Love the idea of decorating your home with wood art made from reclaimed wood? Honestly, who wouldn’t?

Browsing around the Interwebs the other night,  I came across a genre of wall art and sculpture made from reclaimed wood. What I saw just blew me away; I am often amazed by the creativity of artistic types, but this wood art discovery was something special.

Not only are these artists creating stunning wood art, but they are committed to having a small environmental art footprint by using reclaimed wood. Most of the artists use a mix of upcycled and repurposed wood with a smattering of virgin wood thrown in where necessary. Other artists even use naturally found wood pieces and finish them accordingly.

The warmth of wood and the beauty of the artistic expression of these pieces is sure to impress. Up your decor game and collect some truly stunning and super cool wall art to add some beauty, color, and texture to your space. It will become the conversation piece you imagine it to be!

Stunning Reclaimed Wood Art

1. Reclaimed Abstract Modern Rustic Wood Wall Art – How much of a stunner is this colorful wall artwork?

2. Modern Wood Art Wall Hanging –  This gorgeous piece will be the center of attention in any room. It’s made utilizing Shou Sugi Ban, or an ancient Japanese wood preservation technique where the wood is torched. How cool is that?

3. Illuminated Wood Sculpture – This illuminated wooden sculpture also has function. It’s made from a beautiful piece of reclaimed California incense cedar from the Angeles National Forest just north of Los Angeles and adds lovely light to any room.

4. Mandela Wood Art – This piece features a hand painted mandala on a piece of reclaimed red pine barn wood. It’s splendid in its simplicity.

5. Birds on a Wire Wood Art – This lovely artwork features the silhouettes of birds on a wire. It’s made from a reclaimed pallet and uses a mosaic technique.

6. Fire Sparks Wood Wall Art – This piece is part wall art and part sculpture. It’s made from 3d triangles that have been hand painted and affixed to create a unique shape that plays with the light to create a light and dark effect.
Related on EcoSalon

Reclaimed Tree Ring Paintings by Tracy Melton at Etsy

9 Stunning DIY Wall Art Projects That Won’t Break the Bank

17 ( More!) DIY Wall Art Ideas: Make Your Own Dreamcatchers, Mobiles and More

Image: Wood Warmth

The post 6 Ridiculously Cool Pieces of Reclaimed Wood Art appeared first on EcoSalon.

Thinking about new flooring, but don’t know where to start? Check out our suggestions for 5 super sustainable, eco-friendly flooring materials for your home.

I think we can all agree that less is more when it comes to post-consumer waste. And the types of materials we choose during our endeavors are equally as important. Fortunately, we have several viable options for you to keep in mind when planning your next flooring project.

Whether it’s a natural, earthy look you’re trying to achieve, or a sophisticated and polished appearance, there’s sure to be something that fits your décor and your lifestyle – children and pets included.

1, Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Obtained from a variety of sources, reclaimed wood is as unique as the location from which it comes. Some may come from structural beams and timbers of old warehouses and factories, while other reclaimed floor materials are salvaged from tongue and groove planks that were also once used as flooring (similar to the flooring depicted in the image above from Eco Friendly Flooring). Reclaimed wood spares the destruction of perfectly good forests, is durable, and beautiful.

Never fear, if you’re not into the reclaimed look, then check out wood flooring that’s sustainably harvested and is Forest Stewardship Council certified instead.

2. Cork Flooring

When harvested correctly, cork flooring is created by peeling away the bark every 9 to 12 years while keeping the tree alive, rather than sacrificing it. Cork naturally absorbs sound, thanks to its millions of air-filled pockets, and feels soft beneath your feet.

It’s dent resistant, although it does have the propensity to show scratches, and is much more durable than many might believe. Cork trees are thought to store carbon in order to regenerate their bark, and the less they are harvested the more the carbon they absorb.

The particular cork flooring shown above from Duro Design is actually composed of 100 percent post-industrial recycled content from wine-stopper production.

3. Bamboo Flooring

Not all bamboo flooring is created equal. It’s important to trust the manufacturer’s claims before purchasing, but once you’re sure of that, then you should have no problem enjoying the benefits and beauty of bamboo flooring, especially when choosing a company like Green Building Supply. Bamboo is said to be strongest when it has reached the 5 to 7 year maturity mark and is lauded for its rapid regrowth, unlike traditional forests that take years upon years to reach maturity.

