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Olde Good Things

Architectural and Altered Antiques

Customer Showcase: Reclaimed Corrugated Glass Skylight & Awning

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Architectural glass canopies and awnings have become a popular feature in high end residential and commercial design. Glass awnings lend a sleek, cutting-edge element to both interiors and exteriors. Custom glass canopies or awnings can be costly when new, so antique reclaimed glass offers a number of advantages, as our clients found when they contacted us to source the glass for two stunning architectural projects in Philadelphia and New York City.

Reclaimed glass is an excellent choice for use in a skylight, awning or canopy. Salvaged glass is a green alternative to newly manufactured glass. When repurposed into fresh environments, reclaimed architectural glass isn’t wasting away in a landfill; it is reborn as a distinguished component of contemporary living. A big plus for buying salvaged materials is the cost savings, as well.

Corrugated Glass Skylight

One example of Olde Good Things corrugated glass repurposing is the New England Skylights architectural project in Philadelphia, using OGT-sourced corrugated wire-enforced glass. The 100-year-old glass was sourced from a historic site, cleaned, restored, and cut to fit the skylight. It was designed with a copper and steel frame into a gable-end style skylight. The client worked closely with the project architect and tradesman to achieve this classic look for a national retail customer. View this Architectural Project.

Corrugated Glass Canopy

In New York City’s Meatpacking District, Diane von Furstenburg’s fashion showroom incorporated Olde Good Things salvaged corrugated glass in an inventive exterior awning that runs the length of both sides of the corner retail space. The awning is contemporary, edgy, and functional. OGT wired glass was mounted on steel beams above the walkway in a stunning display of how repurposed glass can evolve with the urban landscape.

A corrugated glass awning mounted to the structural steel beams runs the two open sides of Diane von Furstenburg’s fashion showroom headquarters in NYC’s Meatpacking District.

Clients have found design success by repurposing Olde Good Things corrugated glass in interiors and exteriors. OGT wire-reinforced glass is both resilient and charming and gives any project a unique look that is a slice of history. Repurposed glass, as our clients discovered, is a design concept that remains both functional and beautiful. These two eye-catching projects are just a sample of the uses OGT corrugated architectural glass has served, and one can find our salvaged architectural glass in corporate spaces, restaurants, retail, and private residences.

Specifications of Corrugated Glass

Olde Good Things is a top source for your antique corrugated glass, with hundreds of pieces of clear and amber glass salvaged from historic buildings. Once a staple of utilitarian usage in factory buildings and industrial facilities, OGT reclaimed glass brings the mark of historic significance to traditional, industrial, retro, and contemporary exteriors and interiors.

Olde Good Things clear corrugated chicken wire glass is ⅜” thick, standard width 27 ¾”, available in sheets up to 84”. It can be cut to size and drilled. Contact us today for advice on your repurposed glass project, or let us know how we can customize your reclaimed architectural glass to suit your design tastes and lifestyle. 

Learn more about Reclaimed Corrugated Glass

NYC Flatiron Building Reclaimed Copper Clad Windows at Olde Good Things

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Olde Good Things always has architectural treasures reclaimed from some of the most famous historic buildings, just waiting for the right person to find them. These copper-clad window frames from New York City’s Flatiron Building are part of our treasure trove of architectural history.

The 100-year-old windows have been reconditioned with completely sustainable materials into stunning decorative mirrors. The rich copper color of each piece provides a striking contrast to the mirror’s glossy sheen and will add a warm element to any style of interior or exterior project. These windows also provide the warmth and fascination of the rich history of the Flatiron Building.

History of the Flatiron Building

New York City’s legendary Flatiron Building was designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. Considered New York’s oldest skyscraper, the 22-story edifice was built to house offices for Chicago contracting firm George A. Fuller Company and was formally known as the “Fuller Building.” The building’s nickname came from the piece of land it was built on, commonly called the “flat iron.” The structure’s unique triangle shape was designed to hug the wedge-shaped property at the converging corners of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street in Manhattan.

