Luckily when I had just the right wood in mind for this project.
This wood has had a few lives already - many years ago - when I lived on the family farm and worked in site management (briefly) I was working on a site where two carpenters had come up with a problem. They were cladding a communal stairwell and had worked out they were massively short of timber - the manager ordered a load more and pretty much none of it was needed (they were rubbish carpenters).
So the next day I rocked up on site and the forklift driver was trying to smash it up by driving over it again and again so it would fit in the skip! So I managed to save a bit and put it in my car. It then stayed in a converted barn for the best part of a decade before being used as a shelf in our old pantry for the microwave to sit on.
when I pulled this out the other day to start making the downstairs loo, I figured it was still good wood so set to work breaking it down to make a shelving unit. Didn't take long, simple housed in joints and a good sanding the timber looked like new.
Once they were put up I filled them in no time! Only a space for a few more jars!
It's really lovely to see these jars of produce on the wall (two deep) and I think they really have a beauty of their own! I really need to keep pushing on with the canning!
So you have any materials that you've used over and over again?
it would seem I am a womble and cant help but keep bits and use them in the next house we move to. One house, we took out a mirror, very small couldnt think where to put it. We staged a house (2 moves ago) and it was the exact size we could fit in. Serendipity. We have reused marine ply a few times, bench top, cutting table and now a chicken coop roof. I also saved all of the car port roof from the last house. It was enough for a carport for 3 cars, apex. we have used it here for wood stores, to give the chickens a dry area and at present some of it is screwed on to the fence as our chickens think that the grass is always greener and the people holidaying in our cottage brought 2 dogs with them we werent expecting. Rather than the chickens lose their heads we thought we better stop them pecking through. I have curtains that I have been given by my parents that must be nearly 40 years old, I couldnt have afforded the material as our ceilings are over 14ft and the windows are nearly floor to ceiling, they are an exact fit and didnt need any altering as they are from my childhood home that was Victorian like this house. So many thinmany things we have reused. Good thing I like old things. I even prefer dark wood, everyone of my family offers me their old furniture. The table I am typing at was my great grandparents and the lore of the family was it was a huge table from a farm house, 2 brothers were fighting over it so cut it in half. This is one part of that table. True or not, it is well over 100 years old and is in lots of family photos. One from the war where they added sides to it and made it into a large dog house for if they had to shelter in the house due to bombs being dropped and they were under the stairs. Give me old and bashed up any day. p.s. I am really jealous of your can dispensers. I could do with those in my cellar
ReplyDeleteI've got a lot better than I used to be. I remember a few years ago my brother going through my wood pile and asking why I was chucking something out. The trouble is I can only keep it if it's a decent length. Lots of old bed sheets as dust sheets though and pallets get used all the time!
DeleteLove the idea of sawing a table in half so it gets split!
- Can dispensers are on etsy although I'm sure I could do you a better deal - especially if you wanted to assemble them yourself - the postage is the kill on those - it's about £9!
What a great little shelf. Your preserves look so lovely sitting on it. Looks to sit perfectly in that space.
ReplyDeleteLoved the story of how the shelf came to be. We recycle a lot here too.
Have a wonderful weekend,
xTania
Thank! Hopefully I'll have a lot more than just these jarred up soon!
DeleteLovely job. I could do with some bookshelves like those. You can never have enough sheds and never enough shelves.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we need to get some book shelves back in here. We did the extension and they seemed to move out - I want them back!
DeleteI used to work in a restaurant where the kitchen was open to the dining room. The owners brother was a woodworker (carpenter, joiner, cabinetmaker, sculptor), and he made some shelves to fill the gap above the counter - shelves that we filled with jars of preserves. It was still 'see through' sort of, as the light from the kitchen was much brighter than in the dining room, but most folks' gaze never focused beyond the jars, bottle, an bunches of drying herbs.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of that- I bet I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes off them either!
DeleteThere is nothing better than full shelves of home made produce. Growing up in rural Somerset, my mum always had full cupboards, it's a busy time of year.
ReplyDeleteI love it. I think the kids will have lots of memories of food prep!
DeleteWe are just in the process of putting some recycled kitchen cupboards into the garage as a store for my preserves. I love to see home made produce on shelves.I would dearly love a house with a proper old fashioned pantry.
ReplyDeleteI had to build one here, we had a little one but decided when we built the new kitchen to use half the old one as a pantry. Best decision ever - really works for us.
Deletewhat a fantastic job. you are a true artist kev!
ReplyDeleteHaha! thanks! It's just some shelves - got as cool project coming up though.
DeleteThat is incredible, well gone on the preserving and the carpentry.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Two subjects close to my heart!
DeleteLove the shelves. I really want a proper larder like Mum had, lined with jars of preserves and pickles. Your preserves look quite delicious, I'm waiting to see how the chive flower vinegar turns out, you certainly inspire us to have a go at different things.
ReplyDeleteI love my pantry - it would never be big enough though. I'd like a root cellar!
DeleteWe got a quote for a floor to ceiling bookcase that we simply couldn't afford so we got together all our old bookcases and stacked them up against the wall (they are well secured to that wall). I like the random result better than the original new ones!
ReplyDeleteviv
Sometimes random really works! I'd love a library as my dream room!
DeleteHi Kev, yes we have always recycled. the trestle top in our poly tunnel, had many reincarnations,I know it was used in 1918 as a table top for victory parties, a various guide ,ranger and scout events over many years, are family parties,at parties for VE and VJ parties. The flooring taken from our first house in 1964 has served in various projects, not least in shelving in our several shops over the years, in workshops and now as pantry shelves for preserves. They dont look as good as yours though.
ReplyDeleteKathy xx
Sounds liek we're on the same page. My stands in the greenhouse this year were the sides from our old bed - did the job but don't think they'll last another year (ikea rubbish - lol).
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