Upcycled Vintage Wood and Memories

Upcycled Vintage Wood

I have been moving this old piece of wood from place to place in my garage for many years…13 to be exact.  It’s an old piece of wood with a beautiful story.  If you know me at all, you know I like a good story.  You also know I like stuff.  What’s better than a great piece of stuff with an even greater story?  Let’s call this one Upcycled Vintage Wood…and Memories.

The House That Built Me

I grew up in a working class section of Philadelphia known as Roxborough.  My parents bought their first home when they got married in 1961 and sold it 45 years later to move to Alabama to be closer to me, their only child, and their 5 grandchildren.  The memories made in that home molded me into the person that I am today and have been passed on to my children.  This piece of wood was the cutting board that was built into their kitchen cabinets. 

Mom and Dad were the second owners of this boxy little twin home built around 1940.  But it was the only home I knew as a child.  When my parents finally decided to update their kitchen around 1998, they replaced the kitchen cabinets.  I grabbed this cutting board from the trash pile thinking, like my Dad, “that’s a half decent piece of wood”.  It must have been the still evident lines in the woodgrain that caught my eye.  Because it certainly is not a pretty piece of wood.  But isn’t that the beauty of restoration and repurposing?  You see something beyond to immediate condition of an item.  I was most likely desperate for a piece of that childhood home that I loved so much.  So I toted it back to Alabama and it’s been in my garage ever since.

History and Convenience Via Wood

The cabinets in the original kitchen were white.  At some point in my childhood, Mom decided she wanted the cabinets painted.  So Pop, aka Mr. “I fix everything in my own home with my own two hands”, and I painted the white cabinets a lovely beige.  This paint, still clinging to this now antique cutting board, made me smile.  This cutting board was actually inserted into the cabinets above a drawer but just under the counter.  So, if you had to cut some bread or chop some vegetable, you simply pulled it out, completed your chopping, wiped it down, and slid it back into place.  When in its resting place, it simply looked like a piece of molding sitting over the drawer.  You can see the long groove on the painted edge under which you would slip your fingers to pull the board out from the cabinet for use.  Pretty smart and very convenient.

Yet Another Collection

I started collecting a few unique cutting boards after we renovated our kitchen in March 2020.  When we got our new countertops, I stumbled upon his old cutting board and brought it to the kitchen to use to protect my new Corian counters.  As I moved it from counter to counter to place under crockpots and coffee pots, I realized that the size was desirable but the condition quite sad.  And that lingering paint made me smile.  I realized that I needed this happy reminder in my kitchen.  I also realized this happy reminder needed a serious face lift.

Simple is Better

Because it will be inevitably be used for food prep, I decided against using any harsh stains.  Instead, I would give both sides of the cutting board a good sanding and treat it with a natural hemp oil.  Hemp oil is a natural protectant for wood and contains no harsh chemicals.  It is safe for use around food and is all natural.  My favorite hemp oil is my friend Marian’s brand, Miss Mustardseed Hemp oil.  I think it is now sold under the Fusion Brand by Homestead House. 

                                                                               

The cabinet maker had done a lovely job of creating this cutting board as evident in the dovetail edges that finish the piece.  Time and wear have taken their toll as the dovetails were loose and splitting. 

I wiggled the loose edges and most of the grooved pieces came off easily. 

I took a jig saw and carefully cut the tongued edges off of both sides of the cutting board.  I was left with a square piece of wood.  A gave the edges a nice sanding to even the appearance.  Next, both flat sides received a heavy sanding to remove many of the surface cuts. 

It was impossible to remove all of the mars and slices in the wood.  Quite frankly, knowing that Mom and Dad, my grandmother, great grandmother, countless aunts, uncles and friends had carved some character into this little slab of wood, I was quite happy with the remaining memory marks.  

I wiped dust from the board and applied a thick coat of hemp oil.  The wood was very hungry and absorbed several coats. 

Look at the revived wood!

She is a lovely addition to my little cutting board collection.  And even more importantly, she makes me smile and triggers happy memories of a beautiful home!

The sweet little project has been on my mind for some time.  I’m happy to share it as part of my friend Sydney’s belated heart celebration!  Sydney blogs at Sydney and Co!  

Stop by the following blogs to see a little piece of their hearts!