards and attach with exposed nails for a rustic home office desk or study area. Large railroad-like timbers could be ideal for a large-scale floor mirror for your bedroom, master bedroom closet, dramatic entryway, dining or living room.
14. 15. 16. 17. Form and function all over the house! Even small pieces of wood don’t have to go to waste. Check out these memo boards which would be perfect for your drop zone or mudroom. A long reclaimed board can become an instant piece of decor and family heritage as a ruler where you can track your kids’ growth without marking up the walls AND fill your desire for great decor in the process. And last but not least, this reclaimed board is a big hit outdoors where it can be used to house flowers or even your herb garden.
Perhaps best of all, these DIY home decorating projects prove that you don’t need to have a whole lot of training or expensive tools to turn old wood into new treasures.