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Olde Good Things

Architectural and Altered Antiques

Olde Good Things Accents Rio Apartments

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Casa Vogue cover

Casa Vogue cover

It’s always a great compliment to have your work reviewed in globally renowned publications. Well known designers and architects, Beto Figuiredo and Luiz Eduardo Almeida of Ourico Arquitetura E Design, a Rio de Janeiro design firm, have had their work featured more than once in Casa Vogue, a Brazilian decorators’ favorite.

Not only do these designers have their own natural flair for bringing tropical chic to otherwise simple modern designs, they also have a loyal base of discerning customers who love to shop with them at their favorite New York shops and incorporate the old with the new to spice modern layouts and give them a distinct look.

Beto has shopped Olde Good Things for quite a few years and has purchased all the right finishing touches to make his apartment redos have this standalone style.  Here you’ll see two of his and Luiz’ renovations, both incorporating Olde Good Things accents, photographs used courtesy of Casa Vogue and taken by photographer, Cristiano Mascaro.

Mirror made from the historic Flatiron Building window

Mirror made from the historic Flatiron Building window

Old factory Holophane lights make great pendants

A second renovation was also featured in Casa Vogue. Beto accented this apartment with 1930s industrial and school house lighting purchased from Olde Good Things. Also from us, some seating, incidental lighting, and altered antiques including a huge horizontally hung window mirror from the International Toy Center building which now features Eataly, one of the favorite Italian eateries in New York City.

One of the articles in Casa Vogue featuring Ourico Arquitetura

One of the articles in Casa Vogue featuring Ourico Arquitetura

Olde Good Things is a great source for designers the world over to find many types of incidental accents for any decorative renovation.

We also ship anywhere.  So come, design, and build with Olde Good Things!

Nomad Mexicue: Tin Roofing Reuse

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With an abundance of places to dine out in New York,  you can only assume that as new restaurants crop up, they are always looking for a unique strategy to attract clientele.  Well Mexicue Kitchen and Bar is no exception, first they arrived at an exclusive menu inspired by two of America’s favorite comfort foods: Mexican & BBQ.  They took the flavorful tastes of Mexico and blended them with smoky bbq flavors to create a mouthwatering union.  Although the food is most important at any dining establishment, the atmosphere and decor has to be top notch to spark the interest of the hungry public who have the choice of 24,000 restaurants at which to dine in New York City alone.

Restaurant designers often shop Olde Good Things looking for the unique unconventional items that will make their restaurant just a little different than the next establishment.  Mexicue designers opted to go with a warm, rustic look with an industrial flair and went shopping to find just the look they wanted to accent the reclaimed wooden planks and copper window mirrors used for decorating their Nomad location.

Galvanized roofing

They made a call to Olde Good Things and shopped no further, expected in:  corrugated roofing tin from atop a Manhattan building with that rusty look warm enough to complement the pine plank wall covering.

Galvanized tin sheet metal once protected this small mechanical shack a top a Mid-town skyscraper.  Now showing weathered wear from years of exposure to the elements, it was time to make way for the new and dispose of the old, rusty metal that once protected the small structure.

Hearing of the salvage opportunity, Olde Good Things was on the scene to remove the sheet metal and give it a chance for re-use.

 

OGT in the process of salvaging roofing tin

Mexicue was on the hunt for this very look and when they called OGT they hoped to locate the materials.  Well fortunately for them the materials were just in – and the same day it came off, it was delivered to their new 25th and 5th Nomad location just in time to complete the look they wanted.

Reclaimed galvanized tin now reused to cover the facade of the bar

Reclaimed galvanized tin now reused to cover the facade of the bar

Come dine and enjoy the comfort food, atmosphere and design of the Nomad Mexicue location.  And when you’re looking for just the right look for your next restaurant project, shop Olde Good Things, we just may have what you’re looking for!

Mexicue Kitchen & Bar

 

 

A Piece of Paris History: Repurposing Vintage Street Lights

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Paris Holophane Globe StreetlightAn ancient and historic city, Paris is the sparkling central gem in the crown of Europe. Known to all as the City of Lights, Paris is a criss-crossing capitol comprised of smaller cities joined together by their love of fine food, joy, and the passion one finds around every corner.

For many years, along the winding footpaths and cobblestone alleyways and narrow paved streets, Parisians and tourists could see the sights and explore the intimate nooks and crannies of the city; their way lit by large globe street lights.

