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Olde Good Things

Architectural and Altered Antiques

Top Five Reclaimed Materials for Designers & Architects

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Architects and designers are always on the lookout for new trends in building materials and construction. Staying ahead of trends helps these designers create structures that will be both timeless and livable without having to do major improvements in  the future. Not only must the designers consider the space in which they are building, but also the materials and what effect they will have on the overall construction.

A hot trend that has taken hold recently in the design and construction industry is the use of sustainable, eco-friendly and repurposed building materials. Designers, architects and even home DIYers are beginning to understand the impact that “new” construction can have on our environment and what they can do to help.

In another building trend, architects and designers are looking towards ideas such as adaptive reuse, where an existing building is deconstructed, the usable materials (like flooring, wood beams and antique lighting fixtures) are saved and the space is converted for a new purpose. Factories, warehouses, and train stations are just several types of buildings that can be reused to house restaurants, apartments, or storefronts. Utilizing the reclaimed building materials from these spaces can help cut construction costs and save these materials from clogging up landfills.

Top 5 Reclaimed Materials

reclaimed vintage glass

1. Vintage Wired Glass is now used in kitchen cabinets doors, room partitions or even made into mirrors.
 Learn more

reclaimed wood skins

2. Reclaimed Wood Skins – Unique wall covering from the skins of reclaimed white pine floor joists. These planks are cut in various lengths and widths.

Learn more

reclaimed wood tables

3. Reclaimed Wood Dining Tables – Reclaimed Pine, Walnut, Industrial Flooring, Oak, Bowling Alley & Ipe wood to choose from with a wide variety of bases to choose from. All tables can be customized to fit you space.

Learn more

Industrial Factory Lighting

4. Industrial Factory Industrial Lighting – We salvage old factory pendants and restore them in our lighting shop. We have a wide variety of sizes available in large quantities.

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Custom Antique Tin Ceiling Mirrors and Panels

5. Custom Antique Tin Ceiling Mirrors and Panels – We salvage 100 year tin ceilings from old building and manufacturer it into mirrors and panels.

Learn more

Olde Good Things is dedicated to discovering vintage finds and materials and repurposing, rebuilding, and reusing them into unique, handcrafted items. These reclaimed items are transformed into charming statement pieces for kitchens, dining rooms, offices, living rooms, bedrooms, home exteriors, and gardens. With over a quarter of a million square feet of salvaged antiques and reclaimed building materials, Olde Good Things is here to help in the search for the perfect antique or reclaimed piece.

Antique Lighting Sale in the Upper West Side

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Yes…we are back! Olde Good Things is back in Manhattan at our new location at 2420 Broadway. Even bigger and better than before, our distinctive Upper West side location offers more than 4,000 square feet of browsing in an atmosphere of fine architectural salvage from some of the most historic buildings and venues in the region..

Housed in a 12 story, pre-war building, some of the finest antique and vintage inventory on the entire East Coast is just waiting to be discovered by the right person. We specialize in custom made reclaimed and live edge wood tables, along with our one-of-a-kind “altered antiques” line of reclaimed wood. Our stock includes customized farmhouse style dining tables, side tables, shelving units, and more!

Also featured at this location are literally hundreds of light fixtures! Choose your style from a selection of Mid-Century, traditional, industrial, and nautical lighting. From chandeliers, to standing lamps, to pendants and outdoor lighting, Olde Good Things has it all. All light fixtures are on sale now from 20 to 40% off, just to show how glad we are to be back in the neighborhood.

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Click here to watch a slideshow video of the store.

 

The best architectural salvage for dabblers, connoisseurs, set and stage designers, and remodeling and construction professionals can all be found at one of our NYC architectural antique stores.

Just a few minutes walk from the 86th Street transits and Central Park West, Olde Good Things Broadway store is convenient to theaters, restaurants, hotels, and New York City’s most famous museums. We also have two extensive warehouses in Scranton, PA, and a store in Los Angeles for West Coast patrons. To learn more about our other locations, click here.

