One Family’s Journey from Rubble to Renaissance
Were you passed down something in the family once and you clearly can’t see a use for it as it doesn’t seem to fit the style in your home? Take a step back and look at it differently and I’m sure you will find a different use for it, maybe in a different form. For one of my clients receiving a farm estate meant inheriting all the furniture and everything on the property. Seeing a picture of a rubble of wood laying on the grounds sent from the homeowners, exclaiming ‘let’s use this!’, I have to say was a little uninspiring at first, until the woodworker milled down a piece. Through all the grit and grime there was a true gem and it only got better as we treated it with stain and polyurethane. Piece by piece it became a masterpiece that now proudly sits in 3 distinct places in the couples “new old digs”.
looking at things with a different perspective breathed new life and renewed joy into this home
We not only honored the family and their business but managed to add some personality to an otherwise neutral space multiple times. We started out designing a bar that would serve as a central meeting place for business and family in what was the former living room, now turned dining room area.
Rendering for bar design by Moreau Designs
In Progress, what an exciting thing to see, all the hard work from everyone coming to fruition!
Up close, this bar is the clear stand out in entertainment for this family.
We snuck in a pub table last minute with some leftover wood.
Custom window treatments, Moreau Designs
Design by Moreau Designs
The herringbone pattern was a very intentional layout to create texture, interest and most importantly elevate the feeling from simple barn wood to something more sophisticated. This took some work, a lot of skilled labor, tons of revisions to the design so every detail was thought out and executed. As you see, the final rendering presented to the clients, once approved, took a couple months to realize this, and right in time for Thanksgiving.
Using more of the wood, we created some shelving as a pass through in the sunroom areas existing windows. These windows were left in place when the previous occupants had put on the addition of the sunroom and left them, no longer functioning, they were removed and in their place a beautiful custom shelf with family objects were artfully arranged.
Custom design by Moreau Designs
That wasn’t it for this chestnut wood, we also crafted a clever built in area for linens and serviceware. The wallpaper was William Morris’s Strawberry Thief and came to find out after we specified it, that the Mother also had used it previously. You can call it kismet or serendipity. Once again arranging objects that were important to the family meant my team and I painstakingly sorted through and grouped them in prominent areas.
An old family cookbook and pewter displayed on the built in designed by Moreau Designs
The wood wasn’t the only piece that was graciously upcycled, the couple also was gifted a sofa that was in great shape that they wanted to keep but didn’t care for the upholstery. So we sent it out to be reupholstered and it really created a modern vibe when we detached the former skirt and added piping. Blending the old with the new was something that had its challenges, but was welcomed by my team and I, and in the end created this new feeling throughout the spaces.
How it started, definitely was not what the clients wanted, so we made modifications and it turned out beautifully. (see below)
We were able to make it more modern by adding the piping and taking the skirt off.
One non negotiable was to change the color of the walls and the window treatments. Design by Moreau Designs
The key takeaway is to realize the value in objects for their raw and unique qualities. Sometimes all it takes is a new perspective and creativity to make something into an “old new” object. Here are a few ideas for you to implement in your own home:
Wood is a very versatile medium and you can create a multitude of things, frames, coffee tabletops, side tables, lazy susans for tables, trays, decorative boxes, the list goes on and on.
Maybe you have some books, you can frame pages (if they are tattered and worn), if you have enough you could make a headboard out of the covers, you could also cover the top of a table and laquer them to protect them, you can stack them and make them into a lamp.
Lace and embroidery can be framed, sewn together to create a runner, they can be sewn into the center of a duvet cover, pillow cover and window treatments.
Crystal bowls and compotes can be made into candle holders, there are many kits that allow you to melt wax and include wicks, it would be very cool to have a grouping of them, you could also use them as soap dishes in the bathroom,
Family dishes and service ware can be displayed differently as well, most are put into a china cupboard. A more casual approach is to stack them on an open buffett. Maybe you have some chipped and cracked china and still would like to keep them? You can repair them with kintsugi, the Japanese practice of repairing the cracks with gold dust. You could also make a mosaic tray out of the pieces or a frame.
Honoring all that has been passed down doesn’t have to translate into preserving the exact object, the point is that we realize to fit it into our lifestyles and aesthetics it may have to transform into a totally new piece and that in itself is a beautiful way to pay homage to our heritage.
Drop a line and let me know how you create the Art and Soul of Your Home,
XoXo Jennifer
