The Art of Finishing Reclaimed Wood: A Personal Touch from Our Workshop.

At Furniture From The Barn, we believe the finishing process is where each piece truly comes to life, revealing the unique character and history of reclaimed wood. Let me walk you through our thoughtful, collaborative finishing process that ensures each piece perfectly matches your vision.

Communication is Key

When your custom piece enters our finishing shop, we begin a personalized journey together. We'll send you photos or videos of your unfinished piece, and we love receiving pictures of your space in return – especially your flooring, as it helps us create the perfect complementary finish.

Understanding Wood's Unique Personality

No two pieces of reclaimed wood are identical, which is what makes our furniture so special. The variation in color and character tells the story of the wood's previous life, creating truly one-of-a-kind pieces. We work with primarily two types of wood:

Reclaimed Pine:

• Old-growth pine requires special attention as it tends to absorb stain deeply will go dark fast
• We typically start with diluted stains to control the natural amber and red tones
• Custom "our special sauce" mixtures we have come up with over the years have been our go-to to stains help achieve desired warm tones while some customers do not want red and orange undertones

Reclaimed Oak:

• Takes stain beautifully and predictably
• Rarely requires dilution
• Can be customized for warmer or cooler tones based on your preference

Our Collaborative Process

1. Initial consultation and wood assessment will text the customer with a video or picture of their piece
2. Ask the Customer if they have not already to send pictures of the space where the piece will go
3. Test spots with selected stains
4. First coat application
5. Share progress photos and videos
6. Fine-tune the color based on your feedback
7. Balance color variations as needed

The Details Matter

Those characteristic nail holes in reclaimed wood?

We fill them with our special sawdust mixture that dries rock-hard. Each filled area is carefully hand-detailed with a painter's brush to match the surrounding wood, ensuring a seamless look while preserving the wood's authentic character.

Quality Control

Throughout the finishing process, we maintain open communication, sharing updates and adjusting as needed. This collaborative approach ensures your piece will be finished exactly as you envision it while celebrating the natural beauty of reclaimed wood.