SOLD to Frank R in Humble, TX.

This mantel may be little, but she’s got a special, beautiful look to her. This wonderful variation of color is what real, reclaimed wood is all about. White oak starts out as this wheatish tan, but the outside quarter inch or so darkens into these warm, saddle and coffee browns over time. This trait is most pronounced in white oak. As we work through the darken patina layer, we expose the lighter wood again. With the right stick of wood and doing the work just right, we can reveal a piece like this. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

This piece was a floor joist in a barn. On its edge, it supported the enormous weigh of hay stacked to the ceiling. It was covered in white wash because it also sat in the milking parlor in the floor below. They covered all of the wood in lime mixture to keep sanitary conditions. It’s pretty amazing to see a before and after picture. (something like the very last pictures in the set). And to think, a decade ago when we started, most people just called this junk.

The original beam came from an old barn in Southwest Wisconsin. It probably dated back to the late 1800s or early 1900s. We purchased this wood from an Amish gentleman who lives out in the rolling hills of the area. That area is still dotted with small farms where the cows and other livestock wander out in the corrals. It’s not like the modern farms that we see by our place in Minnesota with hundreds of cows stuffed in a tin building. It is great to see agriculture the way that I remember it as a kid.

This mantel is 60 inches long and is priced at $85/LF which normally runs $425. This piece is on sale for $375. We will cut down to any size, but the sale price is firm. We’ll refinished the ends so no one will ever know it has been cut. We also have a 54in piece that can go for $338. Shipping will run $65 via FedEx Gnd.

About the tag – Bliss Coffee advertisement by General Foods dating back to the 1940s. “Must be Magic! Such marvelous flavor at such a low price.” The old cans still be found on Ebay. It’s also great fun to look at all of the old coffee advertisements.