Tag: customer showcase | Page 4

Creating an Outdoor Oasis Using Salvaged Items

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Danica Sorber

Having an outdoor living space can be a wonderful, relaxing addition to your home. Continuing the decorating style you already use indoors into your outdoor space can also help to increase your home’s value. It can be difficult to know how exactly to do this, however, particularly if you’ve used salvaged items to create a unique look for your home. As the top salvage company in the country, we have the opportunity to create many interesting decorative pieces and spaces using salvaged items in ways many people don’t even think of. Read below for how you can create a beautiful look for your outdoor space using items from one of our many locations.

An arched single French door can be used as trellis

Double French doors would make a bright entry to any garden space

Or a distressed painted door with windows removed can be used as a trellis

Every garden should have a gate or a door, but not necessarily as an entry point. Above is just a small selection of iron entry ways available at Olde Good Things. An antique French door that no longer contains the glass (like the one from our online selection shown above) can make a beautiful trellis for climbing flowers or decorative vines. Refinishing or painting the door in a bright, bold color can also make it a lovely accent piece when placed against a fence or a garden wall. For a more traditional look, two solid doors can be connected with other wood pieces at the top to make a beautiful arbor. Consider placing a bench or reading chair beneath it to create a peaceful nook for reading, relaxing, or late afternoon naps.

An old bicycle can be used to decorate an outdoor space

An old bicycle, like the one shown here can make an excellent conversation piece. Turn the handlebar basket into a planter, and
consider weaving climbing flowers or vines through the wheel spokes and around the frame. The color of the bike can be incorporated into your garden’s theme, or it could be used as an eye-catching piece to liven up a more drab area of your outdoor space.

Tables missing their tops, or chairs that are missing their seats also make excellent planters, and can be very interesting pieces. These types of items also work quite well in smaller spaces, or on patios that don’t have any real planting space.

An open top table can be used as a garden element

Stone pieces are a traditional choice for decorating an outdoor space, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be boring or ordinary. Consider moving beyond traditional stone planters and statues, and search for something more unique. Using a piece with an interesting design can really bring your personality to your garden. Salvaged stone pieces from mantels, decorative walls, columns, and other elements can really make your garden a unique and interesting place to relax or have friends over.

Here a salvaged garden stone makes a centerpiece in this garden

For larger gardens, consider breaking up the space with an interesting element like a piece of stained glass, or an antique chandelier draped in glass beads. No only will elements like these look interesting, the light shining through and reflecting off of them will create beautiful patterns and colors that will really help your garden stand out. Use a bit of a strong, antique chain to hang these elements securely from a tree, arbor, or trellis. If you prefer the look of wood to glass, an antique window frame with the pane of glass removed can make an excellent hanging planter and define the space in a similar way.

A salvaged window makes a great garden element

Using salvaged or antique items in your garden can be a wonderful way to set your garden oasis, and your home apart from the others in your neighborhood. Using pieces that are unique and different is a great way to create a space that shows off your style and personality, while giving you a wonderful place to relax and get away from it all.

With the help of Olde Good Things, you can easily transform your backyard into a hideaway just for your enjoyment, or a mindblowing entertainment space that you and your family and friends can enjoy.

Entry Transformation Using Reclaimed Glass

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Sara

The craftsmanship is typical of what you would find from the days gone by. When Paul took on this job, he decided vintage glass would bring the right finishing touch, and sure enough he was right.

Vintage hammered chicken wire glass was used in this hand-fabricated iron awning

Safety glass in a hammered texture is no longer fabricated new with this twisted chicken wire. Therefore Olde Good Things specializes in reclaiming factory windows and making this glass available today.

Take a look at the gallery of pictures from this installation and view the video of Paul Lombardo in his fabrication stages.

Take a look at Paul’s creative video seen here:

Customer Showcase: Antique Hand-Stenciled Wooden Ceiling

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Sara

42 Star Island designed by first registered architect Walter DeGarmo in 1925

42 Star Island designed by first registered architect in Miami, Walter DeGarmo in 1925

This home, once one of the most visibly and architecturally noteworthy mansions along the MacArthur Causeway in Miami Beach was lost to the wrecking ball in 2014. Fortunately, the architecturologists from Olde Good Things were on the scene, to salvage some of the original architectural elements prior to it’s demise.

One of those fascinating elements removed was this hand-painted stenciled ceiling done in the mediterranean style, here seen in it’s original setting.

