I was in the warehouse the other day looking over some pieces when I was reminded how much furniture made from reclaimed wood, recycled and/or salvaged/renewable materials are definitely a growing trend that will likely carry forward for quite some time.
A quick Google turns up a range of articles from Reclaimed furniture: Give trees a chance to buzz on various designer blogs. Even Furniture Industry trade publications are recognizing this trend which really started to take off last year. Furniture Today wrote an article entitled “Several sources introduce lines with reclaimed wood.“
It was also thinking about how many folks are unable to tell difference between “new” and “reclaimed.”
What does "Furniture made from reclaimed wood" mean? #
Reclaimed & salvaged materials are environmentally friendly in that there are no new trees cut down to make the piece. Sources of wood may be old railroad ties, beams from old houses that have been demolished or even old doors. Old elm tends to be a favorite as Elm in fairly common in China. Pine is also an option as well. Other woods are also used like cypress, walnut or beech though these woods are much less common and not available in large quantities.
Since the material has been aged it tends to be more stable then new wood (which must otherwise be kiln dried and chemically treated before it can be made to be stable). In essence, pieces created from salvaged materials are slightly antique in a very unusual way – as the materials themselves have their own story, rather then the finished piece. Finishes are less of an issue to as rather then spend time carefully creating the right distressed finish, the focus is on the already distressed natural appearance of the wood. Construction is typically using the traditional methods of tongue/groove and Chinese joinery.
Types of CHINESE furniture made from reclaimed wood #
Reclaimed wood furniture tends to fall within either one of following four classifications:
- Antique / Vintage:
- Salvaged & Rebuilt:
- New designs from old materials:
- Fake Antiques
Antique / Vintage #
Often these are rustic antique items which have simply been given a clean up. In other cases they have been stripped down and their original finish removed. Often traces of the original finish & color remain giving each piece its own unique “hue.”
These are not really reclaimed wood items per say but they need to be mentioned and illustrated here so as not confuse them with items made from reclaimed wood.
The give away here will there will usually be signs of genuine wear and tear on places like feed or corners, as well as signs of repair.
Salvaged & Rebuilt #
Old doors converted into tables tops with bases added are a good example of this and one of the more commonly found items. The prime element here is that a good (or at least part) portion of the piece is in fact antique and can be distinguished as so.
Notice the cabinet which has been build around a set of antique screens. Pieces like this are usually very practical which is one hint (such as perfect size for western homes, or shelves, drawers added etc).
Sometimes this is tricky as a large portion of the piece may be original such as the carved bed from Xinjiang which has been turned into a sideboard.
New pieces made from old materials #
These are basically new pieces built with primarily reclaimed materials and its for this reason that the line between salvaged and new can become a bit blurry. The dining table below from ACF China Co as well as the “Haider Natural” Dining Furniture from Horchow Collection & Four Hands are good example of this. The design on the Horchow table (see web examples at the bottom) has clearly been updated for the western buyer as the bottom stretcher would not an original feature on a Chinese type of table.
Fakes made to deceive #
These are pieces which are made to look old so as to confuse the buyer into assuming the item is antique. Often they will use classical Chinese furniture designs leaving the buyer to assume the material is genuinely aged over time. Sometimes the material is even left “dirty.”
Usually the give away here will be that, upon closer inspection, despite the fact that the material is indeed “aged,” the rest of the construction will feel suspiciously tight and “clean.”
Lets look at some examples of RECLAIMED WOOD FURNITURE BEING SOLD ON THE WEB #
6 Responses
Nice pictures. Furniture items shown in the post are reminding me of the traditional old days furniture I used to see in my house during my childhood. It still looks great.
I love the effect that reclaimed wood has on a piece of furniture. It can really set off a room. I don’t know why old, battered looking furniture is more attractive than brand new, shiny pieces, but they do add something extra to a home.
I certainly agree that reclaimed furniture can look great in the right environment but for me its modern design every time.