The concept of using salvaged wood and repurposing it is not a new one, but often the only option is to reuse it as flooring. This proved impossible for Mike Ball of Element Construction and one of his clients. “The owner had some old heart pine from a cabin that he had dismantled in Keswick, but there wasn’t enough of it to use as flooring,” Ball said. “We had to think outside the box.”

The tongue-and-groove heart pine de- served special treatment. The solution? Use it in two places: as a countertop and on the ceiling of a mudroom connector between the main house and the garage. “The kitchen was going to have a stainless steel counter that was making the room feel kind of cold. I suggested using the wood as an island top to add warmth to the space,” said Ball, who admitted that it took a little convincing to get both the owner and their designer on board.

They ended up going for it, which meant treating the wood on the counter with a food-safe sealer. “There are a couple routes you can go to create something that can be eaten off of. Often times, I use a couple coats of mineral oil, and that will do the trick.” In this case, they went with four coats of a food-safe spray lacquer.

In a sense, the owners have added a touch of history to their space without completely transforming it into a log cab- in. Talk about the best of both worlds.

written by Cate West-Zahl.

Abode, March 2014