Bamboo flooring is crafted from individual strands or strips that are glued together to form planks in a variety of colors and styles. Because some adhesives can be toxic, be sure the seller uses glue with no added urea formaldehyde or a water-based adhesive. Woven or strand-woven engineered bamboo is believed to be the most environmentally friendly and strongest of the three because it uses the least amount of glue and the blending of woods that goes into the engineering process.

4. Linoleum Flooring

Believe it or not, linoleum is a very sustainable choice in floor coverings. It’s made from linseed oil, which comes from the flax plant, along with resins, limestone, powdered cork, and recycled wood flour. Non-toxic color pigments are added and jute backing is used for sheet floors. Linoleum is comprised of approximately 36 percent of rapidly renewable materials and 35 percent recycled materials.

Linoleum can last for up to 40 years and is naturally anti-bacterial and biodegradable. The multitude of available colors permeates the material, therefore allowing you to buff out stains or scratches. Check out the marmoleum (linoleum) available on the Forbo website – it has a great selection and inspiration gallery.

5. Recycled Tile

Recycled clay, cement, and stone tiles, like those found on the Eco Friendly Flooring website, will add charm and character to any space. These are sourced from reclaimed glazed brick slices, recycled cement hexagons, and even upcycled roofing slates. This is a great option for a one-of-a-kind floor with a natural appeal that’s also good for the environment. Check out the recycled rubber tiles for a unique and colorful flair while you’re over there taking a peek.

Now that you’ve gotten the scoop on 5 great eco-friendly flooring materials for your home, we want to know what you think. Do you have a favorite pick from our list? What are some of your favorite eco-friendly flooring materials? Let us know when you stop by the EcoSalon Facebook page!

Related on EcoSalon

10 Sustainable Kitchen Backsplash Ideas

Every Drop Counts: Low-Flow Fixtures for Kitchens and Baths

10 Green and Cheap Kitchen Remodel Ideas to Try This Weekend

Image of Chair on Wood Floor via Green Building Supply

The post 5 Eco-Friendly Flooring Materials for Your Home appeared first on EcoSalon.

This one-of-a-kind iPad stand is made from sustainable or reclaimed Oregon black walnut.

Nothing is as timeless, tactile or naturally beautiful as wood – and when you know a tree hasn’t been sacrificed just for your new iPad, it’s a relief that your eco-conscience can remain clear.

This tablet holder from Block & Sons Co. is simplicity itself: a practical and visually arresting one-piece wooden block which keeps your iPad safe while showing it off. The stand protects your tablet from inevitable beverage spillages but also looks extremely classy.

Each block is a one-off, hewn in Oregon from a single piece of resilient, beautiful hardwood. The wood is sourced from sawmill ends, leftovers from furniture shops, or even from trees felled in Portland city. The blocks are cut and finished by hand and have rubber feet which prevent slippage and provide stability. Each stand is polished and sealed with two coats of beeswax and linseed oil finish to bring out the wood’s grain and also make it water-resistant.

The two men behind the Block & Sons Co. describe it as “the contrast of Mother Nature’s beautifully imperfect engineering with the sleekly perfect tech devices.”

A combination, and a price ($95), which are proving popular.

The post Getting Rustic With a Walnut iPad Holder appeared first on EcoSalon.

Reclaimed wood and FSC certified materials get their shine on.

This season, it’s a winter wonderland. Appropriately so, as wood is somewhat transported back to its natural element – wrapped in icy high contrast metallics and wintry silver tones.

In these pieces, the hulk and bulk of wood gets pared down with an ultra shiny treatment that is both minimal and futuristic.

The 47 Table from San Francisco’s Council.

Pits and scars from blocks of reclaimed Douglas firs are coated in brilliant silver. The name is derived “from the atomic number of silver and the height of the piece in centimeters.”

Smart.

Like a blast of fresh winter air, a massive block of reclaimed Douglas Fir coated in dazzling silver. Also from Council.

Cabinets from the PCHseries by MASHStudios.

The series is named for California’s Pacific Coast Highway and made from natural, lacquer-free and FSC certified materials accented with cast aluminum.

From John Haushmand, a piece of Black Walnut microslab wrapped around a glass base – as if hugging a block of ice.

Shelving boxes from 2^nd Shift Design Studio in Cleveland, Ohio. The interior is rimmed with arctic aluminum frames. The exterior wrapped in slats of reclaimed lumber.