Hand-stenciled ceiling in muted green and red tones

Hand-stenciled ceiling in muted green, orange and brown tones

These pictures show the architecturologists gently removing the ceiling piece by piece. Each piece was numbered carefully in order for it to be repurposed by a future owner.

This unique ceiling has already found a new use. It is being implemented in a large building project in Missouri. Here you see pictures in the building stages:

The structure is still in it's building stage

Olde Good Things has become the dignitary associated with amazing building elements salvaged from many remarkable buildings in the United States, this home being just one of them. Take a look at the link to famous building artifacts on our web site to see other offerings at this time.

St. Patrick’s Day: Do the GREEN Thing!

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Danica Sorber

Historically speaking, St. Patrick’s Day is a day when Catholics, Anglicans, and Irish-Americans celebrate the man and the myth, Saint Patrick. Celebrated on March 17^th, the day is meant to commemorate the life and the ministry of the Patron Saint of Ireland.

Modernly and commercially speaking, St. Patrick’s Day is a day when Americans celebrate their love for the Irish, and the color green. Cities throughout the country hold parades and costume and craft stores offer customers quirky t-shirts, anything featuring shamrocks, and lots and lots of leprechaun images.

Scranton, a city known for its Irish immigrant and Irish-American communities, isn’t just home to one of the most popular and well-attended St. Patrick’s Day parades, it is also home to Olde Good Things headquarters and main warehouse.

In order to get into the spirit with our fellow Scrantonians we are showcasing a few of the green items in our inventory.

Is your home in need of a bit of antique flare and a splash of color? Why don’t you give this early 20th century carved wood frame love seat with plush lime green upholstery a try?

Here’s a gallery of other green seating if this isn’t your style…

Mid Century Modern Pair of Green Upholstered Chairs from Belgium

Set of Dining Chairs with Green Needlepoint Seats

We also have a great number of green tiles in our inventory. These tiles are perfect for remodeling projects in kitchens, bathrooms, or mudrooms.

If the seating or tiles aren’t your thing, you might consider this green French marble Empire style mantel. This mantel is medium-sized with bronze sphinxes flanking each side and a bronze center motif. This mantel is one of a kind and in excellent condition. This is one of several additions from Danny Alessandro & Edwin Jackson mantel company.

If you’d rather have an industrial perk with a green flare, take a look at these offerings:

The final item in our Olde Good Things “do the green thing” post is this set of hunter green shutter doors featuring heart cut-outs to add accent and simplistic beauty. These doors measure 52.25 in. H x 18.875 in. W x 1.375 in, and are in good condition.

Olde Good Things is glad to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with you by offering you a 15% discount on green items on our web site on March 17th. Just call or email and mention you saw this offering on the blog post. If you’d like to see more of the green items in our inventory—from industrial lamps to furniture to mantel clocks—visit our warehouse or one of our locations. If you’d like to learn more about any of the items featured in this post, please contact us.

From all of us at Olde Good Things, we wish you a happy, healthy, and “green” St. Patrick’s Day!

Tin-Tilating Decor at Olde Good Things

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Danica Sorber

Tin is one of the most utilized metals on the planet. Aside from its use in numerous alloys, such as bronze and pewter, it is also a stand-alone metal used most notably during the innovative and industrial 1800s.

Ornate tin ceilings became prevalent in 19th century America

Most Americans couldn’t afford the expensive yet beautiful intricately designed plaster ceilings so popular in the wealthy houses in Europe so they sought a less expensive, more durable, more eye-catching material—tin—to fabricate ceilings and walls throughout many of the buildings erected in the late-1800s.

Tin ceilings withstood earthquakes, fires, and other disasters unlike their weaker, less practical plaster cousins. Understandably, the fireproof property of tin made it an in-demand building product, especially in Chicago after the devastating fire in 1871.

Once World War II began the need for tin in military applications skyrocketed which meant it became a scarce commodity for builders and interior designers. Thankfully, a few of the buildings where tin ceilings were a featured showpiece are still in existence, and Old Good Things has had the opportunity to salvage these gorgeous pieces, restore and repurpose them.

Before a building is demolished, the owners call Olde Good Things to salvage architectural pieces that would otherwise molder in the dump, alone, forgotten, and covered in layers of filth. When we arrive at the site, we get to work building scaffolding and prying each piece of tin from the ceiling with pry bars. With a little gentle nudge and a lot of elbow grease, we carefully remove the tin and transport it to our warehouse.

