Reclaimed Wood Has Claimed Cabinetry Too

Reclaimed wood is the hottest trend in interior design at the moment. You see it used in hardwood floors, kitchen islands, countertops, bathrooms, and much more. It’s also being used in cabinets. So, what is reclaimed wood? Reclaimed wood is wood that has previously been used for some other purpose and is reclaimed for a new use. That could mean something as simple as wooden cabinets used in one house being sold to be used in a different house. However, the implication is often that the wood has been used for some significantly different purpose and that the wood has been weathered. Barnwood is often considered the ideal kind of reclaimed wood.

What is Barnwood?

 As the name suggests, barnwood is wood that was used in barns. The wood is often unfinished wood used on the exterior of the barn. The exposure to the elements has caused the wood to develop a rich patina that is difficult to replicate. Oftentimes, the ends are cracked and splintered, the wood has old nail holes, and the color is uneven. All of these weathered characteristics just add to the look of the wood.

How Is It Used?

 Any type of reclaimed wood is basically used the same way as any new hardwood would be used. A company will source reclaimed wood from several different sources. They’ll then piece together the planks of wood to form cabinet doors. They’ll sand the cabinets smooth, stain them, and finish them. If you buy reclaimed wooden cabinets from a company, you can expect that they’ll be the same quality as their new wood cabinets.

You can also find reclaimed wooden cabinets yourself if you know where to look. If you’re going to do the work yourself, it’s advisable to find old cabinet doors that you can restore. An old cabinet door that has been used in a house or business for decades will pick up many of the same characteristics as barnwood or other types of distressed wood.

Restoring Old Cabinets

 If you choose to buy old cabinet door and restore them, you want to make them sound but you don’t want to overdo it. If you completely restore the cabinets, they’ll look brand new. That’s a great way to save money but not the look you’re going for. Sand away rough spots but don’t fill in old nail holes and don’t sand away scratches.

A good, light-colored stain will enrich the natural color. Then you can finish them and install them.

Oak Cabinets Are Back in Style

From the early 1970s into the 1990s, oak cabinets were a mainstay in most middle-class homes. If you had wooden cabinets, you likely had oak cabinets. And if you had cabinets, you likely had wooden cabinets. They were ubiquitous. Eventually, oak fell out of favor and was replaced with engineered wood, maple, and MDF. Those different types of cabinetry still remain popular but oak is making a significant comeback. There’s a few reasons for the return of oak, but the biggest reasons are versatility, timelessness, and durability.

Versatility

 In the United States, oak is typically available in white oak or red oak. White oak tends to be somewhat lighter in color than red oak. It’s also a little bit harder. Red oak is pinkish in tint and slightly brighter than white oak. The versatility comes into play because both types of wood are very attractive. If you wanted, you could just install bare oak cabinets in your house. They’d look great and likely match whatever other decor you have in your kitchen.

You could also ceruse, fume, stain, or paint the oak. Cerusing refers to a medieval technique for applying a lead-based pigment to wood that makes it look somewhat washed out. It’s a look similar to whitewashing. These days, cerusing refers to the look and not to actually using a lead-based pigment. Fumed oak is oak that’s been exposed to ammonia to deepen the color and enrich the grain. Stain is available in just about every color, but white oak tends to take a stain better than red oak. Finally, you could just paint the oak to get it whatever color you would like. That’s a wide range of options for customizing the look of your cabinets.

Durability

 White oak and red oak are not the hardest woods available in the United States. However, they are fairly hard hardwoods and readily available. You can’t easily scratch or dent oak cabinets. In the course of regular day to day use, your cabinets likely won’t face anything that would severely endanger the wood. The biggest danger will likely come from moisture. That could be moisture rising up from pots of boiling water or moisture from wet dishes. Putting down some cabinet mats or finishing the cabinets with a waterproof finish would mitigate that danger. Oak cabinets could easily last you for decades with a little bit of maintenance.

For these reasons, oak cabinets have experienced a resurgence in homes across the country.

Matte Black Is a Hot Cabinet Color

In 2019 and beyond, one cabinet color has been more popular than perhaps any other. Black has been rising in popularity steadily for years, and more specifically, matte black. When cabinets are painted or finished with a wood finish, the homeowner has to choose a gloss. Gloss reflects the most light, creating the shiniest appearance. Semigloss is a step down, and satin is another step down. Matte is the flattest finish. It reflects the least amount of light and, in many ways, looks the most natural. There are several reasons that matte black is trending. Some reasons are aesthetic and some are practical.

Practical Reasons

 From the standpoint of practicality, matte black is a very easy to maintain color. Oftentimes, dirt and oil are readily apparent on cabinets because the dirt and oil obscures the light reflecting off the surface of the wood. Oil is particularly problematic for kitchen cabinets that are over the stovetop. Matte does not reflect much light anyway. Therefore, dirt and oil will not show up as easily. Furthermore, dark black will hide most oil and dirt.

Homeowners who don’t want to have to work to maintain their cabinets every few days should consider matte black. It’s especially useful if your cabinets do not have pulls; the dirt and oil from fingertips will eventually show up as dark smudges after repeated use.

