When Rob Skomski opened his reclaimed wood and whiskey barrel business, Red Fox Reclaiming, in 2018, he could have never anticipated the influx of customer support he would receive during the 2020 pandemic. During this time, there was a massive spike in DIY projects, making his reclaimed wood pieces a hot commodity.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves...
The story of Red Fox Reclaiming began in Hinckley with Rob naming his business after his red fox labrador retriever, Buddy. At the beginning, he primarily offered reclaimed wooden pallet products. It wasn't until April 2019 that he began to create pieces of home decor from reclaimed whiskey and wine barrels. Now, he offers a little bit of both and often pursues custom projects for homes and businesses across Northeast Ohio.
When it comes to breathing new life into old whiskey and wine barrels, Rob explains that it's important to know their three main components: 1) The staves, which are the white oak slats pressed into a cylindrical shape to make up the cask; 2) the barrel heads, or lids that sit on the top and bottom; and 3) the metal hoops that are wrapped around the outside, keeping everything locked in place. Each of these components come together to make a sturdy barrel that can be reclaimed and repurposed as a piece of furniture or can even be disassembled and recycled in a different way — like as a wall shelf or bottle opener.
The variations and styles of different furniture pieces using reclaimed barrels are almost endless. Some of Rob's more popular products include cabinets, tables, stools and chairs. What's neat, is that each piece utilizes the components of the barrel differently, based on each customer's needs and preferences. For example, when making a stool or chair, Rob uses the staves and hoops as the base and the lid as the seat.
Some of the smaller home decor pieces range from wine racks that are made from wine barrel staves, serving trays that incorporate reclaimed wood pieces and wine barrel staves and clocks that are made from the barrel lid.
"In addition to all of my regular furniture and home decor pieces, I have done so many custom pieces over the years," says Rob.
Some of the other ideas he has on his mind to try include an entertainment center for a video game console, Adirondack chairs and a fire pit.
All of Red Fox Reclaiming's one-of-a-kind products can be found at RedFoxReclaiming.com as well as on Etsy at Etsy.com/Shop/RedFoxReclaiming. Whether you're interested in learning more about Rob's current selection of products or you want to inquire about getting a custom piece, we recommend checking out both the website and Etsy shop to see the full range of products. You can also find a beautiful array of Rob's products at The UpTown Shoppe 32 Public Square.
Several northeast Ohio businesses also feature some of Rob's work on display. He crafted the interior wood walls and other functional decor at Niko’s Bar & Gyros in North Royalton, as well as indoor and outdoor whiskey pub tables at The Depot at Union Station in Lagrange.
Learn more about Red Fox Reclaiming by checking out their website. Also, reach out to Rob at 440.821.9993 to schedule a visit at his dog-friendly workshop. Also, don't forget that one of Rob's handcrafted pieces could serve as the perfect Father's Day present this month.
The story of Red Fox Reclaiming began with Rob naming his business after his red fox labrador retriever, Buddy.
"In addition to all of my regular furniture and home decor pieces, I have done so many custom pieces over the years," says Rob.