We knew we wanted to create The Range Vintage Trailer Resort, but we couldn’t bring a business into this world just for it to create more waste for our profit. So we knew it had to be as low waste and ‘green’ as possible, with a goal to always strive to improve. That aim can take many forms – from buying things with little to no packaging, to reusing existing products and materials, to simply reducing what you use and buy (minimalism is all the rage right now).
Here at The Range, we’re doing a bit of all of those. But what we’re especially excited about is reusing. It takes creativity and vision to look at old oil pipes and see a fence! Or an old feed trough and see a urinal (more on that in a later post!).
The most obvious act of reuse at The Range? The vintage trailers of course! But there’s so much more – and we wanted to share some of the ways we have followed this path in a new blog series, starting with the store.
The Range Store
As our first completed building, the store and office has some incredible reclaimed, rescued and reused materials and furniture.
First of all, our beautiful hardwood floors! Thanks to Trinity Valley Reclaimed Wood the wood we used went from this to this:
We chose a clear stain to keep the natural beauty and range of color. Gaps, nails, all different sizes and colors – we love the history and feeling of being at home it gives us.
The end wall in the above photo is made of cedar offcuts from our barn construction, as is this feature wall in the store’s bathroom:
Paul made the mirror hanging here and the skull is something Paul found on the land during one of the first walk throughs of the property. (We did not repurpose the toilet – there are just some things that are better new!)
We think the lush difference in color and texture between the wood floor and the wall adds so much warmth and depth.
And that warmth continues in the furniture and decor. Two pieces of artwork hanging in the store have long histories for Sarah – one made by her mom in the 1970’s and one that hung in her grandparents’ dining room for as long as she can remember.
The case holding kolaches (photo below) we found at a vintage shop outside of Gainesville in 2018, and it is sitting atop an old work bench that has been pieced together over the centuries.
The store’s products – themselves all local, low waste or eco-friendly – lay on furniture that has been collected from all over, like the shelving from our personal neighbor’s photography studio in Deep Ellum, TX. And the coffee bench and floating wall shelves made from – you guessed it – cedar offcuts!
The table and chairs scattered around the store have been collected from family and friends. Even the doors are reclaimed and secondhand!
So when you stop in, we hope your memory recalls the winding, merging histories of the items making up our store. And if you would like to have a look at the low waste products we have for sale, head over to our online store.
We can’t wait to share with you the other spaces and ways that we’ve gone green at The Range! Stay tuned…