Reclaimed Beam Bench | Upcycled Furniture

January 7, 2022
By Douglas Killingtree

Upcycling is all the rage these days, and with good reason. Using materials that would previously have been considered waste products to create new items is both economical and environmentally friendly. All across the world, people are finding unique and creative ways to turn old items into new, useful, and often visually stunning pieces. Whether it’s glass yogurt cups becoming a tray of seed planters or an old coffee tin transformed into a brilliant lighting fixture, this new trend helps people find the beauty in items that would otherwise be clogging landfills.

Back in 2018 our team was remodeling a sunroom for a Portland client. While not all elements of the heavy wood aesthetic were reusable, there were several large, sturdy beams salvaged by our carpenters. Kept in storage until recently, we hauled them out this last summer after receiving an approved design for a custom bench by John Weil at Weil Architecture. Built in our woodshop by Carpenter Moses Grubb and finished by Carpenter Matthew Kamenski, the final piece showcases the attractive quality of the original fir beams.

“I love working with this beautiful old wood,” says longtime carpenter Grubb. “It’s exciting to re-use material to make something fresh that fits back in the space so well.”

And fit it does. The flawless execution of the bench’s clean and timeless design not only elevates the upcycled beam itself, but beautifully compliments the redesigned space it once again occupies.

While we are not furniture makers at Hammer & Hand, from time-to-time the skilled team in our woodshop have been able to create unique, hand-crafted pieces for existing clients as part of larger renovations, commercial TIs, and new home builds. We don’t always have the capacity to build furniture as our woodshop is usually extremely busy with doors, windows, and other high-detail components of our existing projects. Your project supervisor can work in concert with your designer and our woodshop team to determine if custom furniture will be a feasible addition to your project.