One of my favorite pieces of furniture in my home is a simple bench made from support beams rescued from a turn-of-the-century lower Manhattan commercial building and I recently dragged a sea-sculputed plank of driftwood off the beach to turn into a shelf or maybe a table. You see, I have long believed that wood never belongs in a dumpster; the history and character that reclaimed wood possesses is more beautiful to me than any newly planed board could ever be. This said, I was delighted to discover a pair of talented Etsy artisans diverting this precious resource away from landfills after it has served its structural purpose in our nation's oldest buildings. Peg and Awl is a Philadelphia-based, husband and wife duo who dream up new uses for time-worn wood, as evidenced by the alluring - and sometimes quirky - pieces below. Whether crafting purely functional housewares out of salvaged wood or adding their own decoupaged twist to reclaimed chunks, the results are all equally lovable. Please take the time to read the stories in each link, as the origins of the wood materials are often just as interesting as the resulting piece.
Reclaimed Wood Candle Blocks (Metamorphosis, in the single photo above, is my favorite.)
Reclaimed Oak Tub Caddy
Medium Reclaimed Pine Desk Caddy
Reclaimed Hardwood Apothecary Spice/Tea Rack
Reclaimed Wood Shelf and Coat Hanger
Set of 3 Nesting Reclaimed Oak Fruit Baskets