Boston Showcase at the Broadway Restaurant

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Olde Good Things has always enjoyed working with interior designers, decorators and those people who have a vision for how they want a particular space to work. Some of our favorite spaces to work in are restaurants because the décor can completely transform a space, yet it should have a function. So, when Erica Diskin of Assembly Design Studio in Boston contacted us for items that would be used in a remodeled restaurant, we were more than happy to help.

Erica and her team were tasked with creating the décor for the Broadway, a bar and restaurant in south Boston. Formerly the Boston Beer Garden, restaurateur Joey Acari decided he and his team needed a change after having spent more than two decades inhabiting the space. Acari has also converted another of his restaurants, the Playwright, into The Punk & Poet to try and keep up with the everchanging demands of the neighborhood.

Featuring wood elements salvaged from Boston Beer Garden, subway tiles and steel accents throughout the interior, the décor of the Broadway is decidedly of an industrial influence. To help enhance this aesthetic, we worked with Erica to come up with items that would fit perfectly with this décor. Holophane lights were used over tables and booths, while industrial style wall sconces were placed throughout the restaurant. Chicken wire glass was used to create partitions to section off areas of the restaurant, while copper doors were used to ingeniously hide wall-mounted televisions when not in use.

Opened on November 15th, Broadway features wide booths, communal seating and two bars within the restaurant as well as a packed menu featuring wood-fired pizzas and a cocktail list who’s highlight is a nitro cold-brewed draft martini.

If you’re a designer looking for your next piece of inspiration, stop by any of our Olde Good Things stores in New York City or Los Angeles, our giant warehouses in Scranton, Pennsylvania or at our webstore ogtstore.com. We’re not only certain you’ll find the right piece for your next project, but we’ll also offer you 15% off your purchase. Call us or stop by, we’d be glad to help you.

Texas Showcase at the a’Bouzy Restaurant

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When restaurateur Shawn Virene proposed his first solo endeavor, a’Bouzy, he had a very particular vision in mind; a culinary haven where fine wines and great food have an equal place at the table.

a’Bouzy, named after the French village Bouzy located in the heart of the Champagne region, features an effervescent and coastal Mediterranean ambience echoing the namesake’s region throughout with an open layout, exposed brick and reclaimed wood.

Olde Good Things had the pleasure of working with Shawn and his team during the design process, in the hopes of bringing a mix of both modern and antique touches to round out his ideas for the space.

To help maximize seating capacity without sacrificing space, Olde Good Things recommended our custom-built industrial wood top swing seats in the bar and in the outdoor seating areas. These seats provide a classic industrial look with modern accents. As a counter to this modern seating solution, we suggested a set of 3 antique blown glass lattice pendant lights to help anchor the space. Throughout the dining room, Shawn and his team chose to use our Altered Antiques industrial wood flooring topped tables paired with Brooklyn cast iron legs to add a worn-in vintage feel.

At Olde Good Things, we enjoy working with restaurateurs and designers to help bring their ideas to life. We offer a wide variety of both custom-built and salvaged antique products to suit any need as well as providing special pricing for the restaurant industry. So, whether you’re looking to add elements of industrial, rustic, modern, or vintage, Olde Good Things has something for every design aesthetic.

FREE SHIPPING on Antique Lighting

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Got your attention?

It should, because Olde Good Things carries lighting from near every era, style, material, and price range.

OGT is currently overstocked with antique and replica fine lighting. Want to see it for yourself? Check out one of our NYC or LA stores and just look up. Our ceilings are covered with chandeliers, lanterns, and pendants. We’ve also managed to plaster most of the walls with sconces of all makes.

Want to take advantage of our FREE SHIPPING ON ANTIQUE LIGHTING sale but aren’t sure what you need or want to replace? Feel free to browse our main online Antique Lighting categories below, which include information about the styles, manufacturers, and compositions.

