Brandi Wills Colin Miller/Stauss Peyton

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It saddens Perry West to see a once-majestic farmhouse in ruins, boarded and abandoned. On the other hand, it gives him great joy to transform salvageable portions of those old houses into unique furnishings to be treasured by new families and generations to come. West and his team have been reincarnating old homes as handcrafted furnishings for over seven years under the name of Willow Creek Furniture Designs.

West refers to his fortuitous beginnings as, “a fluke, actually.” As antique dealers, he and his wife, Teresa, regularly traveled to fairs and shows throughout the country. “One day, at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas, I spotted porch posts across the street from our booth, and it dawned on me that those would make great table legs.” In that moment, a beautiful friendship was born – the creative genius of West paired with the architectural remnants of abandoned homes.

Today, West heads a booming business, providing originally designed pieces for homes and offices across the country. Their most popular creations are their stately harvest tables, made from old flooring and porch posts – and kitchen islands have gained popularity among customers. “We use old floor joists as the surface,” he says. “Since they’re at least two inches thick, it creates a nice butcher’s block effect.”

A personal benefit of the craft is that West and his team get to travel the country selling their designs at trade shows and fairs, namely in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Crossville, Tennessee. Locally, Willow Creek products are sold at Maison de Chanticleer in Edwardsville, Illinois, and Adorn Boutique and Country Store (located inside Whittle Shortline) in St. Louis County.