Imperfection and impermanence are the two underlying commonalities in all of these pieces. The imperfection of the wood itself, each pockmark memorialized and encased under a hardened shell. Evidenced, too, is the impermanence of wood. An unrelenting tree standing tall season by season cum roller coaster, now reclaimed and “of the moment” in our cozy living rooms.

The post Trend: High-Contrast Metallic Wood Accents appeared first on EcoSalon.

Jot this down: reclaimed oak and leather, chalkboard paint, natural tung oil.

Handmade in Philadelphia, this chalkboard tablet would be an excellent gift for the foodie in your life. This being the age of the foodie, surely you know one by now. Perhaps you’re living with one. (Perhaps you are one.)

Tablets, perfect for jotting down recipes and other culinary notes, are made from reclaimed oak (salvaged from discarded bleachers at Liberty High School in Philly), reclaimed leather sourced from WWII-era gun holsters, chalkboard paint and natural tung oil. Because of the nature of reclaimed wood, each piece is its own, though they all uniformly feature a hole for hanging or securing to an optional stand.

Price: $22.00 from Branch Home.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: Chalkboard Tablet appeared first on EcoSalon.

Ideal for pinning photos and other forget-me-nots.

Georgian-made from reclaimed roofing tin and scrap plywood, these frames are charmingly southern and aesthetically rustic. Created by Margaret Taylor of Dryads Dancing, the buttons (made from new materials) can be used to display old photos or hold memos.

Taylor also makes frames from antique bead boards and reclaimed crown molding. Her logic: why buy wood new and sand it to old worldly perfection? Kind of makes us go hmm, too.

Available for $25.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: Reclaimed Tin & Wood Magnetic Frames appeared first on EcoSalon.

Someday a luxe table from a reclaimed urban tree. Today, a funky table made from shipping pallets. 

Someday…

I would love to add a touch of nature to my home with a luxurious table from Urban Hardwoods. They offer furniture that are works of art made from reclaimed urban trees. These one of a kind pieces are rich in character and have unique organic forms. However, with prices that range from $1,000 – $10,000, nature doesn’t come cheap.

Urban Hardwoods is part of a growing movement across the nation to help harvest urban trees. In May, the Friends Of the Urban Forest hosted the first California Urban Wood Conference in San Francisco. It brought together forestry experts, cities, and woodworkers to educate them about the urban forest and alternative uses for wood gathered from city landscaping and local yards.

Trees in cities that are cut down are usually cut up and mulched right away. These trees are often very well taken care of and grow to be quite large. Although mulch is used, making a table from the tree can have more value.

Urban Hardwoods is a beneficiary of this new industry specializing in wood from urban trees.

Today…

I can make a funky table constructed from shipping pallets. Pallet furniture is everywhere these days because pallets are easy to find and cheap if not free. I adore the recessed areas for plants. This table would be perfect outdoors for a summer dinner.  You can find the directions on ReadyMade.

Someday/Today is a weekly column that inspires you to dream big for your home, and scale it to your lifestyle, always keeping sustainability of the planet – and your wallet – in mind.

The post Someday/Today: Home Grown and Home Made Tables appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fast furniture retailers show no sign of slowing down, but the essence of slow furniture is something we could settle into.

Once upon a time, in the days before particle board and flat packs, furniture was crafted meticulously by people who called themselves, reasonably enough, craftsmen. Craftswomen, too.

Then the parsimonious Ingvar Kamprad invented IKEA, whose cheap, chic furnishings have been emulated by home-furnishing box stores the world over. That’s not a bad thing (unless you happen to work in their Danville factory), particularly if you’re a recent college grad. But the global saturation of fast furniture does create a certain déjà vu, does it not? Much like the DNA of a McDonald’s fry tastes the same in Peoria as it does in Paris.

Nowadays, we dub those craftsmen and women The New Artisans as if they, like some other pioneers we know, are reinventing the tomato. Alas, they are not. They are simply making old school juicy again – as well as authentic and kind by using salvaged and sustainably harvested materials to create heirloom quality wares that will impress even our grandkids.

Like the slow food movement, the slow furniture movement is sweeping cities from Los Angeles to Toronto and is a reaction against mass-produced, catalogued, assemble-it-yourself, “disposable” furniture. Slower also denotes organic, as in the fabrication process is completed with human hands using sustainable materials. Slow food advocates seek a connection to the origin of each meal; slow furniture makers identify with their raw materials.

