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Olde Good Things

Architectural and Altered Antiques

Customer Showcase: Antique Chandeliers and Religious Stained Glass

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Here you see photos of a London Pub, The Old Queens Head, designed with many decorative sustainable items from architectural antique sources all over the world.  Riz Shaikh, owner and seasoned head designer of the Colombo Group with an eye for detail, envisioned a speakeasy design with warm sepia tones.  He sourced decorative ceramic tiles, wooden paneling and wainscoting, fireplace mantels, elegant chandeliers, and church stained glass windows.

 

He chose Olde Good Things for multiple huge 4 ft wide chandeliers and decorative slag stained glass to create the warm ambiance seen in these photos.  These multi-arm slag glass and bronze chandeliers once graced the banquet room of the famous Toy Center at 200 Fifth Avenue, which now houses the famous Italian market Eataly.  The ceiling and partition walls, as well as the decorative amber-toned stained glass which decorates the back bar, were reclaimed from a Presbyterian Church, The Church on the Edge, in Northern New Jersey.  The dark tone wood paneling adds warmth to his design. As seasoned designers know, the original patina is the key to its authenticity.

Our architecturologists are constantly seeking great finds like these chandeliers to make amazing statements in our customers’ creations. Only a fraction of these astounding treasures can be seen online, so feel free to call or visit our New York City and Los Angeles stores. You can also peruse our six-story department store warehouse in Scranton Pennsylvania, often referred to as a ‘candy store’ or ‘treasure trove’ for those with an eye for building with original antique architectural pieces in wood, marble, glass, and bronze.

 

If you wish to be featured as the next Customer Showcase, click here.

Save 50% Off Select Fine Lighting

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Limited time, save 50% off on select modern and antique fine lighting. Shop by type below or shop all here.

 

A Short But Sweet History of Chandeliers

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14th – 17th Century  – Medieval & Middle Ages

Chandeliers are one item that originated in high status and one which has consistently remained so throughout its development. Humans have typically reserved their best—and, in the case of chandeliers, brightest—resources for their places of worship. Churches and abbeys were one of the few areas where large crowds of people were able to go at the same time and unite for a common purpose. The clergy and the structures themselves were revered by the people and typically well cared for. This is where the first recorded uses of these innovative light fixtures developed back in the fourteenth century.

Having derived its name from a French word that means candle holder, the earliest chandeliers hung in churches and literally held candles with drip pans. The relatively simple designs were made of wood and shaped as crosses to serve practical functions: to provide light for as much of the inside of the church as possible at one time and reduce the possibility of fire from low lying, lit candles among large groups of moving people. The chandeliers were attached to the ceiling of other large spaces where crowds gathered, also, such as meeting halls.

The cost of the light fixtures was inhibitive even then, with only the common areas that benefited from crowdfunding and rich citizens able to afford to use the larger ones. Some households of modest means may have owned small versions of the wooden lights, with simpler designs and fewer candles ( seen below). It took no time for chandeliers to become the wealth status symbols they remain today, with castles commissioning the most elaborate fixtures for display.

Photo Credit: Illustration of a medieval chandelier from King René’s Tournament Book, 1460. Wikipedia

18th & 19th Century – Victorian Era

18th-century glass chandeliers were produced by Bohemians and Venetian glassmakers. French leader, Louis XIV, ordered sumptuous chandeliers to adorn his castle and chandeliers became all the rage for the wealthy elite. During the Victorian Era, chandeliers dictated a social order for the aristocracy. The detail of the design, what they were made of, and the size determined how much clout a person had. Queen Victoria sent the heaviest chandelier known, to a fellow royal in Instanbul. This magnificent structure weighs just over four tons and holds 750 light spaces. A gift of a chandelier this substantial spoke of the Queens’ immense power and highest social status. The receiver of her gift must also have been in the top area of the royal ranks. This chandelier is still known as the largest Bohemian crystal chandelier in the world today, pictured below in Dolmabahce, Istanbul.

 

Photo Credit: Wranosky

Chandeliers were then made of various other materials, metal being the most common choice, although crystal embellishments soon took over a great part of the design.  The technology of glass production helped to develop crystal details for chandeliers. By the time the 1800s rolled around and gas was used in producing light, chandeliers were customized to accommodate the changes. However, once electricity began in the 1890s to be used for general lighting needs, chandeliers were no longer necessary for light but held steady as home décor.

