If someone buys a house on the Cape and rewards themselves with a charcuterie board with a Cape Cod image on antique wood from a house in the same town, it’s easy to see why that would be a fun present for themselves. Similarly, if someone gets married on the harbor and is given a large serving tray with a compass rose, dock cleats for handles, and name, date, and location added to the artwork, it’s a unique gift that they can continue to appreciate over time. But these products are also intended to maximize the little moments, too.
 
It can be easy to recognize the big events like a move or a marriage. But what about the end of a tough week, the small victory at work, a family member coming to visit, or reconnecting with a spouse over a homemade romantic dinner?

​The charcuterie boards, serving trays, cribbage boards, and most other things I create are made of antique wood, often from the 1800’s. I’m sometimes asked why I use it, given the time spent tracking it down, efforts to repair it, trying to keep prices low, and the added challenge of painting on an uneven surface. The short answer is, “because it’s so important to the product itself.”
 
New England Good Life’s products started off with reclaimed pallet boards. But the antique wood soon became a critical piece of the artwork. For example, a piece of wood from the 1860’s that was part of the wall of a porch was used to make several trays. Yes, it required time and effort just to find the wood. But this piece easily illustrates why antique wood is so meaningful.
 
Several days of repair were needed to make use of as much of this wood as possible. The original piece had witnessed so many days of families and friends sitting on the porch. They likely had plenty of laughs and probably some tears over the course of countless conversations. Pieces of their lives and relationships unfolded on that porch. Those lives ended long ago and became largely lost to history.

​The main focus of what is created by New England Good Life is functional art. This involves having something that is both visually interesting and that is interactive. In fact, functional art central to why these pieces are created in the first place.
 
There are countless versions of beautiful artwork to be found. But sometimes, when they’ve been hung on the wall long enough, you can walk past them and they start to become more invisible. Functional art, on the other hand, is something that serves a purpose. You interact with that art. People engage with it.
 
Serving trays, for example, are made so that they can be hung on the wall when not in use. You can admire them when you walk past. But when you have that dinner party, they can become a focal point. The trays can serve up dips, cheeses, or glasses of wine. And they can become their own story, allowing you to share your discovery, why the compass rose spoke to you, and the fun of using it over time.