If you’re in the contemporary woodworking trade, James Krenov is, no doubt, one of your icons. He described slow furniture as “work that can be traced to the maker, the hand, the eye and the heart.”

Toronto craftswoman Julie Nicholson characterized slow furniture to a Canadian newspaper as quite simply “pieces that you hold onto.” Along with Shaun Moore, they’ve established MADE, a showroom that connects designers with consumers looking for local, quality furniture.

A noteworthy slow piece that’s garnered a great deal of attention in recent weeks among the movement’s enthusiasts is this chair, crafted by Pooktre Tree Shapers, which took more than a decade to literally grow.

A decade in the making. Note the date: chair planted in 1998.

Samuel Moyer Furniture, comprised of a small group of artisans in Los Angeles that makes one-of-a-kind handmade furniture from sustainable materials, develop what they describe, “a relationship with each piece of furniture” and in turn, every client that brings their wares into their homes. They aim to create furniture that lasts “links generations,” and reduces waste.

The Evening Sideboard from Samuel Moyer Furniture with detail of the sideboard wedge.

This piece by Environment furniture is made from Peroba wood, which is reclaimed from Brazilian homes and factories. Environment’s stamp remains focused on the longevity of the materials that they use.

The Marison Dining table care of Environment furniture, and reclaimed Peroba wood.

While fast furniture manufacturers like IKEA, West Elm and Target show no signs of slowing down, the essence of slow furniture is catching on. Our prediction is that the trend will rise along with consumer consciousness. There is a market demand for furniture that’s crafted to last, designed with practicality in mind, and built with ethics at heart.

The post Slow, Meet Furniture. Furniture, Meet Your Maker. appeared first on EcoSalon.

In just a few short weeks, the kids will head back to school, leaves will begin to change colors, and summer will fade to a blissful memory. Embrace a new season with a little scene change inspired by fall’s most iconic image.

1. Log Bowls from Loyal Loot (pictured above, price not listed)
The juxtaposition of reclaimed wood and bold shades of acrylic paint appeals to our artsy side. An assortment of these in differing sizes and colors arranged on a counter or side table would make an instantly fab focal point.

2. Birch Accent Pillow from Loop Organic ($100)
Available in green or chocolate, this pillow features the beautiful image of a birch branch silhouetted against white organic hemp. The effect is simple, yet supremely stylish.

3. Timber Doormat from Chia’sso ($48)
Made up of sustainable wooden “coins,” this timber doormat creates a Little House on the Prairie meets modern loft vibe. We love how the earthy colors and unpredictable pattern goes with almost any décor.

4. Small Disc Chimes S/4 from PigeonToeCeramics ($28)
Dress up your favorite tree with a set of porcelain windchimes and watch as they gently dance in the breeze. These are available with your choice of cord, but our personal fave is the natural jute twine.

5. Teak Trunks from VivaTerra ($139-275)
Whether you use these teak trunks as stools, end tables, or something else is entirely up to you. However you incorporate these versatile pieces into your space,  they’re sure to add a certain rustic charm.

Any of these pieces speak to you? Which one(s) are on your wish list?

The post Friday 5: Turning Over a New Leaf appeared first on EcoSalon.

One sign of true talent, whatever the medium, is the ability to make something spectacular from practically nothing. One man’s scraps are another’s masterpiece.

I’m talking, of course, about up-and-coming designer Dylan Gold and his latest work, Wasted.

The San Francisco-based artist worked in advertising for years before finally choosing to pursue his passion for furniture-making full time. I, for one, am thankful that he did.

The artist himself admits, “The concept [of using scraps] is not entirely new,” but Gold’s aesthetic is sophisticated and the end-result is stunning.

Wasted is the first in a series of reclaimed tables the artist plans to build. In fact, his newest creation will be ready in just two weeks. A bit bigger and a pinch harder on the pocketbook, Gold’s newest Wasted table will have a 2.5″ thick butcher block style top fixed to a steel stand. Wasted is made from 100% discarded plywood scraps from his workshop, and has a powdercoated reclaimed steel frame. The version shown measures 52″ w x 18″ d x 14″ h and would be perfect as a bench or coffee table. Available for $1150 (plus $100 shipping to anywhere in the U.S.).

If you like what you see, don’t waste any more time. Contact the artist and let him know that work is wanted!

The post Wasted and Wanted appeared first on EcoSalon.