When plans for the Flatiron Building were revealed, some were afraid the structure that arose straight up from street level to dwarf its neighbor buildings would not hold, particularly in this quarter of the city, famous for windy gusts. The finished structure was labeled a “monstrosity” by the New York Times and “a disgrace to our city, an outrage to our sense of the artistic, and a menace to life” by William Ordway Partridge, sculptor of “The Pieta” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

The classic Beaux-Arts structure arose around a steel skeleton. The narrow end measures only six feet across. The facade was covered in limestone and glazed terra cotta and melded French and Italian Renaissance flavors with other architectural trends prevalent on the cusp of the 20th century. Some distinctive architectural features of the Flatiron are columns, medallions, balustrades, friezes, and gargoyles perched along Floor 22.

The iconic structure has dominated the intersection since 1902 and claimed the imagination of many as a symbol of New York City. Well-known photographers Edward Steichen and Alfred Stieglitz, along with other famous and lesser-known photographers and artists, used the Flatiron Building as a subject.

After The Fuller Company left in 1925, inhabitants of the building included the Imperial Russian Consulate and the Murder Inc. crime syndicate.

From 1959 its occupants included St. Martin’s Press, whose parent, Macmillan Publishers, gradually took over the upper floors and made the Flatiron Building their home until last year. The Flatiron was designated a New York City landmark in 1966 and a National Historic Landmark in 1989. In fact, the Flatiron helped bring the neighborhood back to life due to its popularity.

Acquiring the Windows

The 22-story building was constructed of steel, limestone, and terra cotta.  In the early 1900s, it was a common practice to utilize copper-clad wooden windows in order to protect buildings from outside elements.  As these windows aged and became outdated, in 2005 the owners began replacing them with more updated and efficient windows.  Looking at the windows after removal, one would not have thought much of them as they had layers and layers of paint from years of exterior maintenance.  The window company which did the removal, unwilling to toss this iconic building’s windows in the landfill, called Olde Good Things to purchase and hopefully repurpose them.  Sure enough, once acquired, our architecturologists stripped the layers of decades of paint from the frame of the windows, only to reveal the deep rosy luster of aged copper.  The statement piece “Flatiron Mirror” came to be, purchased by many of our customers who wanted a little piece of this most famous New York landmark.

Flatiron Building Copper Window Mirror

Historical pieces of history from the Flatiron are awaiting new homes at Olde Good Things. Windows are available in two sizes, 44.5 in. H x 52 in. W x 3 in. D and 44.5 in. H x 54 in. W x 3 in. D. Each window is accompanied by the frame’s sticker of authenticity. The top windows are the only remaining windows left in stock, as shown below. There is a very limited quantity in stock, so time is of the essence if you wish to own one. OGT cladded copper windows are versatile as either windows or mirrors, and they have been used by our clients in offices, hotels, salons, and private residences to complement traditional design themes or add a flair of nostalgia and class to contemporary decor.

Customer Showcase Gallery

 

Click to view all the Copper Window Mirrors available online.

An Art Nouveau Trademark Meissen Stove to Mantel Conversion

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After a rare Meissen Stove with was swept up from our Olde Good Things Scranton, Pa warehouse, the client was generous enough to share the transformative conversion from relic to custom mantel and fireplace surround step-by-step.

Meissen was the first porcelain manufacturer in Europe. The art nouveau ovens from the German fireclay manufactories are works of art in themselves, and this particular Meissen stove appeared in Architectural Digest. The top portion of the stove was a frieze depicting a farmer’s dance. Two female figures flank the ornate cast iron grill. Each detailed green tile bears the Meissen stamp and designer’s name on the back… a world-renowned trademark of quality and craftsmanship.

Before Photo

Planning and Design:

Like most projects, the client says, planning took a lot of time and adjustment. Each tile was photocopied at the original size. The clients did not want to enlarge the opening of the fireplace, and, instead, decided to make the opening smaller. After measuring the opening, dimensions were traced on a sheet of plywood. Then, the clients added in the dimensions of the gas inserts to the preliminary drawing.

The tiles were arranged on the plywood sheet to determine a satisfactory negotiation of space that would allow for an even number of tiles to be included, plus the ¼” of grout space between each one. The original tiles were shifted into a final design, while a second design board on poster backing was laid out with the photocopies. This allowed the clients to visualize how the design would interact with the room space vertically.

Building and Navigating Irregularities:

The design was attached from the base upward — tile was leveled and secured to the wall, a wood frame, and to neighbor tiles with epoxy. Wood framing was used to close the space between design and wall and for additional integrity. The insert was added around the opening after the first round of tiles to prevent damage to the tiles and to leave room for adjustment. After all, tiles were installed and colors adjusted, grout was applied. The clients tested various sealants to add gloss to the repainted areas.

