We Have Great Wood—and One Hell of a Story
In 2019, my husband Steve and I were in full renovation mode, trying to turn a time-warp house into something livable. I ran a successful travel agency, and Steve was a medical writer. Most of the renovation we did ourselves, sledgehammers, sawdust, and all.
Somewhere between tearing out shag carpet and arguing over tile, I had an idea: I wanted to wrap our breakfast wood bar in barnwood. Naturally, I didn’t tell Steve first. I chased down a Facebook ad, ended up in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, and found myself face-to-face with two guys in dirty overalls, beards to their chests, and a scent best described as Bruut cologne and regret. One pointed up the hill, said “drive ‘til you see the abandoned airplane,” and off I went. While I was a bit apprehensive, what I found at the end of that dirt road was exactly what I was looking for. Wood with a past, and a lot of personality.
The color, the character, the feeling of age and survival… I was hooked.
Steve wrapped that first set of barnwood around our bar, and I knew we were onto something and a barnwood bar could be more than just a cool idea.
Then the World Shut Down
When COVID hit, we both lost our incomes in one day, $300K in canceled trips and a “sorry, we have to let you go” call. After the panic and wine wore off, we knew we had to pivot. And fast.
Within three days, we made the decision to start Red Cloak Wood Designs. It was the beginning of something that would grow into more than we ever imagined.
Steve figured out how to perfect our custom reclaimed barnwood bar builds. I threw myself into learning SEO, opened our Etsy shop, and started laying the groundwork for a brand we believed in. We worked 16-18 hours a day to make it happen. And when we say hand-built, we mean it. No machines. No assembly line. Just us, real tools, and real barnwood that’s seen more than a century of Pennsylvania winters.
Why We Do It: American Barnwood History
We don’t slap together bar-shaped boxes. We build functional furniture with a soul. We bring forgotten wood back to life. We give our customers a piece of America—a piece of a barn that’s weathered blizzards, echoed with laughter at weddings, and stood strong through hard work… and a few Friday nights where the music was loud, the beer was cheap, and the memories were worth it.
Every single bar is different because no two pieces of wood are alike. That’s the magic. That’s what we love. It’s also why no one else is doing what we do the way we do it.
The Red Cloak Way
- Real barnwood, never fake or chemically distressed
- Custom bars built to last indoors AND outdoors—sealed and weather-ready
- Made by hand, not by bots
- Shipped across the U.S.
- Priced to be accessible, because good taste shouldn’t come with a trust fund
Whether you're looking for a custom wood bar for your game room, an indoor bar for entertaining, or reclaimed barnwood bar that tells a story, and still holds up to tequila spills and poker nights, you’re in the right place.
We’ve got great wood. Want some?
Check out our other collections, including indoor and outdoor bars, wall-mounted Murphy bars, bar accessories, and other indoor and outdoor handmade wood furniture that complete the look.
Happy Shopping
Steve and Debbie Baca
