They Make Furniture Out Of Old Barns

1995 - Volume #19, Issue #5, Page #22

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Before you torch or tear down any old barns on your farm, you might want to let Ed Holand know about what you've got. He just might want to take it off your hands, saving you a lot of hassle.
About a year ago the Wisconsin wood-worker began making furniture out of wood from old barns. The Barn Again Furniture Co. of Eau Claire already boasts a full line (soon to be expanded) of products made from the weathered lumber of farmers' barns.
"We get four or five calls a day from farmers with barns they'd like to get rid of," says Holand, 36, a native Californian who began building furniture at the age of 17. "The farthest away we've ever been contacted about a barn was from Vermont, but so far we haven't traveled any further than 200 miles or so to take one down.
"We use the old barns to build quality furniture that some people call `newtiques'. It's priced well below real antiques and just slightly over upscale furniture."
For example, the company's 72 by 22 by 33-in. credenza sells for $1,295. To-wards the other end of the spectrum, its hall mirror sells for $165. (A complete catalog of the company's wares is free for the asking.)
Each piece is one of a kind because the wood used varies so much. Some wood has large knots or other marks. Other wood has holes - sometimes even from buckshot.
The six or seven barns Holand has used in the past year have all been over 80 years old.
Holand made a number of barn wood furniture tools himself. The pieces are assembled by hand and finished with water-based preservative, no stains or colors.
When Holand hears about an old barn that's available, he hires a salvage company to take it down. Before they do, a drawing is made of the barn that's later made into a stylish pen and ink rendering that's shipped with each piece of furniture made from the barn. A write-up on the history of the barn is also provided.
Occasionally, when an owner requests it, the company makes a table or hutch for the farmer in exchange for his barn. "It be-comes an instant family heirloom," Holand notes.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Barn Again Furniture Co., 800 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire, Wis. 54703 (ph 715-835-5962; fax 0221).

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They Make Furniture Out Of Old Barns FARM HOME Furniture 19-5-22 Before you torch or tear down any old barns on your farm, you might want to let Ed Holand know about what you've got. He just might want to take it off your hands, saving you a lot of hassle. About a year ago the Wisconsin wood-worker began making furniture out of wood from old barns. The Barn Again Furniture Co. of Eau Claire already boasts a full line (soon to be expanded) of products made from the weathered lumber of farmers' barns. "We get four or five calls a day from farmers with barns they'd like to get rid of," says Holand, 36, a native Californian who began building furniture at the age of 17. "The farthest away we've ever been contacted about a barn was from Vermont, but so far we haven't traveled any further than 200 miles or so to take one down. "We use the old barns to build quality furniture that some people call `newtiques'. It's priced well below real antiques and just slightly over upscale furniture." For example, the company's 72 by 22 by 33-in. credenza sells for $1,295. To-wards the other end of the spectrum, its hall mirror sells for $165. (A complete catalog of the company's wares is free for the asking.) Each piece is one of a kind because the wood used varies so much. Some wood has large knots or other marks. Other wood has holes - sometimes even from buckshot. The six or seven barns Holand has used in the past year have all been over 80 years old. Holand made a number of barn wood furniture tools himself. The pieces are assembled by hand and finished with water-based preservative, no stains or colors. When Holand hears about an old barn that's available, he hires a salvage company to take it down. Before they do, a drawing is made of the barn that's later made into a stylish pen and ink rendering that's shipped with each piece of furniture made from the barn. A write-up on the history of the barn is also provided. Occasionally, when an owner requests it, the company makes a table or hutch for the farmer in exchange for his barn. "It be-comes an instant family heirloom," Holand notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Barn Again Furniture Co., 800 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire, Wis. 54703 (ph 715-835-5962; fax 0221).

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