The Barrel Shack Catalog Tops 60 Products, Continues Grassroots Growth

This fall the handmade vintage goods manufacturer announced their product line surpassed 60 products, totaling 65 and pointing the company's steady growth since it debuted with its first products. A representative from The Barrel Shack said the growth has been a pleasant surprise, although the interest in their products hasn't been surprising.

​Time has been kind to The Barrel Shack.

“We’ve been in business for a while now, which is definitely something we feel fortunate about,” the company representative said. “And we’re grateful to our customer base, who continue to reinforce that handcrafted, vintage products still speak to them in an authentic way.”

"Today, more than ever, connoisseurs of home décor are looking for something that has its own story or evokes the images and sensory elements of our fondest memories,"

The Barrel Shack

The Barrel Shack’s growing catalog of products is a rustic collection of handmade items which hearken back to the days when steam trains chugged their way across the country, speeding past humble homes hewn by the hands of sturdy men.

Reclaimed wood and metal play a prominent role in many of the company’s designs, being featured in everything from handmade chalkboards to serving trays, rustic crates and side tables like the Charlotte.

“I really love the Charlotte because I think it expresses the heart of our concept,” the company representative said. “We want to tell a story with each product we make. This piece, like all our things, tells the story of homes, barns and bicycles of ages past.”

The Charlotte table is crafted from reclaimed wood and steel, fashioned together with the precision and rawness of seasoned welders and woodsman. A company logo is burned into the underside of the table to complete its rustic feel.

One look at the top of the table and homeowners will know why story plays such an important role in every item The Barrel Shack creates, the company representatives said.

“The weather-beaten grain of the wood on our Charlotte sends you back into the past,” the representative said. “It hearkens to aging barns stoically holding themselves up as they gaze out over open plains.”

Though many of the company’s expanding list of products offer a sentimental nod to Americana, there are several pieces within the burgeoning collection which transport the owner across the Atlantic to England.

Perhaps the most recognizable piece in the company’s European inspired collection is the Trafalgar clock, a weathered metal railroad clock painted blue with a hooded clock face.

A company spokesperson said the Trafalgar clock was an important step in The Barrel Shack’s expansion because it bridged the gap between the nostalgia of America’s past and the defining characteristics of daily English life decades ago.

“The Trafalgar challenged some of us because it was a marked departure from the sense of Americana that dominated our handmade lineup,” she said. “But as we saw the clock develop we realized that history, no matter what corner of the world you’re in, is always intriguing when crafted the right way.”

History is certainly part of the Trafalgar wall clock – it was named after the great steam locomotive built for the British Great Western Railway Company.

The sense of heritage is expertly crafted into the design of the clock. Flecked paint and a weathered clock face hint at hundreds of stories that passed between passengers who rode the Trafalgar across hamlet-spotted expanses of emerald land.

The Barrel Shack has also incorporated into their catalog a series of metal sculptures and sculpted metal clocks. The Amsterdam, one of the company’s most popular clocks, transports its owners to the bustling streets of Amsterdam, where you’re just as likely to see a bike rambling over a cobblestone street as you are a sedan cruising past café-laden sidewalks.

The clock is housed in the front wheel of an old-fashioned bike crafted from brown metal and measuring nearly two feet in length and one foot in height.

“When we look at our Amsterdam, we see a journey,” The Barrel Shack’s representative said. “It’s a journey of winding streets, cold winters and summer sunshine. Any bike lover will instantly connect with this beautiful piece.”

That connection to a piece of home décor is what draws people to The Barrel Shack, the company said.

“Today, more than ever, connoisseurs of home décor are looking for something that has its own story or evokes the images and sensory elements of our fondest memories,” a company spokesperson said this week. “And that’s what enjoying history is all about, isn’t it?”

The company’s ever-growing catalog of vintage handmade goods is moving toward 70 pieces. Their current product line ranges in price from $85 to $2980 and includes metal sculptures, wood-hewn items and an impressive collection of fabric-based poufs, pillows and handbags. Each item and its backstory can be viewed on The Barrel Shack’s website, www.thebarrelshack.com.

Contact:

Website: www.thebarrelshack.com

Facebook: The Barrel Shack

Google +: The Barrel Shack

Related Media

About The Barrel Shack

At the Barrel Shack, our artisans are master craftsmen who can look at something as simple as an old car jack and repurpose it into a stunning stool or side table that displays an intense focus on design and functionality.