Antique Vintage Chandeliers

Our stock levels change regularly but we currently hold stock of Art Deco, Mid Century, Georgian, Modern, Marie Therese, Colonial, Williamsburg and Arts and Crafts style antique chandeliers. Our collection features pieces by Caldwell, Murano, and Sterling Bronze Co. to name a few.

Our antique and vintage chandeliers collection includes mostly glass, brass, bronze, crystal, wrought iron, cast iron and milk glass. Olde Good Things is proud to stock a large variety of vintage antique chandeliers for your next restoration project.

 

Antique Vintage Exterior Lighting

We have an extensive stock of Arts and Crafts, Gothic, Art Deco, and Industrial exterior wall or ceiling lighting.

Our antique and vintage exterior lighting collection includes pieces crafted from glass, bronze, brass, copper, metal, cast iron, aluminum and wrought iron.

 

Antique Vintage Flush & Semi Flush Mounts

Our stock levels change regularly but we currently hold stock of pieces manufactured by Lightolier.

Our antique and vintage flush and semi flush mounts collection includes pieces crafted from glass, brass, metal, and milk glass.

Antique Vintage Globes & Shades

Our stock levels change regularly but we currently hold stock of  Art Deco and Mid Century style antique globes and shades.

Our antique and vintage globes and shades collection includes holophane, milk glass, antique glass, opaline, frosted, ceiling and step down shade types. We have replacement shades for any type of light fixture not listed online. Please be sure to inquire including your required size and composition.

 

Antique Vintage Industrial & Commercial Lighting

We have an extensive stock of Industrial, Nautical, Mid Century, Gothic and Art Deco style lighting.

Our antique and vintage industrial and commercial collection includes glass, metal, aluminum and steel commercial and industrial lighting.

We have overabundance of vintage industrial holophanes salvaged from old factories. Read related articles to learn about this unique style: Colonial Eatery Brings Repurposed Architectural Elements and Over a Century of History with Industrial Holophane Light Fixtures.

 

Antique Vintage Lamps

Our stock levels change regularly but we currently hold stock of Mid Century, Modern, Art Deco, Industrial and Victorian style antique lamps. Our collection features pieces by Murano, Beacon Lamp Co., Caldwell, Dazor, Globemaster and Hanovias.

Our antique and vintage lamp collection includes glass, metal, brass, ceramic, wood, bronze, cast iron and wrought iron.

 

Antique & Replica Nautical Lighting

Our stock levels change regularly but we currently hold stock of Nautical, Industrial and Mid Century style antique nautical lighting. Our range includes pieces by Perkins Marine Lamp and Hardware Corp & Wiska.

Our antique and vintage nautical lighting collection includes glass, brass, bronze, metal, aluminum, plastic, copper and Bakelite.

 

Antique Vintage Pendant Lights

We have an extensive stock of Modern, Mid Century, Art Deco, Industrial, Gothic, Venini, Victorian and Venetian style antique pendant lighting. Our range includes pieces by Murano, Jim Wen, Lightolier, High Bay and Millefiori.

Our antique and vintage pendant lighting collection includes milk glass, holophane, dish, antique glass, etched, frosted, ceiling and Lucite shade types.

We currently have an overabundance of antique bell jar lights in our national warehouse as well as hanging holophane streetlamps from the streets of Paris. For more on these Paris streetlamps, please check out our blog here: Pieces of Paris History: Repurposing Vintage Streetlights. 

 

Antique Vintage Sconces & Wall Lighting

Our stock levels change regularly but we currently hold stock of Colonial, Art Deco, Arts and Crafts, Victorian, Mid Century, Modern, French and Gothic antique sconces and wall lighting.

Our antique and vintage sconces and wall lighting collection includes pieces crafted from opaline, holophane and frosted shades. The sconces and wall lighting collection includes pieces by Caldwell, Murano, Bradley and Hubbard, Sterling Bronze Co., Arroyo Craftsman, Chameleon & Puritan.

