Looking for creative ways to incorporate refined wood features into your home renovation?
Through expert craftsmanship and creative design, reclaimed timber, custom millwork, and distinctive finishes can bring warmth, architectural character, and personality to your home.
We love finding new ways to work with beautiful materials. In these Edmonton home renovations, we’ve transformed a treasured dining table into a custom kitchen bar, given a century-old timber beam a new purpose as a fireplace mantel, and used traditional Japanese wood-charring techniques to create a striking exterior finish.
Here are three remarkable wood features that demonstrate what’s possible with remarkable design and custom craftsmanship.
1. A Treasured Dining Table, Reimagined
When we redesigned our clients’ Edmonton kitchen, their family’s beautiful fir dining table no longer fit the new layout. The table had been in their family for decades, and they were sad to part with it.
We had the tabletop sanded down and milled to fit its new purpose: a raised bar with a waterfall end.
To carry that material through the room, we added matching vertical-grain fir to the ceiling and wall cladding. Repeating the wood grain creates a connection between the raised bar and the surrounding kitchen, giving the space a beautifully cohesive finish.
It’s a beautiful feature in the kitchen, made all the more meaningful because the homeowners know the history.
This bar top is an amazing example of what’s possible when we look beyond a material’s original use and imagine what it could become. With expert craftsmanship and a refined eye for design, we can transform something that no longer fits its original purpose into a remarkable custom feature.
Watch the video for more details:
2. A Fireplace Mantel with a Remarkable History
The fir beam above the fireplace in the Byrne Crescent whole-home renovation has quite a history.
It began as part of the Manning Grain Elevator, built in 1925, north of Edmonton. When the elevator was demolished in 1987, the timber was left unused for nearly 18 years. We eventually salvaged it to build a timber-frame structure for a design competition.
When the competition ended, we dismantled the structure and kept several pieces of the beautiful old fir, knowing we could find another use for them. One even became the fireplace mantel in Paul’s own home.
Now, this beautiful piece of fir has another home above our clients’ gas fireplace in Byrne Crescent.
We love the character that comes with aged timber. The grain and natural variations give this mantel a distinctive appearance, while its history makes it especially meaningful.
Reclaimed wood features can work particularly well in a contemporary home, where an older material adds warmth and texture to a modern space.
Watch the video for more details or see our Byrne Crescent Portfolio.
3. A Distinctive Home Exterior With Shou Sugi Ban
In our Greenfield whole-home renovation, we explored a completely different expression of wood.
For the exterior of the home, we used Shou Sugi Ban, a traditional Japanese technique that chars the surface of timber to create a dark, textured finish.
Paired with contemporary Hardie panels, the charred wood creates a striking contrast that complements the home’s mid-century design. The dark finish draws attention to the texture of the timber, while the clean lines of the surrounding panels give the exterior a refined, modern appearance.
What makes Shou Sugi Ban so distinctive is how the charring process transforms the wood’s colour while accentuating its natural grain and texture. Beyond its appearance, the charred surface can also help protect the underlying wood against moisture and weathering.
How to Choose the Perfect Wood Feature for Your Renovation
The most interesting materials often come with a story, whether it’s a table your family has used for years, a salvaged piece of fir, or a finish inspired by a traditional craft.
When we plan wood features for a renovation, we consider how the material will work with the architecture, the home’s existing finishes, and the way our client uses the space.
Sometimes that means giving something old a new purpose. Other times, it means exploring a technique that makes a familiar material look entirely different.
If you have a piece of furniture or a family heirloom you’d love to incorporate into your renovation or a distinctive wood finish you’d like to explore, we’d love to hear about it.
Ready to reimagine what’s possible in your home?
We serve homeowners and condo owners across Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Leduc, and the surrounding area. If you’re ready to start planning your renovation, send us an email at info@contactrenovations.ca – we’d love to bring your luxury home vision to life.
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