As you see here, we have quite a few tin panels in stock at our Scranton warehouse. When a customer orders a custom-made tin ceiling or mirror we get to work hammering out the dents, scrubbing and washing the panels, painting them, and covering them in protective coatings to ensure they stay beautiful for decades to come.

Here are a few more examples of the tin panel works our customers have done in their design projects:

Not only is tin a glorious addition to make any ceiling pop, it can be used in interior furniture design. Olde Good Things designs and fabricates tin mirrors, and our customers have used the refurbished tin in backsplashes, tables, wall and bar covers and other interior design elements.

Can you image how fabulous a colored tin backsplash would look in your kitchen? What about a vintage or antique tin mirror in your entryway, bathroom, or public areas? Business owners, would a handmade, custom-designed tin ceiling draw the eye of customers as they walk by? Think of how popular your retail space would be when people stop in just to see your amazing tin ceiling.

If you love a rustic, vintage feel you can’t go wrong with refurbished, repurposed tin. To learn more about our salvage, restoration, or design process, contact us. To order your very own custom tin creation, contact our craftsmen through our Scranton warehouse.

Not only do we have amazing tin creations, we are also home to a growing collection of decorative iron and bronze pieces. Learn more about those here.

New Home For an Old Timer

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Marissa

There’s nothing more refreshing than renovations using past architectural elements in new designs. Customers at Olde Good Things include builders, designers, architects and innovators who just want to add a touch of old world charm to their installations.

Here’s just one of many of our customer’s re-uses of an antique architectural element in a modern design project. This clock once stood the test of time atop a 1905 meeting hall in Cherryfield, Maine. Now it is catching eyes at the Tick Tock Diner on 34th Street in Manhattan. Send us a few photos of your project with up-cycled elements from Olde Good Things to add to our library of interesting innovations done by our customers. Even if you only have an “after” shot feel free to send your photos to [email protected]. Let us know if you are willing for us to post them to our web site, privacy observed of course.

Design Showcase: Incorporating Salvaged Glass

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Sara

Over the years, Olde Good Things has seen many great design ideas emerge from decorators who love to incorporate old reclaimed items into modern design vignettes which take on a totally different dimension.

Here is just a sample of one of these transformations. Aqua blue chicken wire windows once gave contrast to the facade of the Hamilton Manufacturing Co. in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Prior to demolition, OGT was there to remove the windows with a vision for repurposing.

Aqua blue chicken wire glass windows gave contrast to the facade of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company

Well the vision has become reality. Unusual due to color, these windows have taken on a new dimension alright. Here two
of these windows can be seen in a high-end showroom giving translucent depth and a pop of color to this modern entryway.

Now this window adds a pop of color to this modern reception area of the Jaipur Rug Company

Now this window adds a pop of color to this modern reception area of Jaipur Rugs

Olde Good Things has a unique niche in reclaimed glass products. American made wire glass, which is no longer manufactured is one of our specialties. Looking for a certain type of vintage glass for your next design project? Take a look at our glass web site and contact us to find out about the many varieties we have available.

Historic La Ronda: Olde Good Things Salvaging Dream

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Danica Sorber

As an architectural salvage, restoration and preservation company, Olde Good Things has had the privilege to work with historical societies and owners of historic sites, and salvage incredible pieces from fascinating buildings all over the country.

LaRonda, a Mizner masterpiece in Bryn Mawr PA

One of our more controversial salvage projects involved the La Ronda estate in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Originally, La Ronda was a 17,500 sq ft mansion with 233 acres of estate lands owned and cherished by Percival Foerderer and his family. Foerderer made his riches in the leather goods manufacturing industry. Built in 1927 by J.S. Cornell & Son, and designed by renowned 20^th-century architect Addison Mizner, La Ronda was a Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Gothic Revival masterpiece set like a jewel in the crown of lush green landscapes.

With 51 rooms, 21 of which were bedrooms, La Ronda had the distinct honor of having most of the hardware, furnishings, fittings, and other decorative elements designed and created by Mizner and his craftsmen. Because of the holistic approach to design, the estate boasted intricate and consistent aesthetic features that only added to the beauty of the mansion.

When Percival died in 1969, his family sold La Ronda to Villanova University, and after subsequent owners, the estate lands were reduced from their original 233 acres to only 3.2 acres where the mansion sat.

