Reclaimed Barn Wood Bar Project

A project by Richard Walden, custom finish carpenter and experienced craftsman from Handyman Connection of Hamilton:

“Starting this project was a challenging one only because there was no plans or diagrams to go by. The owner and myself designed the final product from a blank slate. The first picture illustrates this. The material used was Tobacco Wood from an 1800 year old barn. Very rustic with raw edges and a blackened / grey face.

“At first, the client wanted to have all mirror on the wall, but after discussing other options, I suggested matching an adjacent wall that had two vertical columns made of tobacco wood and placing sconces in between each column and the existing wall. Also, using the tobacco wood on the back wall would make the design flow better. She wanted illuminated shelves to place bottles and other items. These were attached directly to the wood and I hid the wires behind the wall and made access to the wires in the room behind the bar for any failures that might occur in the future. We also designed back lighting around the perimeter with a LED strip light. The transformers for the strip light were hidden in the room behind the bar also. To hide the strip light, I creating a ledger behind the tobacco wood trim pieces. Also I diffused the LED to hide direct viewing of the lights using small rips of tobacco wood. 

          Although the tobacco wood was in a rough state and very uneven and some boards twisted and cupped, I was able to manipulate the boards by planing and ripping to desired dimensions. Choosing pieces to create a even flow and look that the owner wanted was challenging, but the end result and final picture shows the completed project. Kathleen was ecstatic with the completion and couldn’t be happier considering, after sitting dormant for 2 years, no other contractor would consider doing it. I was more than happy to do this project since custom finish carpentry and design has been my profession for over 35 years. I’m very grateful to Kathleen Moore and Handyman Connection for this opportunity.”

– Richard Walden