Most people look at a slab of old wood and see trash. The Sadlers, however, see the potential for treasure.

Give Travis Sadler a wooden palette, and he can recycle it into something creative. Then, Camry Sadler takes her husband’s work and finishes it — adding paint and designs, and giving it a more personal touch.

That’s the idea behind the Sadlers’ new business Rustic Roots, located near the corner of Respess and Main streets in downtown Washington.

Camry Sadler remembers how it all started. On her birthday one year, Travis gave her an unfinished wooden box to decorate, although it seemed like a strange gift to some. Camry, however, could see the treasure in the trash.

“He made it by hand himself. … He told me to finish it,” she said. “That’s when I realized we might make a good team.”

The high school sweethearts ended up marrying and continued to their passion of recycling wooden palettes by making custom orders. Their home has a little shop in which Travis can work. They now have three children, ages 6, 5 and 2.

The couple knew they wanted to take their talents to the next level, sharing their trash-to-treasure creations with more people. Upon driving past the Respess Street space a couple of months ago, they knew it was time to do just that.

“I said, ‘Travis, you’ve got to turn around. That’s the building,’” Camry Sadler said. “It was a big step.”

The Sadlers had to essentially gut the building and redo it all. One couldn’t tell that now, though, as the space is filled with custom creations, wooden treasures lining the walls and decorations aesthetically placed. Travis works at the shop at home, and Camry finishes the pieces in the store.

Although opening the store was a big step, the Sadlers couldn’t be more ready. Camry Sadler said she’s ready to share their treasures with Washington and beyond. The next step would be to expand the business to have an in-house shop for Travis, she said.

“This keeps me busy,” she said. “Everybody is excited about it.”

Rustic Roots is located at 106 Respess St., Washington.