Architectural and Altered Antiques
In an effort to break up some of the monotony of white mantels, we’re offering our customers a chance to bring in a classic and chic accent into their homes and workplaces with a 50% off all Rouge Red Marble Mantels. Our sale has already been announced and we are receiving an extraordinary number of phone orders – hurry while this sale and supplies last!
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With garden season well under way, Olde Good Things has an offering of a variety of building stones to decorate any outdoor or even indoor space. Over 30 styles of decorative salvage stones will be shown in this video. Each slide is numbered to pin point the exact one you show interest in. We have way more than this available but this gives you a good idea of unique terra cotta, limestone and marble pieces. Take a look and feel free to contact us with any questions.
Call 888.233.9678 to inquire or shop our online selection here <View online now!
Terra Cotta Figural Frieze Mural Historic Grand Central Station
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Antique iron gates & fencing are one of the most popular architectural materials that we endeavor to salvage. From iron balconies to iron doors, from decorative iron items to iron gates & fencing, people love the look and strength of olde good iron! If you are looking for an iron piece to add significance to your design or build, we have many styles from which to choose, including both classic looks and detailed designs. Our decorative iron options vary from practical choices like iron grates and window guards to items aimed at beautiful interior décor such as decorative iron wall hangings. Iron is bold, durable, and beautiful and can become a showpiece no matter where you use it.
As New York City ushers in a new era of progress, distinguished by the revitalization of some of the city’s most famous landmark neighborhoods, Olde Good Things is on standby to make sure that the most stunning architectural elements, the irreplaceable historical details of bygone days, are preserved and made available to our customers.
Our recent reclamation from the 42nd and Vanderbilt Warren and Wetmore Building is just one example of why the architecturologists at OGT are part of a rare breed. OGT is a leader in the architectural salvage industry. We have been rescuing and reclaiming NYC skyscrapers since the 90s, each time putting in the effort to preserve and cherish the custom details that distinguish the historical treasures in The Big Apple. We have watched other salvage experts fall by the wayside due to the immense effort it requires to safely rescue these pieces of history. If New York City is the “city that never sleeps”, you could say that about the architecturologists at Olde Good Things.
Click the picture to view all the salvage slideshow
In order to pave the way for the city’s new fourth tallest skyscraper, known as “One Vanderbilt”, the former Warren and Wetmore building was demolished, but not before we extracted some of its most significant embellishments. The building faced the west side entrance of Grand Central Terminal for a century, and our salvage artifacts are almost as close as you can get to having a piece of the historic station!
In fact, the Beaux arts architecture of the building’s facade was meant to reflect the architecture of Grand Central Terminal, which was also designed by Warren and Wetmore. The terminal itself was the largest architectural and commerce deal in New York City at the turn of the century, spanning over 20 city blocks.
Our rescue at 42nd and Vanderbilt brings home the historical elements of a building designed and built to directly complement the train station concourse circa 1910. One of our most prominent salvage items is the cast iron figural frieze with double Bacchus faces from the building facade. We were also able to preserve a captivating terra cotta frieze featuring children rejoicing amongst a bountiful harvest of fruit, as well as a treasure trove of structural fluted columns.
I hope you will join us as we tirelessly explore and pursue the architectural wonders of our famous city, and maybe bring a piece of it home with you.
When most people think of tiles, they conjure up images of those horrendously tacky squares of cheap porcelain that crowd the floor of many older homes. Fortunately, when we talk about tiles we are talking about the classic, beautifully made, and carefully salvaged vintage and antique tile that we’ve had the privilege of adding to our growing inventory.
Vintage Off White Subway Tile – Photo Credit: Bloglovin’
With so many exquisite pieces entering our showroom we are eager to share with our customers a few creative decorating ideas that incorporate vintage and antique tiles.
Decorating with tile requires that you have either a friend in construction or a skill at creative repurposing. If you want to make a show stopping conversation piece, why not take on old coffee table and decorate the top of the table by making a mosaic of broken salvaged tiles. All you need is sandpaper, tiling cement, your choice of color or plain grout, and a selection of hand-picked vintage tile from Olde Good Things. If you don’t have an old coffee table, consider using a side table, or repurposing an old trunk. Get creative and enjoy the process.
If you’d rather leave your furniture as is, why not reface your old fireplace? Using vintage or antique tiles to add color or drama to your fireplace is a great way to make something old sooty into something “olde good”.
The sheer number of remodeling shows on TV can be staggering, but many of them provide our customers with great repurposing ideas. If you’re planning to remodel your kitchen and you want to add flair that cannot be bought at Home Depot you should piece together a backsplash made entirely of salvaged vintage tiles.
Check out this photo of a backsplash that literally catches the eye and makes the heart smile! Bright, colorful, and fun!