View our elegant stock of sconces from the original Plaza hotel. They were not part of the original decor of the 1800s, but were made exclusively for The Plaza hotel during a later renovation in the 1900s.

 

Antique Vintage Wall & Ceiling Lanterns

Our stock levels change regularly but we currently hold stock of Arts and Crafts, Gothic, Primitive, Nautical, Industrial, Art Deco, Colonial and Oriental style antique wall and ceiling lanterns. Our collection features pieces by Appleton & Caldwell.

Our antique and vintage lamp collection includes glass, brass, metal, bronze, cast iron, wrought iron, copper and crystal pieces.

 

Take advantage of our Free Shipping Sale, shop all Antique Lighting

 

 

 

 

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.

Legendary Plaza Hotel Reclaimed

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When the new owners of the luxury Plaza Hotel in New York City, decided to renovate and transform its interior in 2005, Olde Good Things found a plethora of beautiful architectural salvage items perfect for re-use.

This world-famous hotel is a landmark 20-story Manhattan structure overlooking Central Park originally opened in 1907.  It is the legendary home to “Eloise” as well as many real life famous performers and guests.  It has also been the meeting place for important political meetings over the years, if the walls could speak, what history (and secrets) we would hear!

Prior to its renovation, at a tag sale by the new owners, we acquired over 100 marble mantels, as well as over-mantel mirrors, doorknobs and decorative iron grills.  Many other admirers attended this sale and took away souvenirs such as bathrobes and slippers.

This world famous architectural salvage took place in June – July of 2005. The following gallery is just a sample of some of the breathless architectural pieces we purchased from this legendary landmark.

As time went by, we acquired original lighting from the Plaza Hotel to add to our inventory of architectural pieces from this historic landmark.  You may be wondering, well are there any pieces left?  The answer is yes, we still have a limited supply of Plaza hardware, doors, lighting and marble mantels….  Below see pictures of a basket chandelier, which once graced the hallways of each hotel floor, being carefully dressed and rewired to be sent into our Bowery location in NYC for resale.

See below available emblematic knobs, matching plates, door plates, interior doors, sconces, pendants, chandeliers as well as several styles of marble mantels all reclaimed from these luxury suites.

View all the Plaza inventory online now

Read about other historic salvage job

Over a Century of History with Industrial Holophane Light Fixtures

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Original factory Holophanes grace this dining room table

Vintage industrial light fixtures are a sleek lighting accessory for any contemporary home or office. Durable Holophane lighting, in particular, carries with it a powerful history of scientific innovation and industrial applications. “Holophane” comes from the Greek words Holos and Phainein, translated “to appear completely luminous”.

The Holophane Glass story begins in the 1890s when French electric scientist Andre Blondel and Greek engineer Spiridion Psaroudaki covered a glass globe in the laboratory with horizontal prisms positioned to manipulate light. They were awarded a U.S. patent in 1893, when Holophane fixtures were already being manufactured in France and exported across Europe and the U.S.

Otis A. Mygatt acquired the rights for the illumination technology in 1896 and founded the Holophane Company in London. Holophane Glass Company was incorporated in America in 1898, with its first headquarters on Broadway in New York.

Huge strides were made in illumination technology during the Progressive Era of the early 1900s. Holophane Glass Company employed specialized engineers to study the distribution of light. The result was an innovative line of globes and reflectors made of clear crystal glass with prisms constructed to direct rays of light both downward and outward. When General Electric partnered with Holophane in 1911, they combined the classic products with a frosted line of Fostoria glassware.

The company began providing “scientific illumination” to industrial facilities. During the 1920s, Holophane Glass developed “hibay” lighting for the economical illumination of large factories, including the Chevrolet Motor Co. stockroom in Tarrytown, NY, and Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing in East Pittsburgh.

 

Careful removal of factory Holophane lights

Careful removal of factory Holophane lights

Holophane’s influence continued through 1930s, lighting industrial areas and famous spots like Radio City Studios, NY, The House of Lords in England, and Westminster Abbey during the coronation of King George VI. During WWII, Holophane lit war plants and airplane hangars around the world. By 1945, Holophane lighting had penetrated into the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Library of Congress.

