Go Natural With Reclaimed Wood

You dont have to be a barefoot, vegan, environmentalist yoga teacher to want to invite some natural elements into your home. Regular old meat-eating, gluten-loving folks present can also invite some natural elements into the home. And the hottest way to do so: reclaimed wood.

Reclaimed wood can be used for everything from a fireplace mantel to a dining room table, creating an opportunity to reuse a natural resource and achieve a unique custom look.

"Creative green design ideas may inspire you to use salvaged wood in interior decorating, adding unique character and irresistible charm to your rooms and outdoor living spaces," said Lushome. "Using salvaged wood helps to design charming wall decor, lighting fixtures, furniture and decor accessories for indoor and outdoor living spaces."

Added This Old House: "If you own an old house, you already know the satisfaction of having something thats unique, and when you renovate, you look for one-of-a-kind materials. Unlike other materials whose appeal lie in their looks, reclaimed wood has beauty and history.

Not surprisingly, people are going to great lengths to find reclaimed wood that makes a stylistic statement about themselves and their homes."

Some reclaimed wood is exceedingly rare, especially when used in high-end estates. But if you dont have the means or the resources to source, purchase, and fly in 18th century reclaimed wood from an Irish church, you can still find what youre looking for - if you know where to look:

Old barns

"Old barns and mills are a great source for high quality virgin timber read: no off-gassing. So how do you get a barn owner to give you their barn? It is really quite easy," said Tiny Revolution. "Most barn owners will happily give you there old dilapidated barn just to get it out of the way and cleaned up.

Pallets

"Pallets are one of the hottest materials used right nowand you can find a myriad of projects all over the web to make from them," said Old World Cottage Gardens. "The key in making great projects is finding nice, clean and damage free pallets. The best places? Small Garden and Hardware Stores, Motorcycle Shops, Lawnmower and Power Equipment stores. These stores seem to get inundated with pallets and shipping cratesand in many cases struggle to get rid of them."

Your or someone elses dilapidated fence

The guys tearing down the fence down the street have to dispose of the boards anyway. So you might actually be doing them a favor.

Boatyards

That boatyard may just have abandoned materials theyd be willing to sell inexpensive, or even give away. Never hurts to ask.

Contractors

"Get in contact with some remodeling contractors in your area. Let them know that you will haul away any wood that they tear out of a house," said Tiny Revolution. "Contractors will be happy to give the antique building materials to you, it will save them a bunch of money on disposal costs."

Architectural Salvage Store

"These folks specialize in dismantling old buildings and recycling any usable materials," said Apartment Therapy. "Habitat for Humanitys ReStores are a terrific resource and Redo.org offers a directory of similar suppliers. Or, "Start with Woodfinder.com or the BMRAs Building Materials Reuse Association handy online directory."

See Shelterness, Houzz, or 1001 Pallets for more ideas.