If you’re looking for something that will stand the test of time and make you feel great about your materials choices, you have to call Lowes, cancel that order for bathroom tiles, and tile your bathroom using salvaged subway tiles. When you reuse old tiles you are adding an “eco-friendly” stamp to your project which can actually increase the value of your property.
Here is a selection of tile that would be perfect for a bathroom remodel.
Olde Good Things is doing its part to make the world a beautiful place, one tile at a time. It’s up to you to check out what we have in stock and let your imagination run wild.
Do you have any creative ideas for reusing vintage and antique tile? Let us know and feel free to share your photos on our Facebook page.
The rich beauty of reclaimed wood, the timeless appeal of historical metalwork, and the vivid diversity of reclaimed glass are not things that can be easily replicated. Anyone who is building and desires the timeless look of these architectural elements knows how cost inhibitive it is to reproduce them. Why not simply incorporate these same beautiful items from yesteryear rather than try and reproduce them? And, yes, it is possible to design from scratch using reclaimed items!
One of our customers restored her stunning Tudor home with reclaimed materials carefully curated from Olde Good Things, designing the house from the ground up over a period of three years. Many of the items were purchased from OGT’s web store and Ebay after adoption from the Constable Estate in Westchester and a townhouse on East 10th Street, in Greenwich Village, NYC.
Current trends in home decor lean towards the modern rustic and industrial, often with a stunning combination of the two elements. Shabby chic is another popular look that hearkens back to the days of custom craftsmanship. Still, building with architectural relics is not a part of the mainstream, despite the fact that using reclaimed materials for building and restoration projects is advantageous in so many ways.
Architects and designers are turning to reclaimed materials more and more to meet the demand for sustainable architecture. Reclaimed wood and other architectural salvage pieces are an integral part of green building techniques. Re-purposed materials lessen the need for new materials to be harvested or mined and transported, and elements rescued from historic buildings scheduled for demolition keeps these treasures out of the waste cycle, where they would eventually be relegated to a landfill.
Reclaimed tiles make a lovely vintage backsplash and a one-of-a-kind focal point for the fireplace. Originally from an Buenos Aires hacienda, they found new life in this Tudor Home. Also from a similar home in Argentina, an entire tile wall was re-used as wainscotting to decorate a parlor room. The stained glass windows from OGT add splendor to the magnificent arches which originally decorated a Gothic style room from the lavish Constable Estate in NY State. A classic parquet floor, detailed door surrounds, gothic woodwork, and reclaimed tile result in a home like no other. Even the bannisters and exterior staircase were construed of antique iron. The stairs and landing were designed from old heat registers.
Although using reclaimed materials can present certain logistical obstacles in a throwaway culture, many visionaries realize the inherent value in preserving and re-purposing. Reclaimed materials give a distinctive edge to any home or business with a custom style that can’t be found in new items.
We hope this example of design savvy using antique architectural items is inspirational to many who are undertaking a sustainable design project. We have many customers who when they see these details in the rough can visualize a re-use for them. Yet there are many who need inspiration. We think this project serves that very purpose.
View the Tile Fireplace Surround current inventory
View the Paneled Rooms & Wainscoting current inventory
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.
They say that first impressions are the ones that last, whether you want them to or not. This can be just as true for your home as it is of your personality. If you’ve found that the front door to your home needs some updating, or if you’ve found the perfect door in our online selection or at one of our Olde Good Things locations, taking the time to stain or paint it can make all the difference. Having a front or interior door that doesn’t match your personal style can really throw off your decorating scheme. This article will serve as a step-by-step guide to making that old door look new and beautiful again.
In order to ensure that you don’t cause any damage to the doorframe while preparing and painting or staining your door, it’s best to remove the door from the hinges. This can be accomplished by unscrewing the door from the hinge. No need to remove the pin. Place a protective drop cloth over two sawhorses or on the floor, and lay the door on it. Be sure that it’s quite sturdy – you don’t want the door falling off and getting damaged! If you are working on the entry door to your home, you can leave it on the hinges, but you’ll want to be especially careful when sanding to ensure that you don’t damage the paint on the door frame, and when staining to ensure you don’t get any on your house!
To begin, lightly sand all of the surfaces down to remove any chipped paint as well as rough areas or edges around the door. When sanding, it’s very important that you remember to always sand with the grain of the wood so that you don’t cause any damage to the door. Once you’ve sanded down all of the door’s surfaces, wipe down the door with a cloth to remove any dust that has built up while sanding. Once the door has been completely prepped for painting or staining, you’ll want to wear protective gloves to ensure none of the dirt or oil from your hands is trapped in the stain or paint.
