Wood...n't You Know! Beautiful Ways to Use Reclaimed Wood in Design

Hello! I’m so excited to chat about Reclaimed, Repurposed, Salvaged, Recycled and Urban Salvaged Wood and how you can incorporate these materials in your design — and why it is so important. I recently watched a show, hosted by broadcaster, David Attenborough, A Life on Our Plant, a MUST WATCH! So good and important. And one of the topics was trees and how important they are to the health of our planet and to us! So with that in mind, I decided it was time for a blog post about reclaimed wood — since I talk about it in all three of my Salvage Design books and use it constantly in my interior design work, whether it is my residential projects or hospitality and commercial ones. :)

The back wall of this townhouse was given gorgeous texture and depth by reclaimed wood found at the local non-profit, ReBuild Center, dark and covered in dirt. I cleaned them (with a scrub brush and a mixture of soap, water and bleach), let dry well, and then I whitewashed them for the builders, who applied it to the wall in a chevron pattern. The farmhouse table was also made from reclaimed wood found at the local Salvage Shop, including the old porch posts, that were used as the legs. The mismatched chairs were found at Habitat for Humanity. Photo by Susan Teare

Don’t Judge a Book by It’s Cover

Many times reclaimed old wood that you see at a salvage yard, recycle center or lumber yard is very dark due to oxidation, dirty and dust. Remember, that it will be either sanded well or planed so the natural color will shine through. So bring a piece of sandpaper and a bottle of water with you — to test the wood colors (sand a little area and then pour water on it — which will give you an idea of what the wood will look like with a sealer on it — such as polyurethane, wax or Osmo.)

In this townhouse vacation rental, we added character to the fireplace wall by creating a bookshelf surrounding it. We used reclaimed dimensional lumber and painted it black. The books we found at our local library used book sale. Photo by Susan Teare

Types of Reclaimed Wood

We all naturally think of old wood from factory floors, or old buildings that are being deconstructed — and that is great — but there are so many more types of wood you can use that are from second hand sources. There is dimensional lumber (you know, 2 x 4’s, plywood, etc.) that are usually found at Rebuild centers, or online on your local forums. There is also Urban Salvage wood — which is wood that has to be cut down from a local city or town due to disease or construction — these are usually gorgeous old tree species that are very hard to find today. There are companies that work with the city’s and town’s to help them with these — so they don’t go into the chipper (shudder). And of course, let’s not forget all the amazing second hand wood furniture pieces out there.

This table was custom made using reclaimed wood from a barn that was deconstructed by the local architectural salvage store. The wood pieces, which I handpicked, where gorgeous pieces. From a late 1700’s barn to a modern farmhouse table, filled with gorgeous character, it is a looker! It only given a light gray stain before it was sealed so you can still see all the grain lines and other natural character through it. This modern style farmhouse table, fits perfectly in this contemporary lake house. Photo by Susan Teare

When I’m Looking for Wood

Depending on what I need, will inform where I go first. If I’m looking for dimensional lumber to paint black and create bookshelves, I’ll go to my local ReBuild center. If I’m looking for gorgeous old urban salvaged wood for a solid table top, I go to the lumber mill that takes those in. If I’m looking for old wood for paneling, flooring, or barn doors, then I head directly to my Salvage Store — such as an Architectural Salvage Shop or a place like Salvage Works, who basically have a grocery store for reclaimed wood. Many times, when I’m working on a renovation project, I ask the clients and builder to set aside all the wood from the demo — and then we reincorporate it back into the project. Heck, even reclaimed Urban Lumber has a network that you can search your town for on it.

When a client calls me, they usually know my passion for using reclaimed and local materials. Here in this gorgeous lakefront home, the fireplace is local slate and the owners created the exterior of the building using old wood bleacher seats from the local university. I was thrilled to see the owner’s son create a gorgeous coffee table out of reclaimed live edge wood. Even just considering reclaimed wood in your furnishings is a step in the right direction. Photo by Susan Teare

What to Consider

It is always good to get your wood from a place to really understands it. If you are looking for reclaimed wood that is for a structural purpose (such as beams in a home), then get them from a place that can help with weigh bearing issues, loads, and much more. Also, budget will play a factor in your choices. Every location measures wood differently — some charge by the linear foot and others by the square foot. Drying, cleaning and caring for the wood is important before it is used — so consider if it is worth paying extra for the perfect salvage yard wood — or are you going to do that yourself? The character, strength, depth of wood is so vast that I recommend that you go and look at it and see what all your options are.