Holophane Glass Company coined the term “illumineering” based on the visual and physiological needs of the human eye, a concept that is still pervasive in lighting technology. Through the present day, Holophane continues to research and develop street lighting, fluorescent commercial lighting, contemporary outdoor illumination, and lighting for emergency applications.

Vintage Holophane light fixtures are very popular in upscale auction houses and industrial reclamation circles. The trademark of these “luminaires” is a borosilicate glass refractor or reflector. The prisms direct light both up and down, which is perfect for illuminating a space without glare or dark spots.

Olde Good Things has acquired many of these lights over the years and many commercial and retail customers have purchased these reclaimed lights and put them to use in new applications.  Here you see one customer

 

Olde Good Things was fortunate to retrieve a collection of Holophane pendant lighting from a century-old plant in New Jersey. These industrial beauties range in size from 15” to 21” in diameter.

 

Holophane Lighting evenly throws light for maximum illumination

Visit Olde Good Things to discover more architectural treasures.

Inquire about other sizes available at [email protected]  888-233-9678.

Credits:
http://www.holophane.com/company/history/index.asp
https://www.justcollecting.com/miscellania/antique-holophane-lighting

Classic Bell Jar Pendant Lighting Instills a Vintage Eclectic Edge

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Bell jar lanterns are a classic tribute to centuries of lighting. They add a traditional, yet eclectic, feel to a space. The evolution of the bell jar light fixture proves that they can be adapted to accentuate a number of functions and design styles.

Middle Ages

Lanterns appear in medieval manuscripts as early as the 13th century. Some of these forms included basic frames with panels of horn or glass. The first innovations in lighting technology were the most basic way to illuminate the dark, clammy hallways.

Leonardo da Vinci is the first known inventor to put a flame inside a glass container fitted to a water-filled glass globe.

Renaissance Bell Jar Fixtures

As lighting evolved, pendant lighting styles moved away from carved hanging lamps of wood and metal to round glass chimney lanterns. The fixture was suspended from the ceiling by a circular plate, hook, and chains.

With the creation of ornately embellished chandeliers in 17th century France and 18th century England, pendants made from crystals and frosted glass were en vogue up until the 20th century.

18th Century

In expansive, darkly-paneled 18th century homes, light emanated mainly from the fireplace, or candles. However, candles were expensive. Homes incorporated the trick of medieval and renaissance predecessors by enclosing candles in glass pendants to be hung from the ceiling. Often, the candles were only lit during festivities, and the glass jar prevented the candles from being snuffed out by a draft.

American Colonial and Federalist Period

Bell jar light fixtures were quite popular during the colonial period in America. These fixtures were elaborately design with reliefs and other decorative finishes. A smoke bell cap on the pendants prevented candle smoke from blackening the ceilings or walls.

Colonial India

Bell jar lanterns, known as Hundi lanterns, were popular and widespread in colonial India. Here, hand-blown glass fixtures were made in a variety of sparkling, jewel-like colors in styles representing a meeting of Western and Indian design.

Contemporary

Bell jar lighting remains popular to the present day. Obviously, the function has evolved over time from candles, oil, or gas to electric pendant fixtures.  A number of designs, etched patterns, and colors embellish homes across the world with a style that is both vintage and modern, traditional and edgy.

Olde Good Things recently acquired a collection of fine bell jar glass carefully curated by an avid collector over years of traveling to India and purchasing antique fine crystal and glass bell jars. The antique pieces are available in both cut and clear crystal, ruby red or emerald green.

Browse bell jars online here.

Credits:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/8484621/list/ring-in-lighting-style-with-a-bell-jar-lantern

http://www.currentmiddleages.org/tents/article6lantern.pdf

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-07-31/news/0507310305_1_pendants-furniture-and-lighting-designer-drama-and-intimacy

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