Century-old wooden boards

Collection of interior items

What if we give centennial boards a chance for a second life?

The project is dedicated to the reuse of old wood material, revealing its aesthetic potential, because of which a design work is created, and an object that has become unnecessary takes on a second life in a new quality. The series is represented by several interior items: a console table, a panel, a mirror, a dining table.

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The history of the collection began when my friend, an interior designer, suggested that I pick up the boards from one of her objects. It turned out that the house in which these boards served as a wall was built 110 years ago. My joy knew no bounds and, of course, I really wanted to experiment and give the old boards a modern artistic image.
I deliberately chose common forms for the collection to show that everyone can use old boards in everyday life.
To begin with, I removed a few millimeters from each side, cleaned the boards of dust, splinters, and chips. It turned out that inside they are absolutely clean and dry. The weight of such wood is significantly lower than a freshly cut tree, which is an advantage for interior items.

— Yaroslava Galayko, designer

Console table “Pulse” (2021)

The first item in the collection. Manifest object. What if we give old boards a chance for a new life?

The boards were carefully crafted, sanded and subjected to delicate surface firing with a gas burner. Because of the high temperatures, the molten resin closes the pores of the material. As a result, it becomes less hygroscopic. This method can protect decay, mold, fungi, and insects. The item was then treated with natural linseed oil to bring out the natural grain of the wood. Linseed oil is eco-friendly and hypoallergenic. The oil has antiseptic properties, is deeply absorbed into the wood and protects the surface from cracking and drying out.

Panel “Threads of fate” (2022)

On the panel, threads of different colors make up closed figures, symbolizing the periods of people's lives that they spent within the walls of the apartment. Some of them intersect with each other, some exist in parallel, but they all have one thing in common – the walls of the apartment from which the boards were taken. The surface of the panel was deliberately left authentic, unprocessed, so that you can see the material as it has been preserved for 110 years while serving as a wall.

Mirror “Mystical connection” (2022)

The mirror is a traditional household item, however; it is one of the unique cultural artifacts. The mirror act as a sacred object, performing a mystical and symbolic function. The mirror is perceived as an object that can reflect the transcendent, open the way to the unreal space, reveal the secret.

What would a girl living in this house 100 years ago think when looking at her reflection in the mirror? What are you thinking about as you look at yourself now? Are these thoughts true? The mirror, framed by the original wood, becomes a portal between the present and the past, as if an unknown random connection is emerging.

Dining table “Point of attraction” (2022)

The dining table mentally plays an important role. Home, dinner with the family, and these special feasts with dear guests, relatives, such sincere family holidays. It is at the table that the most intimate conversations take place.

Directed by Natalia Maksimova

Product designer - Yaroslava Galayko

Starring and make-up artist – Svetlana Bliznichenko

Music - Galina Altman

Vocal – Daria Davidova