This interior design project was tons of fun — hard to believe this room used to be a storage room. One of the wood walls we cut open to allow the dining room and the kitchen to be integrated and the piece of wood that was cut out, we set aside which became the kitchen’s island table. Reusing what you already have is always the best choice. The wood corner cabinet the homeowner found at her local architectural salvage shop. It was brown but she painted it white to blend in with the white subway tile wall. Photo by Susan Teare

Why Use Reclaimed Wood

Because the beauty and soul it brings to your design project is immeasurable. But even more important then that, it helps us reuse what we already have, save exotic and old growth trees from being cut down, and it creates jobs. Yes, it may seem be a little bit more work to educate yourself on the best choices, to but if you go to the right places, they will make it simple for you.

This old 1800’s barn was converted into a camp, then converted into a family home. One of my favorite bathrooms I have designed is this updated bathroom with local slate tile, a vintage wood dresser turned vanity and the wood from the exterior of the building that was removed for bigger windows, used as the sliding barn door to the room. Proving that you can have a modern look using salvaged materials. The dresser, once brown and scuffed up, got a beautiful coat of black stain. I love using old furniture and converting them into bathroom vanities. Character, style and texture are added when you bring in pieces with history and soul. Photo by Lindsay Selin

From here to there. Read all about it…

Hope you get a chance to read my books… Here is the cover of my latest Salvage Design book, Styling with Salvage, by Joanne Palmisano, Photos by Susan Teare. This yummy photo by Carey Nershi.

Grab your vintage wooden bowl full of popcorn and go watch the movie, A LIFE on OUR PLANET. :) Great for the whole family.

XOXO Joanne

5 BEFORE + AFTER -- INEXPENSIVE DESIGN UPDATES FOR YOUR HOME + VACATION RENTAL

My last post was in April. So much has changed in the world. Many of it for the better. We have learned to pivot, understand our limits and our levels of compassion and understanding. We have learned to make do — and do better. I ready to make changes for the better. I hope moving forward I can play my role in that.

As I find myself getting a ton of calls about small renovation projects, updates for vacation rentals from all states (virtual design is now a new reality), I realize that folks are craving ways they can physically make changes to their homes, boutique hospitality locations and businesses. We all need something we feel we have control over — and if it is a small DIY Home Improvement project — then so be it.

I thought I’d share a few before and afters of things I’ve designed and have featured in my latest book, Rock Your Rental (I wrote with my twin sister, Rosanne) to inspire you. I’m thinking of you all and looking forward to the time we can all be together again soon. xoxo Joanne

BEFORE

AFTER - CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE THE ENTIRE PROJECT

AT BEAR MOUNTAIN INN, MAINE. There were so many transformations at this lovely inn, you need to see them to believe. It was a fun project and many of the rooms required only cosmetic changes to make them stand out as a modern, yet keep the charm of this lake region Maine Inn. From a reclaimed wood panel wall to a painted headboard, walls and floors. To adding beadboard ceiling and new light fixtures… These changes have truly made this room inviting and welcoming. After Pic: Molly + Victoria Photography

BEFORE

This PROJECT HOUSE 2019 for magazines, Cottages and Bungalows and American Farmhouse Style, was a fun project. I was asked to be one of the three designers for this project — I choose the three bedrooms. I did these almost entirely virtually (even before COVID) except for the one day install and styling of all three bedroom. I picked out the peel and stick wallpaper from Wall Flora online, the Ethincraft Bed, Parachute Bedding, then headed to The Vermont Antique Mall to grab all the amazing vintage pieces that we added to the rooms. To see another one of my rooms I designed check out the pages of the magazine at the Yankee Barn Homes link. Photo by Ridge Light Studios

