This built-in cubby was originally designed to have reclaimed wood used for the shiplap backing. Unfortunately after the two accent walls we did in other rooms of the house, there just wasn’t enough barn wood left. In the end we made the cubbies and the shiplap backing out of local Iowa poplar, which was painted to match the walls. The bench top was made of reclaimed barn wood from our client’s family barn, which was lightly sanded to prevent splintering and finished with polyurethane. The end result was the perfect culmination of features from this house, simple, classic, sleek design meets rustic farmhouse. The allure is almost Scandinavian and very cozy. We have loved every minute of building and designing for this client’s house. It has been so fun to make new use of old barn wood and see just how stylish we could make it.