What will you do about all that oak trim?

On two different occasions people have asked this question regarding the oak trim and baseboards in

our house. It’s an unsettling question.

We live in a 80 year old house that was lovingly restored and updated by the previous owners. While the

baseboards and trim aren’t original, they have been custom made to match the originals. Tall, stately

baseboards that echo of another time, milled carefully to match the era of the home.

But now I suppose they have gone out of fashion, thus the questions which imply that something must

be done. Surely we won’t just leave them and let our house become “dated.” Surely we will pay attention

to Pinterest and Instagram and see that we need to update.

In contrast, there is a tradition in indigenous traditions called the Honourable Harvest and here is a

sampling of its principles:

Take only what you need.

Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken.

Give a gift in reciprocity for what you have taken.

Now let’s look at my oak trim through the lens of the Honourable Harvest. “Take only what you need.”

Arguably no one actually “needs” any trim boards, much less new ones when the current ones are

serving the purpose. “Never waste.” To rip them off and send them to the landfill would be by any

measure wasteful. “Give a gift of reciprocity.” This might look like activities that actively promote the

health of forests and trees, like planting trees in my own yard, donating to agencies that work for healthy

forests, or writing to forestry companies and politicians to demand accountability in forestry.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not wearing Fortrell bell bottoms these days and my house is not completely

stuck in the past. Who knows low german out there? I often “yanka” (long for) a Pinterest-worthy home

and I won’t pledge to never update or renovate our space, but the question remains, how can we respect

the principles of the honourable harvest while we consume resources of any kind? Wood products,

animal products, cotton, metals…these are all harvested from the earth. Let’s begin to see with new eyes

how to honour the harvest.

So what am I going to do about all our oak trim? I’m going to remind myself that once they stood

majestically in a forest. Once they were home to birds, bugs and wildlife. Once their lives were taken

to adorn my home. When I get a little “messed up” seeing new styles and updated homes, I’m going to

ground myself in the principles of the honourable harvest and live within the cathedral of oaks, right in

my own home.

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