Tiles were individually treated to adjust thickness, to create one tile from two for some portions of the mantel, and to repair any chips or missing pieces — plaster was used to make them fuller and fill in the gaps. Others were sawed to make smaller. Meanwhile, a steel frame was constructed to hold the rows of tiles. The clients used acrylic paint to mix and match the colors needed to cover epoxy and shallow chips.

 

The clients minimized the dimensions of the fireplace opening with fireproof materials and electrical and gas hookups that matched the chosen insert. They installed a smart outlet for easy control and efficiency in the mantel top.

The project was a process of constant adjustment to the irregularities and waiting for epoxy to dry at a rate of one layer per day, the client remarked. “The goal was authenticity as opposed to perfection.”

 

 

This Meissen tile customer showcase is a prime example of the incorporation of classic design and authentic craftsmanship from our reclaimed architectural finds at Olde Good Things. Visit our online selections of salvaged architectural goods and altered antiques at www.oldegoodthings.com, or drop by one of our locations.

Colonial Eatery Brings Repurposed Architectural Elements

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The Assembly Design Studio designers of Ledger, a local restaurant and bar on New England’s North Shore, envisioned a “rough restoration” of the historic Salem Savings Bank — a place where customers could relax in a contemporary dining space and absorb the colorful history of Salem.

Salem Savings was erected in 1818 and is the second oldest incorporated savings bank in America. Notable bank customers of bygone days include Salem-born Nathaniel Hawthorne, dark romantic author of The Scarlet Letter, and Alexander Graham Bell, who patented the first telephone.

History comes in many flavors at this modern eatery. Regional cuisine is on the menu, inspired by traditional Colonial New England cooking techniques and local fish, meat, and produce. Local fare, cocktails mixed behind a leathered white macaubus granite bar, and fresh seafood from the oyster bar are offered in an authentic vintage industrial atmosphere. The restaurant’s decor was formed from the existing raw materials of the historic building, accentuated with reclaimed materials and distinctive pieces of architectural salvage. In the entry, visitors will walk through a glass and metal vestibule which showcases the original plaster ceiling and a custom 82” chandelier. A bank teller window adds to the ambience as guests enter the dining area, where a repurposed communal white oak table provides seating for 22. A contemporary wall crafted from metal safety box doors lends an industrial edge to the dining area, while a bank vault houses the walk-in refrigerator.

Exposed iron beams and rough brick and wood architecture provided a raw palette for the designers of Ledger to work with. Custom charred wood planking was incorporated into the design, a material reminiscent of Salem’s powerful and dark history which includes the Witch Trials and Great Fire of 1914. Other authentic details include distressed leather barstools, tufted banquettes, tile from the 1930s, and historic bank ledgers used for artistic display.

Ledger’s sophisticated vintage holophane lighting hails from the 1920s era and was supplied by Olde Good Things. The soft ambience of the fixtures offers a stark contrast to the lofty reclaimed wood inset on the ceiling and exposed iron beams. Our industrial Holophane light fixtures are sourced from factories across the Northeast and are a reminder of the Golden Age of “scientific illumination”. OGT’s extensive selection of Holophane fixtures from the 20s and 30s is salvaged and restored in our shop.

Besides their widespread usage in industry, the luminaires are ideal for contemporary commercial usage to illuminate a space without glare or dark spots. They are very popular in auction houses and amongst reclamation connoisseurs for their economical and efficient dispersion of light, along with the historic magnetism of their design.

Most Popular Holophanes

Shop all Holophane online, here.

For questions about our Designer discount, view here.

Video: The Most Interesting Antique Stores in New York City

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Three amazing NYC locations:

5 E. 16th St. between 5th Ave & USW. (212) 989-8814
149 Madison Ave. at the corner of 32nd St. (212) 321-0770
302 Bowery between Bleeker and Houston. (212) 498-9922

Always new inventory.  Do the Olde Good Things Walk and visit all three!
See a sampling of inventory from each store, scroll down and filter by location here.

Pieces of History — Reclaimed Glass Tiles from the Rialto Theatre at Times Square NYC

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When Mayor Guiliani rehabbed the Times Square neighborhood, the architecturologists from Olde Good Things were fortunate to be able to salvage architectural artifacts from all four corners of Broadway and 42nd Street. Although OGT had been salvaging in New York for years, this was our first opportunity to be a part of something really massive — reclaiming pieces of the past from a landmark like Times Square that sees 26 million visitors from all over the world every year.

