Rhonda Engle will tell you that her business selling reclaimed barn wood is life-giving. The showroom at Rustic Revival Barnwood is filled with weathered white, tawny and red planks rescued from farmlands across Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The raw wood is neatly organized, waiting to be turned into accent walls, barn doors, shelving, cabinetry and more, creating new life from old treasures.
Engle’s family history goes back to being the first settlers in Darmar, Montana, where she was raised. “I grew up on a farm, woodworking with my grandfather,” Engle says. “He was an amazing man, just incredible. He was a great craftsman with wood.”
Twenty-five years ago, Engle’s grandfather, Nels Sorensen, was offered money for his barn. He didn’t end up taking the offer, but Engle says, “Ever since then, I’ve always thought that would be the coolest business ever.”
But Engle’s dream was put on hold when the wife and mother of five was diagnosed with Lyme disease, leaving her tired and worn out after long days at work. Even with the unexpected health obstacle, Engle still toyed with the idea of selling barn wood. “I couldn’t get it out of my heart,” she says.
Lying in bed one night, Engle had a realization. “If I don’t find something to get my butt out of bed and put a smile on my face, [I thought], I’m done,” she says. “[I said], I’m starting this.”
Through Craigslist, she found a barn owner wanting to get rid of an old building. With her used gold Yukon truck and tools on hand, Engle made her way up to Milaca. “Here this Amish family was,” Engle recalls. “Watching this chick taking down this barn by herself. They couldn’t make heads or tails of it.”
“I started super slow,” Engle says as she worked board by board. But it was while tearing down that barn that Engle felt the life flowing back into her. During the process, she also found gems like hand-made wooden yokes, railroad ties and old machinery. “It’s an adult treasure hunt,” she says.
Though Engle thrived in her newfound passion, she hadn’t yet gotten around to selling any of the wood. As the product continued to accumulate in her garage, she found interested buyers on Craigslist. After the first few sales, she knew she was on to something. In August 2015, Rustic Revival Barnwood was born.
Nearly two years later, sales out of the garage have evolved into a showroom in Brooklyn Park. The staggering wood supply overflows into three bays where employees, covered in sawdust, create a buzz with saws and finishing tools, resulting in an array of barn wood products fashioned into engraved signs, full-length mirror frames, tables, mantels and barn wood accent walls and doors: the last two are the most requested.
“I have carpenters, designers, a blacksmith, metal guys, a custom lighting guy,” Engle says. “People can shop for their do-it-yourself project or hire us to create, finish, build or install almost anything.”
Each week, crews bring in about six new large loads of wood to the storeroom. “We carry thousands of choices of barn boards in all different species, sizes and colors,” Engle says. “The same thing for siding, roof boards, reclaimed pressed [tin] and corrugated tin.”
One of Engle’s clients is Joanne Kosciolek, who lives in Uptown in a former grain elevator that was renovated into livable space in the mid-’80s. “[My husband and I] own a condo in the building and our unit consists of two sections of the grain silo on one floor,” Kosciolek says. With the unique rounded walls and exposed concrete, they wanted to create an industrial look with wood and metal.
Kosciolek found Rustic Revival Barnwood through Facebook and reached out to Engle, looking to spice up a plain white wall in their entryway. The couple picked out an assortment of grey, white, and brown boards, some with writing on them and tin nailed over some of the knotholes. “It was very eclectic,” Kosciolek says.
One of Engle’s installers completed the accent wall in just a few hours. “He fit the pieces of wood together like a puzzle and the result was just as we had imagined,” Kosciolek says. They love how the barn wood wall adds a rustic look to their condo’s unique vibe.
As Engle looks at what the business has become, she’s grateful she tried, even when the odds were against her. “I owe God everything,” Engle says. “And once I took a step of faith, He opened the floodgates.”
“I would say the biggest thing I have taken away from all of this and what I like to pass on to others is, take the leap.” Engle says. “Life is way too short to not follow your dreams.”
