In a world that prizes the new, Emilie Crockett has built a thriving business around what’s old. Very old.
As owner of Texas Iowa Reclaimed, a family-run mill and nationally recognized design studio, Crockett spends her days surrounded by wood that has outlived generations. Her materials—reclaimed boards, beams, and planks salvaged from 18th- and 19th-century structures—once framed the barns and homes that built America. Now, under her care, those same boards find new life in contemporary spaces, bridging centuries through craftsmanship and design.
“I started out as a client,” Crockett laughs. “At the time, Texas Iowa Reclaimed had a showroom right down the road from my house. I became mesmerized by the product and its history.” When the company’s founder decided to retire, Crockett bought her share and stepped in to lead.
Reclaimed wood, Crockett explains, isn’t just a building material. It’s a record of American perseverance. “What makes reclaimed material so special is that it built our great nation,” she says. “It was forged by hands that could tell us countless stories of strife and triumph. We get the privilege to repurpose these materials in current and fresh ways that help make houses into homes.”
Texas Iowa Reclaimed specializes in high-quality reclaimed beams, flooring, and barn boards sourced from centuries-old structures. Each piece carries the marks of its past life—mortise pockets, peg holes, saw marks, and patina—that tell a story as tangible as its grain.
“All our materials—beams, boards, and floors—are harvested from the 1700s and 1800s,” she explains. “You know your parents’ refrigerator that wouldn’t die, and you say, ‘They don’t make them like that anymore’? My material is like that, but even older and stronger.”
That sturdiness is more than nostalgia. Every board is kiln-dried, a slow heating process that removes moisture, stabilizes the product, and kills insects or fungi. “It means fewer surprises after installation,” Crockett says. “Less movement, more durability. It’s one of the ways we ensure our materials are as safe as they are beautiful.”
Despite the mystique of its name, Texas Iowa Reclaimed has a humble origin story. “Probably not as rad as you were hoping,” Crockett admits. “My business partner came from Iowa, and I’m from Texas.”
But what the name lacks in poetry, the company makes up for in principle. With more than 40 years of family experience in millwork, the business is built on old-fashioned craftsmanship and faith-based integrity. “My foremen are the best in the nation,” Crockett says. “We run our business the same as we lead our families: with integrity, hard work, and God at the helm.”
That family-first ethos extends to every aspect of the company, which remains family owned and nationally recognized for its ability to blend modern architecture with old-world materials.
“I like mixing aesthetics,” she says. “Reclaimed beams and floors with modern or unexpected lighting, rich stone counters, and your favorite artist adorning the walls. It’s about warmth and contrast—making something new without erasing its soul.”
Crockett’s team approaches each project as a collaboration. Clients can choose how much “character” to keep—whether to preserve every saw mark and shadow or smooth for a cleaner, modern look. “We can preserve as much of the wood’s history as you’d like,” she says. “That’s the beauty of working with something that already has a story. It’s flexible, but never generic.”
Each board, beam, and floorboard from Texas Iowa Reclaimed can be traced back to its origin, and Crockett’s team happily shares those details. “We can send you the story of your product—where we found it, what kind of barn, what the barn’s function was. We can even send you a photo of the barn,” she says. “People are proud to know their floors came from a hay barn in Pennsylvania or a tobacco barn in Kentucky. It turns a house into a conversation.”
Projects span from rustic lodges to sleek urban lofts, from Hill Country estates to coastal retreats. “My team has a hard time saying no,” Crockett says. “If you can dream it, we’ll try our best to achieve it.”
After years in the industry, Crockett’s passion hasn’t waned. “I have the best job ever—it’s easy to be passionate,” she says. “After installation, seeing the client’s face and hearing the excitement in their voice—it’s childlike and awesome.”
For her, every finished project is a resurrection. “What we do isn’t just about building floors or beams,” she says. “It’s about giving new life to something that’s already lived fully. We’re caretakers of history, not just makers of things.”
That sense of stewardship is perhaps the truest legacy of Texas Iowa Reclaimed. It’s a business that proves beauty and meaning can be found in what endures.
As Crockett puts it, “These materials have already stood the test of time. Our job is to make sure they keep telling their stories—just in a different home.”
TexasIowaReclaimed.com | @texasiowareclaimed
“If my floors could talk, I know I'd learn so much from them.” - Emilie Crockett