^{By Stephen Saint-Onge}

Architectural salvage is something you may or may not know about. Most cities or towns have a place where building materials, fixtures and other items are removed from old houses or businesses and literally saved. From there, they can be sold to homeowners to repurpose as they wish into their homes. 

I grew up in New England surrounded by great old classic style homes that were built in the 19^th and early 20^th century. I liked the look of them from a design standpoint; great windows, front

porches, screened doors, clapboard siding and good all-around, American classic style. As a  designer today, I am still drawn to those design elements and details. To me, they all say “welcome home” and are very American in their style.

Sadly, things change and those classic places are renovated or torn down. The elements that made them great are removed or thrown away during home remodeling projects. Where did all those great pieces go?

If you are remodeling or looking to update your home in some way while bringing in character details such as mantles, doors, tubs, etc. -think about salvage locations for finding items with character, history and unique style.

If you are building a house from scratch – think about how you can incorporate used building materials, lumber and architectural salvage pieces into your new rooms.

If you are selling a home, redesigning with some salvage pieces can be a great selling point and can be utilized in a marketing plan that promotes your home.

In a time when homeowners really want to be eco-friendly and green, or, as I call it, trying to be “light green”, and trying to do what you can to be smarter about what you can do for this planet, architectural salvage is a great way to save what has been here and give it a new lease on life.

On a recent road trip, I visited one of my favorite locations (www.greatsalvage.com) which always gives me great inspiration as a designer and a homeowner.

Tips for incorporating salvage items into your home redesign: 

1. Vintage Lighting. Great style options that are unique and things that can get rewired for use in your home now.
   
2. Bath tubs. Old claw foot tubs are great. You can get them resurfaced inexpensively, treat yourself to some new modern faucets and have a whole fixture with character in your bathroom.

   

3. Old doors. Doors are such a great thing to repurpose. They can be stripped of old paint or stain and simply oiled or  polyurethane to give a unique look to your room entrances. The character of the old doors comes through. You can even use the old doors as doors for entertainment centers, home office armoires, or even do-it-yourself headboards.
4. Vintage doorknobs and hardware. Give your doorways, cabinets or furniture pieces new hardware for an instant new look. You will find styles they don’t make anymore. You can hang them up on a board in your mud room and give yourself creative coat hooks/pegs.
   
5. Old windows or storm windows. These add visual interest to interior walls that divide rooms but still allow light through. You can remove the glass and add peg board or plywood sprayed with chalkboard paint for an instant kitchen message board.
6. Old sinks. I have seen some amazing soapstone sinks that I wished I could have grabbed up for a kitchen or even stainless steel work sinks that could be perfect for a workshop or garden room.
7. Cabinetry. You can find cabinetry that can get used in bathrooms, office spaces, kids’ playrooms or in that storage room where you want to add some character. Old mantles. Give that fireplace a new look. Strip it down or paint it. There are so many styles to choose from. You can even use old mantles where you don’t have a fireplace. They can help you create a focal point in a room.
8. Unusual Find. My favorite find on my recent visit was an old ice cream shop counter – complete with swivel stools and a solid wood countertop. My mind was racing with creative ideas for that to be repurposed into a new kitchen or family room.

The possibilities with architectural salvage are endless. Go be creative.