BEFORE

AFTER

Sometimes you just can’t see the forest through the trees. I find myself walking into a vacation rental design project or home renovation project and realizing that the owners just can’t see the whole picture because they are too close to it. This vacation rental redo (check out all the pics here) was fun because it was all about adding some character — through built-in shelving, updated furnishings, rearranging layout and adding some styling — we totally transformed the space. This transformation has dramatically increased the rental rate and booking rate of this townhouse. Look around your space — can you arrange things differently, can you add some texture — like shelving, beadboard, shiplap, or gorgeous flooring, that will bring comfort and enjoyment to you and your guests.

BEFORE

AFTER

Who has a room in their house or vacation rental that they really would love to take from awkward to awe-inspiring. Here is your chance. In this vacation rental transformation I did in Michigan with owners, we took a small angled-ceiling bedroom and created built-in twin beds. There was no way that this room would ever accommodate a double bed comfortable — so why force it. Not only did we take advantage of the angled wall, but now there is more room to move around, store stuff and enjoy. Check out the rest of this Victorian Home turned Vacation Rental Transformation.

BEFORE

AFTER

Open shelving, new cabinets, farmhouse sink, wood hood vent, custom vintage island, these seem like big changes, but taken one at a time, they can easily be done. This budget vacation rental home transformation took a small cramped space and transformed it into an inviting, charming lakefront cottage style kitchen. The beadboard behind the salvaged wood shelving are panels from the hardware store and the island is an vintage table with a salvaged piece of butcher block. Ikea cabinets and sink, and budget friendly glass pendant lights.

Rosanne and I wrote this book to help boutique hospitality locations like Inns, B&B’s, Motels, Boutique Vacation Rentals, make simple design and marketing changes without breaking the bank, but what we have found that homeowners who want to do simple renovations are loving it as well. We are thrilled the book has received all 5-star reviews! :) We hope you will check it out!

My best, Joanne

BEDROOM LOVE... Every Style and Design

I did a bedroom post in January because the weather was chilly. Now I’m going to add more because we are spending lots more time at home and sometimes it is fun to get a peek at another bedroom or two. Here are a few of the different styles I’ve done for clients - -many of these are vacation rentals, boutique hotels, motels and resorts — that are featured in my new book, Rock Your Rental, that I wrote with my twin sister Rosanne (a marketing expert). Thrilled that the book is doing so well and it is not only inspiring vacation rental owners but homeowners who want to make some changes to their rooms with a small budget. So without further ado — the bedroom blitz. Be well. xoxo J

Pops of color help when listing a rental property — from our new book, Rock Your Rental.

Transformed this room with reclaimed wood and a DIY light fixture. Make sure to seal old wood with paint very well.

A bench at the end of the bed — a great ideas especially in hospitality design — a page from our book, Rock Your Rental. A newly updated room at Basin Harbor Club.

A budget friendly vacaiton rental bedroom redo — a wall mural and a painted vintage dresser.

This vintage dresser used to be in another room. Don’t get rid of all your stuff when renovating, it could be used in another space.

Barn door sliders are much easier to make than you think. Here are Mad River Barn — we created a wall to give the queen bed a little privacy from the bunk room.

Even a day bed by a window counts — I created these pillows out of vintage wall hangings made with embroidery and crewel work.

Loved making this pillows with my daughter — out of the old wood blankets that used to be on the beds at Mad River Barn. We boiled them on high heat to give them a more closed texture look and feel.

Close up details of the new paneling, wallpaper and custom pillow.

Always love it when TruexCullins Architecture and Interiors brings me in to be a part of their design team on specific projects, including this amazing motel redo in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

So crawl in :) Kid’s rooms are fun to design… Styling it like someone just jumped up from reading and a nap. Photo Lindsay Selin.

The wide angle shot of the headboard at Main and Mountain Motel. Love it when we get to create custom furniture pieces for beds. Photo Lindsay Selin.

