Genuine Barnwood Furniture

Furniture made from reclaimed lumber is a great choice for rugged, beautiful and long lasting furniture. The materials come from old barns, sheds, and other buildings that are being taken down. Instead of just burning the wood it is used to make high quality furnishings that are made here in the USA. Barn wood furniture fits into many decor styles, such as log homes, cottage, farmhouse, lodge, cabin, and more. The old wood is dense and strong, from a time when trees were old growth and structures were made to last. Many companies make nice furnishings that are made to look like old barn board, but they are new lumber that is distressed and stained to look old. There isn't anything wrong with that, it still can be good quality. But if you want genuine barn board furniture then that is what you should look for. Typically you can tell the difference because the patina and look of the wood will tell you if the boards were old, reclaimed wood. The barn wood furniture that we sell does not have a stain finish, it simply has a clear coat to protect it and make it easier to clean. If you look on the underside, or inside of a piece of furniture you may be able to see that it is old wood. Sometimes it is stained a color from the side of a barn. There will be real nail holes and distress from the decades of use and exposure.

We just had many new pieces arrive at our Dublin, NH gallery. Some has already been delivered, but we have an amazing sideboard that is 6' in length with 2 drawers and two cabinets. Also just in is a 5' sofa table (both shown above) and a 3' bench. A bench with a back and under seat storage is also here in the gallery. Come see the beauty and quality of these furnishings. We can order in hundreds of other barnwood options as well as custom pieces. Stop by to view the full catalog of barn board furnishings.

Call for more information 603-563-7010, or visit our website at http://www.rusticfurnituregallery.com/

We are located at 1327 Main Street, Route 101, in Dublin, New Hampshire.

Rustic Furniture...A sustainable Choice

Like any product, it is good to do your homework and see where and how a product was made. Sales people may make you feel like you are a bother, but that's they're problem, it's OK to ask questions. After all you are thinking about spending your hard earned money on something, you want to make sure it is a good investment.
They're are many rustic and Adirondack crafts people and companies out there and all will, of course, do things a bit differently. That is good because it gives the consumer many choices. The rustic furniture industry overall is very caring for the environment and for the quality of their products. Taking time and carefully crafting a durable product is the norm with the rustic style.
Typically, rustic furniture makers use materials that are readily available in their particular area, so the resources usually aren't being trucked all over the country. Twigs and saplings grow back very quickly after they are cut, so materials will be available at the same site in not too many years. Some rustic makers use dead standing trees, which is a perfect resource. The trees are dry and ready for building, and in much of the country these trees are fuel for wild fires which should be removed anyway. Some builders use trees and saplings that have been cut along roadsides or other areas being cleared. So, instead of being wasted they are reformed into a functional furniture item. Other rustic furniture makers may use wood they find on a walk or drift wood along the coast. Of course many are using a combination of these to get their raw materials. Sometimes recycled items and antiques are incorporated into furniture pieces as well.
Rustic and Adirondack styles like to leave materials as close to their natural form as possible, so there is much less energy being used for planing and other alterations of the wood. Plus it makes each piece unique in form.
For all of these reasons, rustic and Adirondack furniture is a perfect, sustainable choice. Great for you and your home and great for the environment!

Presentation at The Monadnock Rotary

This Morning I spoke at the Monadnock Rotary meeting, here in Dublin, NH. The group meets each week at the Dublin Community Church where they have breakfast and discuss the upcoming events of the chapter. Most weeks they have a guest speaker and I was asked by one of the members to speak to the group, about our business and rustic style furniture. The presentation was about half an hour long and I discussed my background and how I came to have a furniture business in the small town of Dublin. I gave my thoughts on the meaning of Rustic and Adirondack and what it really means, when it comes to furnishings. I talked about what we do and what we offer at Wilderness Creations and also about how we try to give back to our community.
The Rotary has 1.2 million members in over 33,000 clubs around the world. It was started more than 100 years ago and carries the motto "Service Above Self". Each local group works in their own community and on more global issues to help make the world a better place. I was honored to be this weeks speaker and appreciate the attentive members of the Monadnock Region Rotary. For more information on the international Rotary organization you can visit http://www.rotary.org or visit http://monadnockrotary.org/ to learn more about the Monadnock Rotary Club.


www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com

Clearance Sale!!!