20th Century

Today, chandeliers still reign from up high as one of the most innovative ways to show household wealth and taste. Even though chandeliers have been somewhat lost to history; pushed aside by bolder, more industrial lighting options, the architect-urologists at Olde Good Things have gone out of their way to hunt down, salvage, and reuse vintage and antique chandeliers in 21st-century homes. The chandeliers in stock at our warehouses are made of almost any type of materials, such as brass, bronze, glass, crystal, & iron.

We recently acquired a unique collection of chandeliers from Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The Waldorf Astoria opened its doors in 1931 and in 1980s went under extensive renovation. So the collection is a mix of styles throughout the whole century. You have to see it to believe it.

Shop all Waldorf Astoria Chandeliers online

Shop all Waldorf Astoria Lighting online

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.

The Lights of Broadway: Salvaging Fixtures from the Palace Theatre

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In the mid-90s, Times Square was undergoing massive redevelopment. Some of our first salvage finds were from well-known Times Square venues, including the Rialto, Lamb, and Ford Theaters.

Now, almost 25 years later, Times Square is undergoing more changes, and Olde Good Things is on the job for another theatre salvage. But this time, rather than raze a building to the ground, developers plan to raise the theatre up!

Playing the Palace

Located in the heart of Times Square at W. 47th Street and Broadway, the Palace Theatre first opened in 1913. Designed by Milwaukee architects Kirchoff and Rose, it is one of the largest theaters on Broadway, with three levels of seating and tiered, parquet-style boxes accommodating over 1,700 patrons. The New York Landmarks Conservancy designated its famous baroque interior as an Interior Landmark in 1987.

The Palace was a vaudeville center from its 1913 opening through the early 1930s; actor Jack Haley called it “the epitome of the more than 15,000 vaudeville theaters in America.” Performers dreamed of “playing the Palace,” and its stage was graced by such legends as Ethel Barrymore, the Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, Mae West, and Fred Astaire.

The Palace Theatre in 1916
Photo courtesy of the New York Public Library

In the 1940s and 1950s, the Palace struggled to find its niche as a venue, serving mostly as a movie house as ticket sales for live performances dwindled. Notably, in 1941 the Palace was the site of the world premiere of Citizen Kane.

In the 1960s, the Palace was renovated and transformed into a full-fledged Broadway theater. Its first show was Sweet Charity, starring Gwen Verdon and choreographed by Bob Fosse (both well-known to viewers of the new FX series Fosse/Verdon). More recently, the Palace housed productions of Beauty and the Beast, Aida, and An American in Paris.

Moving on Up

In 2018, after a final run of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, the Palace closed down as part of a massive building renovation called TSX Broadway. This unusual project includes plans to raise the Palace interior three stories (nearly 30 feet!), in order to add 10,000 square feet of retail space underneath and to accommodate a new, giant wraparound billboard. The renovation also features a new lobby, dressing rooms, and other amenities for Palace Theatre patrons. Construction is expected to be completed by 2021.

Broadway Lights

The $50 million Palace Theatre rehabilitation includes updates to its famous interior – so not only is the Palace moving up in the world, it’s also getting a facelift! While the theatre’s historic ornamental plasterwork will stay in place, other design elements are being replaced.

Enter Olde Good Things to salvage some of the historic treasures from this old landmark. We were able to reclaim much of the vintage and antique lighting, including exquisite crystal chandeliers and Art Deco style flush and semi-flush mount fixtures. Some of these fixtures appear to date from the 1965 renovation.

Longing to bask in the lights of Broadway? Take a look at just a few examples online and come see many more in our New York locations. We promise the ghosts of the Palace Theatre won’t follow you home.

Out with the Olde Sale

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Our two warehouses in Scranton Pa. are now at full capacity, and we need to make room! For one month, our oldest inventory will be marked down forty percent.  Out with the old, in with more old!

Save 40% off site-wide, from 3/28/19 – 4/30/19.

Shop all Sale Items

 

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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.

Learn more

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.

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