Materials at Emma Grace Home

Materials are where the collection starts. We work with reclaimed wood, vegetable-tanned leather, salvaged maritime hardware, woven natural fiber, solid stone, and hand-applied finishes. Each one carries history into the piece and stays visible after the finish work.

A free download

The Heritage Materials Guide

Twelve pages on the four materials that define our collection: reclaimed pine, antique buffalo leather, maritime salvage, and vintage rugs. What they are, how to recognize quality, and how to live with each over time.

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The three primary materials

Each material has its own dedicated guide with the full explainer.

Reclaimed pine and reclaimed wood

Reclaimed pine is the spine of the collection. We pull from buildings, barns, and salvage yards, then mill and stabilize the timber before building with it. The grain is tighter than new lumber, the wood is denser, and knots, nail holes, saw marks, and patina stay visible. Pieces built this way are meant to be in service for thirty years and beyond.

Browse: reclaimed pine furniture, dining tables, dressers, sideboards, vanities.

Antique buffalo leather

Full-grain water buffalo hide, vegetable-tanned, finished to preserve its natural variation. Buffalo hide is thicker and more fibrous than cow leather; vegetable tanning makes it durable, breathable, and capable of patinating with use rather than wearing thin. It is the material behind our sofa line.

Browse: sofas, armchairs, all seating.

Maritime salvage

Brass portholes, aluminum bulkhead lights, copper deck lights, signal lamps, and ship bells pulled from decommissioned ocean-going vessels. We restore each piece only enough to make it safe for interior use, then list it with its patina intact. Each piece varies in its exact dimensions and wear.

Browse: vintage marine, marine lighting, porthole mirrors.

Other materials we work with

Beyond the three primary materials above, the collection includes:

• Solid stone (marble, granite, bluestone) on vanity tops and selected coffee tables
• Ecru linen upholstery on armchairs, dining chairs, and slipcovered pieces
• Velvet in restrained palettes on accent chairs and ottomans
• Cane and woven natural fiber seats on bistro and country French chairs
• Hand-painted finishes, including Gustavian green on our Mora clocks and benches, distressed antique white and antique blue on chests and sideboards
• Wool in our Turkish patchwork and vintage rugs, each assembled from different salvaged fragments
• Hand-thrown ceramic and porcelain in the home decor range

How to care for these materials

Routines for each material in the collection (reclaimed wood, leather, stone, linen, velvet, cane, brass, glass, rugs, ceramics, hand-painted finishes) are gathered in one place: our complete care guide.

Why we work with heritage materials

Two reasons:

• Material quality. Old-growth reclaimed timber, vegetable-tanned full-grain leather, and heavy maritime castings are denser and more substantial than what current production makes. There is no current equivalent at any price point.
• Material as history. A piece built from a barn timber, or a porthole that spent thirty years above the waterline, brings a presence to a room that new commodity materials cannot replicate. The marks tell the story.

Per our return policy, natural variations in color, grain, texture, and patina of these materials are expected and are not considered defects. Each piece carries its own marks.