A New Renaissance For Reclaimed Furniture Emerges

When examining trends in the luxury furniture market today, one can see that there is an increasing fascination with incomparable handmade pieces that are often crafted from reclaimed materials and reveal traces of bygone times. The allure of using repurposed wood to build exceptional, distinctive furniture has soared in popularity in recent years, with terms such as industrial chic and rustic contemporary commonly used to convey the marriage of historic, salvaged pieces with contemporary home furnishings.  While this design aesthetic continues to emerge, there has been a dearth of online retailers who exclusively feature this specific genre and are able to depict the attributes of superior craftsmanship and building methods in a visually appealing, creative and informative venue.

Enter Homespun Design, a newly founded online purveyor of high end, quality heirloom pieces curated from a growing artisan community around the country.

Established in 2014 by Joe Noonan, Homespun Design seeks to fill this niche market with an online presence that highlights the inherent beauty and uniqueness of handcrafted furnishings.  Joe’s extensive background at Wayfair, the largest online retailer in the home space, enabled him to see that there was a growing number of discerning internet-first shoppers searching for highly specialized creations that were outside the scope of the mass market furniture offerings.

In answer to that need, Homespun Design focuses exclusively on honoring the age-old traditions of handcrafted furniture and accentuating the distinguishing characteristics of each “maker’s” approach. (The website has a feeling of rustic and elegant simplicity, featuring photographs and copy that draw the customer into the world of the craftsmen and explore the region where they are based.)  Homespun has already enlisted makers from around the country who work in many different styles – ranging from shaker to arts and crafts and mid-century – thereby providing a compelling array of distinctive, timeless centerpieces for the home.

As Homespun illustrates, the benefits of reclaimed wood are many –the resilience and timeworn attributes of old growth wood translate into a piece that is built to last. Transforming the wood from its original state also provides a naturally distressed, industrial look, which dovetails with the prevailing trend in interior design today.  Lastly, the rarified lumber and meticulous craftsmanship imbued into each piece by a singular artisan guarantees that no two items are the same and bestows it with a historical significance that is matchless.

While Homespun values craftsmanship and beauty above all else, it also has a keen interest in representing furniture makers who embrace environmental sustainability.  All of the site’s products are proudly crafted in the U.S. and are sourced locally whenever possible, thereby significantly reducing the carbon footprint that many of the mass market furniture makers have created. The geographic location of each maker has its own historic relevance, based on the origin of the lumber.  For example, Rustbelt Reclamation, based in Cleveland, Ohio, sources its wood and metal from industrial buildings in the city and other proximal areas in the Rustbelt.  Another maker, Reclaimed Rustic Woodworks, obtains its wood from abandoned barns and inns in its home state of Wisconsin and surrounding Midwestern states.  This transformation of buildings destined for demolition and brought back to life in another form provides an unparalleled opportunity for an ongoing conversation and inquiry into various landmarks and regions around our country and a sense of pride in owning a piece of its history.

While not all of Homespun’s makers are using reclaimed materials, they are all committed to their own exacting standards of exceptional quality workmanship and dedication to sustainable practices.  Browsing the site offers customers an intimate look into each maker’s inspired vision and artistry.  Through that exploration the customer will see that every maker, much like every piece of handcrafted furniture, has its own inimitable story to tell – Homespun Design invites you to create your own.
For more information please visit HomespunDesign.com