Wonderful fairytale cottages made of reclaimed wood

These fairy-tale cottages, as if straight out of the pages of a storybook, exist thanks to Dan Pauly, an avid wood builder from Minnesota, USA. Dan is a person with great respect for his woodworking ancestors, but also for old wood. Being a good craftsman himself, he has combined his love of wood with his love of old, developing a business that has proven to be successful.

Dan Pauly is a 4th generation woodworker. His great grandfather came to America in the late 19th century from Switzerland. Being skilled in woodworking he immediately found work, building a number of barns in Minnesota, some of which are still standing. His son and then grandson, Dan's father, took over the business, working with wood and erecting all kinds of wooden buildings in the area.

Dan inherited this skill in woodworking, but also a passion for old wood, full of memories. Every time he would pass an old barn and see a fallen piece of wood, he would think that maybe that was the wood his great-grandfather had worked with. The particular beauty of that old wood, its special color and texture gradually led him to his current business - The Rustic Way.

Pauly recover wood over 100 years old, processes it using traditional methods and builds garden houses or holiday homes, saunas, playhouses, all shaped like fairytale cottages.

It all starts with surveying the area to find those old buildings. Once they are identified, dismantling them begins, with the greatest care to recover as much of the wood as possible and in the best condition. Pauly says that even before doing this he greatly respects the work of wood craftsmen of the past. But now, seeing how they have been made, with such labor and attention to detail, that respect is even greater.

Once everything is unpacked, the wood is brought into the workshop and processed by hand. Sometimes it is sanded, but rarely stained, trying to preserve as much of its natural look as possible. Oil Or lacquer is used only to enhance that 100-year-old beauty and show it off. Dan says the moment when the wood glows after he applies the oil coat is marvelous. The moment reminds him that the wood lived in the 19th century and shows him the beauty accumulated over those 100 years.

The first little house he built was a sauna for his wife. It was her favorite way to unwind and he thought he'd make her happy.

It never occurred to him that this would be the birth of a thriving business. Now Pauly has orders from all over the country and even from other countries.

Once the helmet is finished, he's in charge of transportation and placement.

Loving reclaimed wood dearly he makes other beautiful things from it - house cladding, beams, bathroom and kitchen furniture and even small furnishings - but it's still the wonderful cottages that are front and center. For Pauly, this wood is our natural heritage and has a patina, texture and fiber that is much more beautiful and richer than new wood.