For nearly a decade now, “Mr. Barn Wood” has been repurposing old wood with stories to tell into unique pieces of home decor. This Saint-Antoine-Abbé business started when founder Simon Brennan felt like he needed a change from the demolition business that he had been running in Montreal. “I said to myself that it would be so fun to be closer to home in the Valley and to be outside, enjoying myself without all the noise and the city, and come back to my roots,” he says. It was then that he came across an old barn and wondered what he could do with the wood. On a whim, he asked the owner if he could have it, and when he was told “yes,” Mr. Barn Wood was born.
Now, nine years later, Brennan has between thirty and forty thousand square feet of wood and timber from different buildings. Some have historical value, some are in odd shapes, but all of them have a special story and the potential to become one of Mr. Barnwood’s projects. “We keep the best stuff for customers. Then the wood is washed. After being washed it goes to a brushing machine. After we’ve brushed it, we’ll stack it in our warehouses” where, he says, it waits until the perfect project comes along.
When the business began, the projects tended to be more standard, like walls and doors. Now, Brennan has the opportunity to make pieces that are even more tailored to each customer’s wants and needs. “We’ve evolved to the point where we choose our projects. It’s a little bit more on the higher-end scale of things. There’s a lot of projects we won’t do because there’s things we focus on,” he says, like cathedral ceilings, furniture, tabletops, and custom walls.
Reusing old wood has a positive environmental impact, especially when considering how much destruction the mass-manufacture of furniture and such products can cause. Forests are being cut “at an alarming rate, Brennan says, adding, “The lumber that is being used from that is okay quality, but we use machinery, trucks, and huge mills that require a lot of power.” The industry also produces massive amounts of pollutants, while simultaneously destroying the ecosystems of many species.
Reused wood is often of better quality, because “These trees were cut from virgin forests when settlers came here and they grew in natural forests where these trees had to fight for sunlight, making the ring rows tighter,” Brennan explains.
Using such wood to create new pieces adds to the wood’s story. “We have wood that has been used in its lifetime four, five, or six different times,” Brennan says. In a world that is driven by overconsumption, almost anything a consumer could want is made and available at their fingertips. “As convenient as that is, it takes away our humanity,” he says. Buying from a small local business such as his ensures that “You have good quality wood, good craftsmanship, a story, and a one-of-a-kind project.” He recognizes that cost can be a barrier for people but hopes everyone has the chance to experience a custom piece.
Brennan says he loves connecting with other people, both customers and other repurposed-wood entrepreneurs. Last May, he visited businesses across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York state. He met a man who had been given some benches from the University of Notre Dame and got to repurpose them; it’s moments like that, hearing other people’s stories, that excite Brennan most. This year he will be visiting other woodworkers with similar stories in Phoenix, Arizona.
Mr. Barn Wood was also featured on season two of the Télé Québec show, Bien Bâti. A camera crew visited the shop and recorded the process. “I really love how they captured what we do, and in a short time were able to show that to people,” Brennan says, adding, “It’s a great show that a lot of people can get behind, because it really talks about Quebec and the architectural heritage we have here.” The show is available on the Télé Québec app.