Reclaimed wood comes from two main sources. Some is taken from the rivers and lakes where it was sunk when logs were floated downstream from the forests where the trees were harvested to the ports or mills where the wood was sold. The main source of the wood we use is the demolition of old buildings such as barns and warehouses. These boards come with nail and/or peg holes as well as all the other marks that have been left by decades of use. The history of the wood’s original use is often there to add interest to its appearance in a new incarnation. Reclaimed heart pine is a warm golden tone with the color varying beautifully in wide bands. As the name suggests it is the heart or inner wood of the enormous trees harvested from America’s virgin forests. 200 plus years of drying has enhanced the wood’s hardness. Used in many mills and factories as well as all types of floors the reclaimed wood is widely available now. Wormy American Chestnut is exactly that. In the early 1900’s an insect infestation attacked the chestnut trees of North America, bringing them to near extinction. The trees were harvested and used widely in barns and other buildings. The reclaimed wood is a soft neutrally warm color exhibiting not only the marks of nails and other usage but also the evidence of the “worms.” These dark random marks add interest to the slightly wavy grain. Using a reclaimed wood is obviously a “green,” approach to cabinets and island tops. The history written in their scars and marks is an added interest and a nod to America’s past.