Re-Purpose, Re-Use, and Re-Decorate Using Old Wine Barrels

by Randi Destefano

If you’re a wine lover, chances are you’ve had the opportunity to visit a winery or two, and learn about how wine is made. And maybe, if you’re like me, you love bringing home treasures to remind you of your trip.

Every few year we spend time in the Wine Country of California, doing some tasting…and learning. Since we’re in the process of designing our own tasting room, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want it to look. And one item I definitely want to include is an aged barrel. Did you know that each barrel is only used 2-4 times depending on the winery?

Of course, after learning that bit of information, I started asking what happens to the used barrels. And guess what I learned? They either throw them out or use them as planters around the winery.

But I’ve been noticing around town that the barrels are being re-purposed by some very creative people and turned into beautiful pieces to use at home. Let’s take a look at what I’ve found:

1. Furniture – Besides the obvious use of a barrel as a table, you can find stools and Adirondack chairs made from barrels.

2. Accessories – This category is the most creative use of barrel staves. Even non-wine drinkers will love to feature some of these items in their home.

3. Wall art and lighting – Barrel tops are the most common wall art uses. The most popular have the winery brand embossed on them. But barrel staves are also being used in creative ways. Here are a few that I love to use.

And when you’ve made your purchases or even created your own unique look with barrels and staves, you can use them to add the finishing touches to your wine tasting room. Cheers!!!