Give your home a style makeover with reclaimed wood

Give your home a style makeover with reclaimed wood | H is for Home

Reclaimed wood is having a moment in the design world right now, for good reason. Recycling old wood is environmentally friendly and reclaimed wood brings a unique look to any home. Plus, it’s an affordable way to give your home a big style boost. From walls panelled with reused wood to recycled wooden accents that give your home some natural warmth and old world charm, there are dozens of spaces in your home that you can use reclaimed timber.

Here are 4 creative ways to use this versatile material in your home.

Bookshelves made from reclaimed timber

Shelving

Shelves look more appealing when they’re made from salvaged wood because the unique colour and texture of the wood makes the shelving a focal point without dominating the room. Consider using reclaimed wood shelves in your bedroom, living room or kitchen.

Reclaimed timber beams

Accent beams

If you want to add some serious drama to your home, reclaimed timber beams in a colour that complements your existing scheme will transform the way that large rooms like your lounge or family room look. Additionally, accent beams in the bedroom can bring the outdoors in and make your sleeping space feel a lot cosier and more harmonious.

Wall in a coffee shop that is panelled using reused timber

Panelling

Decorative wall wood panelling is back according to design experts, but with a modern and updated look thanks to sheets of reclaimed timber. Sleek panelling made from aged wood looks great in an office, shop, man cave or living space. If you want to add some boho charm to your home use panelling made from salvaged wood in several different natural shades that will add an eclectic bohemian flare to your walls.

Pair of dark grey desert boots on a worn parquet floor

Flooring

Reconditioning old wooden flooring is a great way of recycling wide plank wooden flooring and beams from old barns and vintage homes. It will instantly add authentic vintage charm to your home and give you that beautiful look of real hardwood flooring.

For more info on everything you need to know about reclaimed wood, check out the infographic below:

Everything you need to know about reclaimed wood infographic | H is for Home

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Etsy List: On the map

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'On the map' Etsy List curated by H is for Home

Maps have been around for millennia and will continue to be so – sat-navs will never wipe them out!

Antique and vintage maps are so interesting; the way borders flux & change and entire countries come & go. History and geography were two of my favourite subjects at school and that’s just what maps are all about.

We’ve curated this list to share some beautiful old maps and to show some great ways they’ve been upcycled; origami fairy lights to decoupaged picnic sets. We’ve included some brand new maps as well; laser-cut table lamps, educational wall murals for children and even a door mat!

On the map
Curated by H is for Home

Charity Vintage: Vintage suitcases

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collection of vintage suitcases being sold on eBay for Charity by Isabel Hospice

In yesterday’s Gimme Five! post, we featured a few things you can do with vintage suitcases. A quick browse on eBay for Charity came up with ten of them currently being sold by Isabel Hospice* alone!

We’ve done a little mosaic of just four of them to give you a taste. The lot are available at individual ‘buy it now’ prices of between £12.50 & £30 and all have 20-odd days left to the end of the auction.

*Isabel Hospice is a charity needing to raise nearly £4 million per annum to provide their free services to the people of eastern Hertfordshire. Their ethos is that they treat the whole person, not simply the illness. They offer a complete hospice service through their team of Community Nurse Specialists, a 16-bed, in-patient hospice, a day hospice, outreach day hospices, hospice at home and a family support and bereavement service.



Gimme Five! Upcycled suitcases

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selection of vintage, upcycled suitcases

We came across vintage trunks, vanity cases and travel bags all the time at auctions and flea markets. They’re often no longer practical for their original use. People now-a-days use lightweight rucksacks or those flight cases on wheels that, once upon a time, used to be the sole preserve of airline pilots & flight attendants.

Upcycled suitcases have found all manner of new uses – coffee tables, desks, shelving and even luxe pet beds. They can be picked up cheaply and, if you’re of a crafty bent, transformed into beautiful bits of furniture. Here are some we found online.

  1. Vintage repurposed red suitcase dog bed with hairpin legs: £34.22, Etsy
  2. Heisenberg retro suitcase speaker by Bass Trunkies: £390, Notonthehighstreet
  3. Occasional table suitcase leather hide low table: £60, eBay
  4. Wooden vintage trunk repurposed as a coffee table: £493.92, Etsy
  5. Pair of wall shelves made from a vintage metal tweed stripe upcycled suitcase: £91.66, Etsy