Mumba showcases custom barnboard furniture

Brenda Brown has been supplying her brand of refined rustic furniture to retailers for some time but when she went looking for an outlet in Creemore and found an opportunity to open her own shop, she took it.

Mumba, on Creemore’s main street, is a showcase for some of her one-of-a-kind creations.

A Singhampton resident, Brown works with reclaimed wood, most of it sourced from century-old barns in the area to create custom furniture.

Examples of dressers, beds, framed mirrors and chalkboards, ladders, dog beds and bowl stands are on display at the shop, along with sliding barn doors.

She makes custom indoor and outdoor furniture to fit any space using all new hardware and innards and finishes it with the barnboard. Brown works with other area carpenters, blacksmiths and retailers to source out the hardware such as knobs, hooks and rollers for the doors.

The boards, worn by the elements over many years, differ in colour and texture

“There is a patina to barnboard you can’t reproduce,” said Brown.

Typically the grey boards have been on the outside of the barn and the more natural wood tones are from the wood on the inside of the barn, protected from the weather.

Because of the individuality of the wood no piece can be reproduced so Brown recommends people not hesitate if they really love a piece made out of barnboard, to avoid disappointment.

Brown has been building pieces for retailers all over the region and in Toronto for some time but now that she has the store, she spends less time in the shop.

Also a painter and photographer, Brown said she started working in barnboard when she was making frames for her own work which she sold at the Creemore Farmers’ Market. The furniture evolved from there.

The name Mumba was given to Brown by Emmett, a special little boy in her family.

Mumba, located at 145 Mill Street, also carries locally made products and rustic inspired home décor.

For store hours, visit Mumba on Facebook.