Philip Sassano of Refined Rustic Studio & Gallery

By Philip Sassano

Sounds so clinical doesn’t it? And combined with my brooding headshot, so serious. But analyzing and dissecting spaces is how we, to a certain extent, learn design.

That’s why we comb every conceivable media outlet for ideas, materials and most of all magic. But more important, it’s how we become inspired to improve our own surroundings. To take action. And ultimately, to share our own “personal performance art” with the one’s we love.

So what does all of that have to do with the use of reclaimed material? It’s my passion, and it’s what I share. And my studio is the laboratory for creating my visual elixirs.

Over the years, there probably hasn’t been a surface I haven’t painted. Or at least tried to paint.

There’s an entire blog right there about creative failure and the lessons of artistic experimentation. But crafting innovative interiors or innovative decorative applications is a mixture of passion, luck and guts. Without all three elements, using reclaimed material can be a real challenge.

However, with an open mind and an imaginative spirit, transforming reclaimed material can give interiors originality — and an unmistakable sense of history.

Case in  point, the Rural Irish Pub.

Seamlessly blending the newer elements and vintage materials is the key.

This basement project was designed to accommodate the client’s large extended family. Family gatherings and other parties are common in this multipurpose interior. A visual departure from the wine cellars and opulent home theaters, much of the millwork is reclaimed pine from Midwestern barn siding.

The doors throughout the space, selected with the client, each tell a story — some from an old monastery and others from rural European farmhouses.

Infusing one-of-a-kind accessories and original artwork can give your interior authenticity.

A 28-foot scull was suspended from the ceiling above custom framed photos of Ireland taken by the client. I never try to go into crafting spaces like these with too many preconceived notions. It closes my mind and my ability to dream. Sometimes, the best vintage elements find you. And you decide to have the guts and vision to give them a stage.

Using reclaimed material is always an adventure. Lesson: Buy what you love and make it work.

The reclaimed bar was reworked to accommodate a commercial-grade cooler, with Bass and Guinness on tap. Reclaimed stained-glass windows, vintage pub stools and other reclaimed architectural elements do what any well-designed interior should: Spark conversation.

In an industry that all too often champions the new and the newer, combining innovative artistic thought and vintage materials can be an interesting and timely creative statement for any interior.

refinedrustic.com