Lastly, it is very easy to touch-up matte black cabinets. With glossy finishes, the gloss tends to fade over time. So, when you reapply some paint or stain to cover up nicks and scratches, the new finish will be noticeably glossier. In contrast, a new application of a matte finish won’t stand out as much.

Aesthetic Reasons

 In addition to the practical maintenance reasons, matte black is popular because it looks great. Matte cabinets don’t stand out very much, which makes them easy to pair. They can be paired with white walls to create good contrasting colors. Additionally, many cabinets are made of some kind of stone. Most stones are black, gray, white, or some combination of the three. That could look very good against the cabinetry.

Black cabinets have been trending for years and, unlike many recent trends, they promise to remain popular for years. You can paint your cabinets with a matte black paint to finish them in one step. Alternately, you can stain them with a wood stain and then finish them with a matte polyurethane.

How to Restore Old Cabinets in Five Steps

If you are looking for a way to renovate your kitchens, you’ll likely focus on the cabinets at some point. The cabinets are a focal point of the kitchen and some of the most used elements of your kitchen. Replacing them could change the entire look of the kitchen; however, that can be expensive. Another option would be to restore them. Restoring them involves fixing damage and changing the colors. This Is most easily done with solid wooden cabinets.

Step I: Decide On A Vision

 The first thing you need to do is decide how you would like the finished cabinets to look. That will guide what you’ll need to buy to make your restoration happen.

Step II: Buy Your Supplies

 Once you’ve decided how you would like your cabinets to look, you need to buy supplies to make that a reality. You need to buy paint stripper if your cabinets have been sealed with polyurethane and/or been painted. You’ll need sandpaper ranging from coarse grit to fine grit. You’ll need paintbrushes, drop cloths, and painters’ tape. Finally, you need the paint you’re going to use. Alternately, you’ll need the wood stain and the wood finish that you’re going to use.

Step III: Strip the Cabinets

 Once you’ve got the cabinets off the wall, you need to strip the old paint or stain from the cabinets. If it’s paint, follow the directions on the paint stripper. If it’s stain, you might have to sand off the top layer of wood to get to wood below the stain. Once you’ve got it down to the bare wood, you’re ready to sand.

Step IV: Sand the Cabinets

 If your cabinets have sustained damage such as scratches, chips, or cracks, you need to fix those. To fix the shallow scratches, just sand them away with a medium grit sandpaper. To fix deeper scratches, chips, and cracks, you’ll need to use some wood filler. Wood filler is a putty that hardens when it is applied. Make sure the type you choose is sandable. Fill in all the chips, cracks,and scratches. Then, sand them with a medium grit sandpaper. Follow that up with a fine sandpaper until the cabinets are smooth.

Step V: Paint or Stain the Cabinets

 Lastly, you’re ready to paint or stain the cabinets. If you’re painting the cabinets, use two or three thin coats of paint. If you’re staining them, follow the directions on the stain to get even coats and rich color. Finish them with a coat of polyurethane.

Once they’re dry, reinstall your like-new cabinets.

Cabinets & Mud Rooms

Mudrooms may not get as much attention as the kitchen but they are ground zero for messes and deserve a lot more praise than they get. When remodeling or building a mudroom there are a lot of different ways to make the space beautiful and highly functional.

First, consider the flooring. Tile, luxury vinyl or another hard surface and water resistant flooring is the ideal option. If you have wood flooring or even carpet in this space it will likely get dirty and wear quickly because of all the muddy boots, wet umbrellas and other items that get left in this space.

The mudroom needs to have a place to hang bags and coats and ideally a place to sit. People often add a bench with cubbies for members of their family to put items like hats, gloves, and scarves and behind the bench they add hooks. These hooks are great for storing coats and backpacks. Ideally you will want each member of your household to have their own hook.

Every mudroom needs a utility sink. A utility sink is the perfect place to wash muddy shoes, rinse your hands after coming in from gardening and can hold wet swimsuits until you are ready to wash them.

Mudrooms have started to become a combination area that stores all your “leaving the house” items but also includes the laundry space. These areas can be combined to give you a larger space and add a  lot of storage. The laundry room can have built in washer and dryers, hampers, storage for supplies and even an air drying and ironing areas.

Mudrooms are the ideal area to put your pets crates. This area is normally where you enter and exit the house so they will be able to go outside quickly after being let out of their crates to use the bathroom and you can stash toys and leashes for walks. Some homeowners like to add an airtight dog food drawer into their cabinet build to keep food free of pests and keep the room looking clutter free. If your mud room has enough space you may even want to consider a dog washing area.

If your family is active in sports you may want to consider adding cabinet space to store sporting equipment. Sporting equipment seems to never have an ideal place to go but the mudroom can be a perfect solution for stashing big gym bags, balls, bats, and other equipment.

The mudroom may quickly become the hub of your home and adding an “organization station” is a great ideal. Add a calendar, bulletin board and even a mail holder to keep your family organized.

Finally, add a full length mirror to the back of the door so you can make sure you are put together before you jet out the door.

A custom mudroom may seem like an unnecessary expense but when you think about all that a mudroom does and stores you will quickly realize it is the control center of your home. Custom cabinets are a great way to make the most out of your mudroom space.