LaRonda in 2009 prior to demolition

La Ronda was purchased in 2009 for a paltry $6 million. The new owner chose to keep his identity secret, and some believed this was because of his next move—applying for a permit to demolish the historic mansion to build his own house.

Understandably, this had many of the areas’ historical societies up in arms, determined to find a way to prevent the demolition and save the property. Unfortunately, despite their efforts to raise $7 million to purchase the property, they were unsuccessful at raising the funds or negotiating with the previous owner to achieve historical status.

Once the negotiations and attempts to buy the property fell through, before exchanging ownership, salvage companies were contacted to come and remove some of the more beautiful pieces of architecture.

Olde Good Things was one of the companies contacted, and we were more than willing to come to help preserve some of the original architectural elements.

Here are a few images of our salvaging experts carefully removing some of the architectural pieces of La Ronda.

Olde Good Things doing careful removal of historic LaRonda salvage

Olde Good Things doing careful removal of this historic salvage

Here large arched tudor windows are being removed

The architecturologists are seen here dismantling one of the cast stone arches

Here, cast stone door surrounds are being taken down

Many of these pieces salvaged from La Ronda have now been incorporated in a Mizner style home in Florida, where the owner wove these beautiful features into the structure.

Elements from LaRonda incorporated in this Florida home

Olde Good Things is honored to be a part of this amazing salvage and historic preservation project. We would love for you to visit one of our many locations to see the other gorgeous pieces we have been privileged to recover over the years.

To learn more about our salvaging services or look through our growing inventory, contact us.

Cherub Angel Relief Now Available

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Danica Sorber

Terracotta frieze reclaimed from Baltimore building

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, and Cupid fresh on our minds, OGT is offering something a little special for our customers.

This salvaged multi-piece poly-chrome terracotta cherub frieze was one of twelve that were carefully removed, pieced back together, and restored to their original, incredible glory.

Reclaimed from the facade of a demolished building in Baltimore, Maryland, this cherub frieze was salvaged early on by Olde Good Things. Purchased years ago, this piece is now back on the market, looking for a new place to call home, a new place to brighten and beautify.

Here it is pictured on display at one of many outdoor markets that Olde Good Things attends.

As seen on original building

The architecturologists at work with careful removal

This piece would be a perfect ground mosaic in a garden, or a wall mosaic in a home or restaurant.

This one was built into an entryway foyer

If you’d like to learn more about the history of this piece, or if you’d like to see what else Olde Good Things has in it’s expanding inventory, contact us.

Design Showcase: Before & After

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Danica Sorber

Olde Good Things has long been a friend and advocate of designers with a vintage and industrial taste. From industrial lighting to repurposing old chicken wire glass for use in homes and restaurants, Olde Good Things has witnessed designers taking the old thing we’ve salvaged and creating new, beautiful pieces of art.

Here are a few examples we’d like to share.

Salvaged industrial saw table stand.

Here, we have an antique saw table stand that we salvaged from a crumbling factory. It’s rusted, dinged, banged up, and ready for the scrap heap, right? Wrong. As you can see, the designer has worked wonders with sanding, polishing, and giving a new life to these old paid of legs. This piece is the center of the heart of the home, and is the perfect place to prepare meals, eat, and tell guests all about your amazing kitchen island.

From industrial rust to kitchen centerpiece

This door, these wrought iron and wood railings, and these sections of wrought iron staircase railings have seen better days, but they will see much brighter days in the future thanks to the efforts of Stephanie Chrane of CGM Unlimited in Texas.

Before:

Once rusting and alone in our Olde Good Things salvage yard, they are now works of art creating eye-catching beauty from the front door to the second floor.

After:

Transformed into an amazing entryway

Great focal point to this foyer

These railings from the interior of a turn of the century Pennsylvania hotel add a touch of old world beauty to an otherwise quite modern style living space.

To learn more about the salvaged pieces in the Olde Good Things growing inventory, call or click today.

Creating an Outdoor Oasis Using Salvaged Items

Entry Transformation Using Reclaimed Glass

Customer Showcase: Antique Hand-Stenciled Wooden Ceiling

St. Patrick’s Day: Do the GREEN Thing!

Tin-Tilating Decor at Olde Good Things

New Home For an Old Timer

Design Showcase: Incorporating Salvaged Glass

Historic La Ronda: Olde Good Things Salvaging Dream

Cherub Angel Relief Now Available

Design Showcase: Before & After

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