A cozy romantic bedroom in a Michigan Airbnb. Before this room used to be all purple (see the before and after page to check it out).

In the charming rustic cabin, called Sugar Maple Cottage, at Bear Mountain Inn, during the renovations of the inn, barn and cabin, we re positioned the bed and added a vintage dresser — now it really flows nicely. We didn’t have to add hard-wiring electrical to our budget — we used plug-in wall sconces. Photo Molly & Victoria.

At Basin Harbor Resort and Boat Club, the Champlain House, a six room building built in 1920’s, we dreamed of summer days by the lake, so we upgraded all these rooms to a have a nautical and inviting summer cottage feel while reusing some of the furnishings and bringing in some vintage pieces as well. Custom Etsy pillows, a blanket by Pine Cone Hill, and cool wallpaper are just of the few of the features in these updated rooms. Photo Orchard Cove Photography.

Don’t let an awkward room stop you from doing something clever, this tiny room with an angled ceiling used to have a double bed in it — totally difficult to get around — now this room, with its built-in twin beds against the wall with shiplap design, is cozy and makes the room much more usable.

Updating the 14 rooms in the original farmhouse turned historic lodge building at Basin Harbor was really exciting, because we were able to show that you can keep the charm of an historic space, while making it comfortable and clean for today’s modern traveler. Linen bed skirt, cotton bed throw, vintage style pillows and gorgeous blue wallpaper and some vintage style bass lamps, blend beautifully in this cozy space. Photo Susan Teare.

This farmhouse building, built sometime in the early 1800’s, was updated but not wanting to lose the feel, and with a small budget, we stuck with soft colors, lots of textures and kept things simple.

There are 74 cottages on the 700 acre property at Basin Harbor Resort and slowly we are renovating each one to reflect their unique personalities while updated amenities for the guests. Photo Susan Teare.

This guest room at Bear Mountain Inn, didn’t have a bathroom but had a giant closet. So we turned things around — we tucked the bed into the closet — added a gorgeous reclaimed wood headboard and some wall sconces, then we had enough room to add a bathroom. Getting creative with space in a bedroom can add a whole bunch of possibilities. Photo Molly & Victoria.

When asked by Cottages and Bungalows and American Farmhouse Style magazine to work with them and Yankee Barn Homes on their 2019 Project Home — I said yes — to the bedrooms. I love transforming these spaces. With drawings and dimensions, I created a concept and the folks at the magazine reached out to the amazing people we wanted to highlight, from carpeting, to peel and stick wallpaper, to bedding, to furniture and vintage finds, we gathered all the goodies and in a day, with a couple of helping hands, we transformed three empty bedrooms into what they look like here. Photo RidgeLight Studio.

The close up shot of the downstairs master bedroom from the Project House. Ethnicraft bed, vintage dresser, Parachute sheets and coverlet, and some amazing peel and stick wallpaper. Photo RidgeLight Studio.

Creating a kids room filled with vintage finds— thanks to the help from the folks at Vermont Antiques Mall. Pink beds and floral prints — love!

Then there is the old… turn an outdated bedroom into a fun, hip, vacation rental space… Check! The budget friendly star idea in this bedroom is turning old closet cabinets into a stunning headboard. Photo Lindsay Selin.

I love close up shots — these bedrooms at Mad River Barn in the old Annex Building, now called the Longhouse, are just as cozy as the rooms in the Inn — except these rooms have TV’s — so sometimes a little more sought after :) But we hope the gorgeous bedding and reclaimed wood are enough to draw you in. Photo Susan Teare.

The rooms in the inn at Mad River Barn are totally transformed from the skiing days were folks were sleeping on mattresses on the floors (seriously). We still can’t believe how amazing these industrial rustic style bedrooms turned out and the amazing of recycled and reclaimed materials we used, including the step by step DIY faux leather headboards! Photo Susan Teare.

Sometimes just combining some unique pieces and painting the walls white is all you need to make a bedroom shine, like the one we redid in Michigan for a vacation rental property.