One of the reclaimed treasures we brought home from this expedition was a haul of textured glass tile from the former Rialto Theatre. Nicknamed the original “Temple of the Motion Picture” and the “Shrine of Music and the Allied Arts”, the original Rialto opened in 1916 on the corner of Broadway and West 42nd Street. It premiered releases by Paramount Pictures until the building was demolished and replaced by a smaller structure in 1935.

This is the building where the “Howdy Doody Show” was filmed during the 1950s. The TV studio at the theater also saw the filming of talk shows led by Montel Williams and Geraldo Rivera. The structure was always a reflection of the Times Square neighborhood, through good times and bad, before being replaced by the 30-story Reuters building.

It is from this Art Deco style Rialto that OGT rescued the beautiful glass tiles with a textured finish. These classic tiles are 6 in. x 6 in. raised glass squares, priced each, and include the original certificate of authenticity signed by the architecturologist who salvaged the pieces.

These reclaimed glass tiles are an elegant and beautiful souvenir of the legendary Times Square and Art Deco craftsmanship. Create your own Rialto wall of glass tile, or use smaller collections to accentuate a classic decor. The pieces would make a wonderful, stain-free backsplash for the kitchen or bathtub area, or to give a hint of elegance to the swimming pool. Glass tiles are also spectacular for framing a fireplace. When you take home even one, it is like taking home a historical piece of Times Square.

Purchase your very own piece of Times Square.

View other Famous Building Artifacts for sale.

An Iconic Stained Glass Window from JFK International Airport

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The architecturologists at Olde Good Things were able to carefully preserve a true landmark of history when they captured the famous stained glass window panels from JFK International Airport’s Terminal 8. The terminal, fondly known as “The Cathedral”, was demolished in 2008 to be replaced by a modern steel-and-glass structure next door. A discussion ensued over the preservation of the original stained glass window unveiled in 1960. The New York Times article can be viewed here.

The 317-foot by 23-foot translucent mosaic panel facade was designed by Robert Sowers, who is considered by some to be the most iconic stained glass artist of the Modern Age. The piece was composed of over 30,000 flash glass tiles in vibrant red, sapphire, and white. Sowers was one of the first artists to prominently feature stained glass in commercial architecture.

After searching for prospective new owners for the piece, American Airlines contracted with Olde Good Things to dismantle the panels and make them available for public resale. Other panels are housed in the Madison Museum of Fine Art, the C.R. Smith Museum in Dallas, and the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York.

Terminal 8’s artistically and historically significant stained glass window panels can now be found among the other treasures of architectural salvage at Olde Good Things.

 

The OGT architecturologists carefully remove the glass from this iconic mosaic window.

The beginning of the extraction… and the ending…

 

Startling ruby red, blazing citrine orange, and deep cobalt are among the hues that grace the stained glass window. The light shining through from behind is extraordinary!

 

Our customers have used this exclusive reclaimed glass for a number of different applications, including privacy windows, far end and coffee table surfaces, outdoor entrance gates, or combined in order to create partition walls and room dividers.

The bold colors of many of the panels make them ideal for contemporary environments, which include homes, offices and commercial spaces. Regardless of where you choose to put them, they’ll definitely create a statement.

Of course, the ultimate positioning is an area where light can shine through, to maximize the amount of color that passes through the windows. A number of our clients have incorporated American Airlines’ stained glass indoors and outdoors.

The JFK Terminal 8 glass can be purchased from OGT as a stunning glass wall panel, as smaller panels in a beautiful custom frame, or as souvenir panels measuring 8 in. x 6.5 in., 8 in. x 8 in., 10 in. x 10 in., or 12 in. x 12 in.. The panels pictured below are samples of the glass and may or may not be still available. Please inquire and if they are not available we will try and find you something in a similar color scheme.  Each panel has some form of damage. We can repair the damages in our warehouse glass shop.  Call 888 233 9678 for more details.

 

This picture depicts the entire window and which stained glass panels are still available for resale.  All the panels marked with an “x” have already been sold.

Learn more about this salvage project, visit here.
Learn more about other types of salvaged glass available, visit here.

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