How to repurpose old barn wood in just 31 easy steps!

Step 1: Buy a farm with an old barn on it.

Rob and the Emergency Media Stand

I will start this story off with a nod to my parents, whose mantra is:

“If you really want to get your place cleaned up, schedule a meeting.”

They practice this philosophy often, as they frequently host car club events at their place, in my dad’s shop where he works on his old cars and trucks.

The last time we had a foray with this way of thinking was a few years ago when our son Jordan graduated from high school. We hosted a little reception here on the farm, we didn’t even bring anyone into the house, instead we tidied up Rob’s semi truck bay, put some paper down on the workbench to house a mini buffet so folks could get a bite to eat, and hang out for a bit.

However, the graduation reception endeavor also morphed into an emergency landscaping project that involved renting things like sod cutters, hauling in 2 ton boulders and dump truck loads of landscape stone.

The whole family worked hard for days – we were still working on the morning of the event – a tired and sweaty Rob dashed off to shower as the first guests were arriving. It turned out great, but I had no interest whatsoever in doing this sort of high-pressure home improvement ever again. It’s a little embarrassing to say I am too old and tired for it – as my parents pull it off on a regular basis.

The Aftermath. An Adventure in Remodeling

Well, it’s done. The workers from Timeless Barn Company succeeded in making our big room upstairs “amazing”. They’ve cleaned up the mess, packed up their tools, and are on to adventures elsewhere. The only thing left to be done is the flooring, which is yet undecided. Rob has expressly, explicitly FORBIDDEN me to move even ONE STICK of furniture into the room until AFTER the flooring is done. Otherwise (we both know this is true) we will settle in comfortably and will still be looking at OSB subfloor disgracing this beautiful room for years to come…

“I got this, really. How hard can it be?” – A chapter of My Stubborn Valentine

Last time saw my husband Rob expending considerable time and effort, orchestrating the demolition of an old barn some 50 miles from our home in Alexandria, Indiana – hauling the timbers back here for an undetermined project, and storing them safely in a rented barn down the road. The effort was a success, but it concluded with both of us exhausted, and not too keen on wrestling those big beams around any more. For a while.

“Tell them that we will take it.” – A chapter of My Stubborn Valentine

February always finds me sharing Valentine’s Day stories, and this year is no exception. Most folks view the adjective “stubborn” as a negative trait. And indeed the very first word of dictionary.com’s definition is “unreasonably“. However, option two and three are much more flattering in that they tell us a stubborn person is:

fixed or set in purpose on opinion; resolute and

obstinately maintained, as a course of action

These describe my Valentine (husband Rob) to a T.

What’s in a barn?

This verse by Lauren Davis Baker is mostly about the love of horses – but the portion about barns highlighted above really resonates with me.

Here in Indiana, there are thousands of vintage barns – many are well over 100 years old. The one in this picture was in my parent’s family for generations. Sadly, these things don’t last forever; times change, land use goals change, age and weather deteriorate even the most steadfast of materials. The barn is gone now, but here’s a picture of it in it’s last year – which was just a few years ago, NOT the 1950’s as the truck might indicate.