Now you’re ready to begin applying the stain or paint that you’ve chosen. Using vertical strokes, apply the stain or paint generously to one side of the door. If you’ve chosen a stain, use a clean rag or cloth to immediately wipe any excess stain from the door. Repeat this process on all six sides of the door. Let the stain or paint dry for 24 hours. If applying stain instead of paint, you will need to apply a coat of varnish or urethane between each coat of stain, and also let dry for 24 hours. Then, lightly scuff the surfaces of the door with 180-220 grit sandpaper to achieve a smooth finish before applying the next coat. Be gentle! You don’t want to remove all of the stain and varnish you’ve just applied! You’ll need to repeat this process for the second coat of stain, and then apply a third and final coat to achieve the best look. For paint, apply as many coats as you need to reach your desired color.
Enjoy the look of your new door and entryway. Changing the look of even something simple like a door can really enhance the look of your entire home. If you’re looking for hardware to match your newly stained or painted door, try checking out our selection of knobs and hinges online, or pay us a visit. If you have any questions about refinishing your antique or salvaged pieces, one of our knowledgeable staff can help with any question you might have.
Though its manufacture has slowed in the United Sates, glass embedded with chicken wire has long been regarded, particularly in the world of industry, for its endurance and practicality. Its strength made it an ideal safeguard. It became a staple in factories, where its sturdy, shatter-proof quality kept workers inside safe and insulated from outdoor conditions.
The strength of the material also bestows it another prized characteristic: versatility. The sheer variety of texture with which it can be imbued lends itself to a gradient of design function and aesthetic. This texturing creates the effect of a mosaic: a stained glass window refracting pattern rather than color.
OGT has been salvaging this glass for years and in particular acquired a lot of the pebbled chicken wire glass, recently incorporated into a furniture design project, from a large factory in central Pennsylvania. In its time it was used as a skylight for the industrial powerhouse. It filtered in natural sunlight from a height of eighty feet above the factory floor. Its opacity brings to mind both the billowing haze characteristic of the industrial area, and the subtle beauty of a soft sunbeam.
Turn the clock nearly a century forward, and that same pebbled, chicken-wired glass is salvaged, restored, and put to use in a contemporary New York City loft.
Enter Union Studio, a small business based in Berkley, California, whose specialty lies in interior design and furniture craftsmanship. Each furniture piece, designed by company founder Matthew Bear, is custom built and crafted with utmost quality in mind.
For a company with such a claim to the aesthetic of the handmade, there is much thought, naturally, that goes into the material choice of each piece. And this is where the multi-purpose nature of the factory-recovered glass comes into play.
The panels were first put to use for the sliding doors of this shower. Here, the opacity of the pebbled texture offers the necessary privacy, and the embedded wiring provides the perfect design compliment to the metallic framing and shower handles.
Vintage glass paneling between these door frames bridges one room to the next. The translucency of glass gives the loft a cohesive sense of space. Meanwhile, the texture simulates a patterned fog just thick enough to isolate each room from the other.
The metallic plating of the glass gives even this cabinet an industrial embellishment that is right at home in with the rest of this kitchen area.
It’s remarkable to think that one piece of glass could branch out in so diverse a manner from its original purpose. What started out as distant skylight now becomes three distinct statement pieces that add cohesion and unification to the space through their shared material.
View more types of glass available.
In 2008 we were privileged to acquire 200 marble mantels from the Plaza hotel in New York. Designing luxurious rooms for glamorous clients, the stone was hand-selected, sent to Italy where it was carved, chiseled and polished into a sheen. Intricate attention and skill was applied, resulting in nothing short of art.
The Plaza Hotel closed its doors in 2005 and went under a massive renovation in which we had the opportunity to salvage these pieces. Since then, we have less than half of what was originally acquired. Here is a favorite of what remains…
This hand carved piece is decorated with bronze gilded ormolu is sold.
Following The Plaza, in late 2010 Old Good things bought the entire inventory of Danny Alessandro & Edwin Jackson mantel company, the second oldest mantel dealer in New York City. There we found gorgeous hand-chiseled marble mantels, as well as replicas of mantels, andirons and tool sets. Available both in-store and online, below is a piece recovered from the early French Regency…
Here we see the style of the 18th century in the hand chiseled design of the center frieze as well as the way the leg motifs curve out. The marble is a soft white, contrasted with gorgeous eggplant and oxblood veining. A true work of art, the frieze is a foot deep and the marble extends down to the legs. Captivated? Sorry it’s sold as well.
The search never stops. Just last week we recovered marble mantels from a brownstone on the Upper West Side. The week before, we acquired more from a private residence in central New Jersey and another from Columbus, Ohio. Here is one of our most recent finds…
An intricately carved Baroque piece, it is made of Duquesa Rosa marble and is most likely from the Provence de Guipuzcoa, Spain. Find more here.
Hand-worked stone, marble mantles are more than a glorified shelf for cocktails and picture frames. They are the frame to your fire; a timeless piece of sculpture for your home.
Find more Danny Alessandro & Edwin Jackson mantels here.
Find more Plaza Hotel Mantels here.
Find more new acquisitions here.