Sometimes the words, simplify, simplify, simplify are all you need to be reminded of when designing a getaway place — your bedroom should feel like you have truly escaped the real world. Bold blanket, throw pillow and area rug, all complement each other and add texture to a simple and calming bedroom palette. Photo Lindsay Selin.

For those of you who love flea market style and a funky eclectic salvage style… this bedroom is for you! Photo Susan Teare.

When you have a funky wall “put a bird on it” — or a bed — or two. We love to transform closets into cozy built-ins — whether they are bunk beds or a daybed, do you have a space you can add a sleeping nook in?

Loved how these 14 bedrooms turned out at this outdated (auctioned off) motel redo — showing that a budget project can still look modern, hip and cozy! BTW — a custom live edge headboard is not difficult to make… Photo Lindsay Selin

Another room we were able to transform (in this old barn turned vacation home), shows that throw pillows and blankets can transform a look of a bed from clean and comfortable to down right cozy. Photo Lindsay Selin.

Until next blog… I’ll be dreaming of summer days overlooking the lake.

DIY's YOU CAN MAKE FROM STUFF YOU ALREADY HAVE AROUND...

I have been a crafting queen lately — if you are like me — and find it very theraputic — then I want to share some of my past ideas with you that you can probably make from stuff you already have around the house. Enjoy. I have posted some really fun LIVE Instagram videos on my feed of some clever DIY’s — check them out too.

Stay safe. Stay in Place. xoxo Joanne

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MAKE YOUR OWN COLORING BOOK PAGES

MAKE YOUR OWN VINTAGE INSPIRED SIGN

MAKE YOUR OWN COASTERS

THREE HEART INSPIRED EASY DIYS

SHELL DIY

DOOR KNOB WINE CORKS

Creative Salt and Pepper Shakers from Toy Trucks

LETTER BIRCH BRANCH MAGNETS

OLD WOOD PIZZA PEEL DIYS

GRANDMA’S WALL ART TURNED INTO PILLOWS

PAPER BAG ART

OVERSIZED GIFT TAGS

BLEACHED T-SHIRT ART

MINI DIY PLANT VASES and POTS

DREAM CATCHER DIY

PENCIL, MARKER or CRAYON HOLDER DIY

FABRIC COVERED COAT HANGERS

OLD ROPE VASES

ANIMAL PRINT WALL ART DECOR DIY

PAINT AN OLD DRESSER

Here are 5 tips and tricks to Rock Your Rental during down time.

When we wrote our book, Rock Your Rental, never in a million years would we have predicted this surreal pandemic situation. The world is a different place than just a week ago.

As lovers of travel and as rental owners, we totally understand how difficult and trying these times are for the travel industry (especially in our beloved Italy). We hope that you are turning this quiet time into an opportunity for yourself (since the situation isn’t changing, we decide our attitudes might as well be as positive as we can be). This is when we get to show our best selves — in our worst situations.

Since many of us are “Shelter-in-place” we thought it might be a good time to do a bit spring cleaning and design assessment to make sure we are Rocking our Rental so when things do get back to normal, we are ready to rock and roll.

Thinking of you all.

virtual - 6’feet away xoxo

Rosanne and Joanne

No… Joanne is not free… the toilet is… Taking a break from the deconstruction phase of this remodeling project at Main and Mountain Motel to test one of the many craft cocktails the new owners created.

1. SIT ON YOUR TOILET…Please

Go ahead…have a seat. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to have some downtime with our vacation rental, boutique hotel or inn so let’s try to find the silver lining. Here is an opportunity to go and sit on the toilet and have a look around. What are you seeing? Because your guests are seeing the exact same thing. Hopefully, they are seeing nicely designed and sparkling clean bathroom. But if they are seeing dust in the fan vents, moldy caulking, dirt in the tile, dust on the baseboard, broken shower curtain rings, or anything that is not going to bring them joy — this is the time to fix it. Look up, look down, look under and look behind (get it… behind…). :)

Budget friendly renovation doesn’t mean it can’t look amazing. Keep materials simple—and it will be easier to keep the bathrooms clean.

