4 minute read
The Birch & Bloom: Breathing New Life & Creating Beauty
NEW LIFE BEAUTY
by Steve Gamel | photos courtesy of Birch + Bloom Facebook
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It’s a typical weekday morning, and Ryan Renner is busy inside the garage of her Argyle home. Wood chips are flying left and right as she uses a miter saw to delicately craft one of her signature designs for a client. Meanwhile, her children, Pax and Lucy, are a few feet away, watching with curious eyes to see what one-of-a-kind piece mommy has put together now. Renner admits that it’s not every day that you see a wife and mother become a woodworking artist. As creative as she’s always been, even she didn’t see this career path coming. But when you know, you know.
“I’ve fallen in love with it,” she said. “I can’t wait to wake up, go into the workshop, and start creating something. It has turned into a real passion for me.”
Renner’s company, Birch + Bloom, is your go-to source for geometric wooden wall art, decorative wooden trays, and one-of-a-kind statement pieces for every space. Renner uses locally sourced new and reclaimed barn wood and preserved moss to create intricate and complex custom mosaics with the type of depth, texture, and detail you’d expect from someone who has been honing their craft for decades. Ironically, Renner has only been at this for about two years — and she’s 100% self-taught. No classes. No mentors showing her what to do. No prior knowledge of how to use a miter saw, brad nailer, or table saw. Just an eye for detail, a creative outlook, and a desire to create something unique.
Renner has always had an eye for creating stuff. In fact, her mother has always joked that Ryan was born with a paintbrush in her hand. She simply loves art, and she even owned a successful photography business before she and her family moved to Texas. After the move, however, Renner said she developed an itch to try something new.
“It sort of came up out of the blue. We were at this flea market, and this little piece of art caught my eye,” she said. “It was this beautiful barn wood mixed with some preserved moss, and when I saw it, I thought, ‘I can totally take this and make it my own.’ I had never done woodworking before, but I kept thinking, ‘I can do this!’”
She added, “I started with a simple design, and it’s become more complex and intricate — to the point now where I have a signature look. This signature look wouldn’t be complete without the barn wood either. I love being able to salvage this wood from our area. There is just something about the unique textures, knots, and colors of aged barn wood. It’s something that can’t be replicated. It has to age on its own time.”
Renner’s signature style is interlocking diamonds, but she primarily works with custom orders and enjoys coming up with something that her clients genuinely enjoy. So if they have a particular design in mind or a color scheme in their home, she can do it. Her wood art comes in all shapes and sizes. During the holidays, she switches things up a bit and focuses on smaller, personal pieces that reflect the time of year and what inspires her most — nature.
“I want to take these materials, breathe new life into them, and create something truly beautiful,” Renner said. “That’s what tickles me the most — especially when they enjoy what I’ve created. It’s such a creative outlet for me, but that is something I have always needed. I was a stay-at-home mom for a long time, and I’ve always loved being a mother. But as you get older, you realize the need to start doing things for yourself. That’s why I started my photography business, and when I didn’t want to do that anymore after moving to Argyle, it was woodworking to the rescue. I’m truly grateful to have a husband who supports me 100%. He has even let me take over the garage, which means so much. This is just the beginning. I intend to do this for the rest of my life.”