Wilderness Creations is having an end of summer clearance sale! Our in store inventory is marked 15% to 30% off. Some of these discounts are on top of other mark downs, so there are some really great deals on all of the rustic and Adirondack furniture and home accessories in the gallery. This sale runs from today, 10/6 until Sunday 10/10/10. For more information call 603-563-7010 or visit our website at www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com

Open- tuesday-saturday 10-5 and sunday 10-2

Walking Sticks

Walking sticks can be very useful when walking around the home or hiking in tough terrain. Many hikers use two poles for balance and stability. More modern hiking poles are light weight aluminum and adjustable with easy to hold grips, much like ski poles. A more traditional hiking stick can be heavy and more cumbersome to carry on a long trek. Instead of bringing one of your favorite walking sticks into the back country you can find them as you go and as needed. Here in New England there is no shortage of fairly straight branches that are already dead and down on the ground. Simply break it to your preferred length and keep it as long as you feel necessary. Many times when hikers find nice ones, they will leave them by a trail head for others to use.
If you are walking from your home and not going out for days, then it is nice to carry your own stick. Perhaps you have a collection and grab different ones on different days. They can be made of many different woods, carved, painted or decorated with feathers or other treasures. Hang or lean them by the door so you don't forget to grab it on the way out.
Walking sticks can be useful for extra support and balance. If you are heading up or down hill you can use it for stability or to take a bit of the load off of a bad knee or ankle. They are useful when crossing streams on a log or rocks. They can also give you a bit more security if you run across a dog or other aggressive animal. I like to use them for knocking the spider webs out of my path. Certain times of year they are everywhere and it can get annoying fast to have them across your face, time after time. Other uses for walking sticks or hiking poles are for setting up a sleeping tarp or for emergencies, like immobilizing a wounded leg.
One recommendation is to make sure you have rubber tips on your poles or walking sticks. They can help the base stick securely on rocks, pavement, and so forth. Then they are less likely to slip out on you. If the walking stick doesn't have that you can buy them at hardware stores and slip them on yourself. Usually you can find a size that is close to the size of the end of the stick or pole.
Of course it all comes down to personal preference and how it feels to you. Some will never want to carry extra things, some will find a stick for when they need it, some will need the latest and lightest hiking poles while others don't want to enter the woods without their favorite stick. Give any of these approaches a try to see if it feels right to you, and get out in the woods and enjoy a nice hike.


www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com

In The Workshop

This is a rustic plant stand, pedestal table that I just completed. It has a burl base with a Pine top and twig accents around the edge. The base has an oil finish and the top has an exterior polywhey finish. It stands 43 1/4" tall and the top is roughly 12 by 12. This item is in stock and priced at $230. It is perfect for putting plants on or any kind of pottery, art, or other item that you may want to display. It is a unique, one of a kind piece of furniture from Wilderness Creations. Email Mark@RusticfurnitureGallery.com

Visit our website at: www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com

Yes, we have a "real" store.

We believe that we have put together a very nice website. This takes alot of time and financial resources but it just has to be done because that is where most people go to find out about products and services that they are looking for. Customers can search our products, get directions to our location, contact us and so forth. We also have what these days is called a brick and mortar store, an actual physical location. This is where we can visit with people face to face, and really get a feel for their interests and needs. Our visitors and clients love to come in and see what we've got. They take their time and touch the wood, sit in the chairs, and ask questions about the construction. Many people have never been into a store that is filled with beautiful Adirondack and rustic style furniture and accessory pieces. Others have only seen galleries like ours in Lake Placid or Aspen Colorado. They comment on the smell of the wood and the natural shapes that are formed into a functional piece of furniture. These are all things that can't be properly conveyed over the internet. It's a great tool, but you can't get it all through. You can't stimulate all of the senses. That is why we love to have customers and new visitors into the gallery, because we can see their smiles and feel their excitement. We can communicate face to face and hear their stories. They tell us about their new home or the retreat that they are planning to build. This type of interaction just can't be duplicated online. You can't catch a facial expression or appreciate a message through the tone of voice. A physical store location also attracts neighbors and friends and allows you to work with the people from your town or region. That is special.
Of course this type of interaction comes at a cost to us as well. We don't have flexible hours and there is alot of overhead for the space and utilities, but we understand and accept this, because I don't want to have a completely cold and faceless transaction every time. Some days it would be really nice to be home in my bathrobe answering calls, but I just don't think that is the best way to do business. I don't feel that you can give the customer all of the attention that they deserve. I guess I'll always be a bit "old fashion", but we'll stick with our brick and mortar gallery here in Dublin, NH. and continue to build and improve our website so that our customers can research, purchase, and gather information at their leisure. Please let us know how we can make our website or our store even better, we are always open to your ideas. Stop by for a visit if you are in the Monadnock area.

Mark
www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com