Reclaimed Michigan began with a simple project in 2014. Bill McDonald, one of the founders, was looking for a mantel for his fireplace and wanted to do a couple of small projects for his wife. After doing some looking around, he found that there was little to no reclaimed lumber available in Metro Detroit and he had to travel about an hour to find some. He began going to different rural areas in Michigan and bringing the material back to Clarkston. As things grew, Matt Halcrow, Bill’s neighbor joined in with him in 2015 and thus the company was born. The company has quickly grown from being a back yard based business  to a 7200 square foot warehouse offering a variety of reclaimed materials and vintage finds.

“We work to preserve as much material from each building as possible, because once its gone, its gone. It can never be reproduced. All of the material that we save is ready to move onto its next phase of life, whether its a table, barn door or accent wall.”~ Bill McDonald

Some of the barns have 150 years of history to share and the wood they are built with is even older.

Most of the barns that we reclaim were built between 1870 and 1920. When we first go look at them, we are looking for the character of the building and the story it has tell. Some of the barns have 150 years of history to share and the wood they are built with is even older. We are looking at the quality of the siding, how weathered it is or how faded the paint is. On the inside, we looking at the flooring, wall boards, roof boards for a rich brown color and deep circle saw marks. The beams usually speak for themselves when you see them. The work that went into creating hand hewn beams is just amazing. Whether they are 6x6 or 12x12, they are all amazing.

One of the best things of being a part of Reclaimed Michigan is watching our customers walk through the front door. When people come for the first time they usually don’t know what to expect. They walk through the door, take a few steps in and just pause and look around for a few seconds. A common reaction when people walk to the warehouse part of our shop where the wood is stored, is just stop and stare. That’s generally when we introduce ourselves and show them how we have the material laid out and ask what they are working on and help guide them through their projects. Its not uncommon for someone to spend 2 hours wandering through the shop to find just the right pieces for the project. That’s what makes Reclaimed Michigan fun, every project is completely unique. Every barn is different, so no matter how many accent walls we do, doors or tables we build, no two are alike.

“Once you work with reclaimed lumber, there is no comparison to what the big box stores sell. There is so much more character in historic lumber and its always a surprise once you clean up the wood and see the grain for the first time.” ~ Matt Halcrow

Bill McDonald

Frank

Matt Halcrow