2. CONNECT AND GET PERSONAL…Hello, Thank You

Have you taken this opportunity to update your contact list? Have you created personalized thank you cards to have in the rooms when your guests arrive? You are home… pull out the markers make some cards, have a pile of them ready when things pick back up and you don’t have time to get as personal as you would like. Use this time to really create unique ways to reach out to your guests and say, “Thank you, we appreciate your business. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more enjoyable.”

Creating personalized thank you notes is always a good idea — whether you are doing it for guests, friends or family members. Get the kids involved. No matter the situation, it is always great to encourage them to be thankful. Joanne created these with only some blank paper and markers. If you don’t have a glue stick or blank cards to put them on - you can do that later. Just do something fun and creative for now.

3. UPDATE YOUR MARKETING…Pinterest is your friend

There is a lot of marketing advice we give in the book about getting to know your customers and where they get their information but here we are going to remind you about Keywords for Pinterest.

Here are some simple things you can do now to update your Pinterest pages. What you don’t have a Pinterest page? START one today…get pinning. Watch a video on Pinterest best practices. We will wait….

Your Pinterest board, if done correctly, can drive traffic to your website. Have boards that showcase your spaces and beautiful designs. Have boards that showcase things to do. For example, The 10 Best Hiking Trails Near Us, Our Favorite Breakfast Spots, 24 Hours in Burlington, Etc. Create pins that have KEY SEARCHABLE WORDS and links when appropriate. Make sure your Pinterest header is engaging and your information. Use your customer information and pin items that matter to them and share things that matter to you. You can even create a PINTEREST page that can link to a blog post — adding KEY words in the descriptions.

This adds value to your customers without asking for anything in return, is something we should all practice. It is not only a great thing to do — but it increases your search engine to get more folks to your website.

You may not have had the time to do this in the past…so take advantage of a little downtime and do it today.

We practice what we preach… we work hard on marketing, using our social media, pinterest, instragram and the like, to get the word out there about our new book.

4. WE ENCOURAGE SLEEPING AROUND…Get your mind out of the gutter and test those pillows

When was the last time you had the chance to sleep in your vacation rental, hotel rooms? Go ahead… do it. Lay on the bed and close your eyes. What do your guests hear? What do they smell? Are the sheets soft enough? Do they have a choice of pillows? Open your eyes. What do they see? Cobwebs on the ceiling? Flies in the light fixture? Stand in the room. Do they have a place to put their suitcase? Hang their coat? We have a section in our book about a walk in your guest’s shoes — every moment is a touchpoint — a first impression — which sets the tone for their entire stay.

Make sure every touchpoint from the moment they drive in — use the bathroom — use the kitchen — and climb into bed… is the best experience it can be. So sleep around… and check it out for yourself.

We are the queens of sleeping around… and love to find places that have the best reviews that are still in our budget.

5. TAKE SOME CLOSE-UP SHOTS…Aren’t you beautiful

We talk a lot about the importance of great photos. It’s important to have full room shots so people have an idea of the beautifully designed space but close-ups are just as important. Vignettes can evoke emotion. This is your opportunity to create some vignettes and take some beautiful pictures of the spaces styled. If you have a lovely window seat, show it with a book and a hot cup of tea. If you have a cozy tub, show it close up with a couple of glasses of champagne. Just get some emotional, close up, dreamy shots and you can add them to your hosting site pages, use them in your social media and your website. Don’t forget to tag the photos with keywords and when describing the picture…tell a story.

Loved doing this renovation project at Bear Mountain Inn in Maine with Julie and Brian, the amazing owners. Here are set up a shot, to show guests how they can enjoy the sitting area in this room.

Why yes, thank you… I do think I’ll take a soaking bath right now to soak my worries away. Thanks Bear Mountain Inn for letting Joanne do your design and Rosanne help with your marketing. We love you.

ROCK YOUR RENTAL, STYLE, DESIGN and MARKETING TIPS TO BOOST YOUR BOOKINGS.

“Thank you for letting us share some fun tips. Stay tuned for the next blog post.

Stay Safe. Be Well. xoxo Joanne and Rosanne”