Today, with the crucial need for bright lights and cost-effective infrastructure, Paris has replaced many of their antique and vintage street lights with new LED bulbs.

Though need has outweighed history, Paris knew it couldn’t just dispose of their old lights —no, they knew these beautiful, classic holophane lamps could be owned and loved by those who adore the city as much as they do.

Original street lamp pictured here in Paris

Original street lamp pictured here in Paris

Olde Good Things has just acquired a limited supply of these fantastic holophane globes, ready to be transformed into great contemporary lighting for either a residential or commercial application. These globe lamps are available with a steel pole or with a chain for use as a large pendant light.

Holophane Paris street lamp pictured with a chainHolophane Paris street lamp pictured with a steel pole

These globes can be simply repurposed as light fixtures and glimmering conversation pieces, in your kitchen over your central island, or in your dining room over your table. Imagine enjoying a meal with those you love while the light of Paris shines down upon you. Not only that, these antique lamps would be spectacular lighting pieces for screened-in porches, outdoor entertainment spaces, or shining, shimmering ballrooms! With these genuine architectural historical pieces, the sky’s the limit!

These are wonderful for adding flair to residential homes or businesses

Bring a piece of the City of Lights into your home or office, and create an atmosphere of Parisian charm with the flick of a switch.

To own your very own piece of Parisian history, contact the customer service professionals at Olde Good Things, and be sure to peruse our online inventory for other gorgeous light fixtures.

 

Strength and Beauty: Reclaimed Iron

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In the mid to late 1800s, Scranton, Pennsylvania was known the world over as an industrial hub; home to coal mining, innovations in electric power, and iron works. Since then, Scranton has moved away from its industrial roots, and many of the old buildings, factories, and railroads are left to molder and rust beneath the ever-changing NEPA weather.

If you’ve ever visited our Scranton, Pennsylvania location, you’ve probably been awed by our vast yard filled to exploding with iron fencing and railing. OGT has spent many hundreds of hours salvaging wrought iron, hand-hammered iron, and industrial iron from buildings across the country—so much so that many of our customers are overwhelmed by the vastness and the variety of styles available.

Our vast iron yard in Scranton Pennsylvania is filled with many varieties of architectural iron

Our vast iron yard in Scranton Pennsylvania is filled with many varieties of architectural iron

Reusing Reclaimed Iron

At OGT we know that just because something looks old or broken it doesn’t mean it can’t come to life again. Old rusty iron gates or railings don’t have to stay rusty, and they don’t have to just be gates or railings! You can repurpose exterior railings or gates for interior redesign projects. A section of old railing can be sandblasted and painted and installed as the railing for a balcony. Or a pair of old iron gates can be cleaned, welded together, and reused as a partition to break up a large space.

Here you see just one of those varieties – some very simple hoop and loop style fencing.

Hoop and loop style fencing is just one of the many varieties of antique fencing we have salvaged

Hoop and loop style fencing is just one of the many varieties of antique fencing we have salvaged

One of our customers knew this was the look they wanted for their outside terrace and garden of their home.  Once it was simply a section of salvaged fencing in our vast yard and now sandblasted and refinished – it is set up and installed at their home. Take a look for yourself.

A customer's home with their newly repurposed gate

 

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Updating Your Outdoor Spaces

Iron has strength, and once heated and crafted by master iron workers, it can become something beautiful. If your garden is a whitewashed ‘blah’ of stone, why not add an iron trellis; leafy vines and vining flowers weaving with your reclaimed iron to create a breathtaking conversation piece. A reclaimed and cleaned iron gate can be the perfect addition to your outdoor entryways and walkways—secure, strong, and stylish.

Not convinced? Visit our online inventory of iron fencing and railings here. Or take a tour of our Scranton, Pennsylvania warehouse location and see for yourself. Beneath the rust and years, these reclaimed iron pieces have a strength and beauty just waiting for you to uncover.

The Test of Time

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Nothing accents new design projects better than an old piece of architectural beauty given new dimension and life. Here is an old steeple clock, six foot in diameter which has been refurbished and given that new dimension in this high end residential redo in Hollywood by Julie Berchtold of Berchtold Harris, a design / build firm located in Los Angeles.

A six foot diameter bronze clock face overlooks the dining room table

The clock face is solid bronze and is over 100 years old. Here you see it up and running as a center piece to this vast open living area.

The clock face forms the center piece of this vast living area

Although the living area is ultra modern, the back-lit and now fully functional antique clock fits right in as it has stood the test of time.  Julie found this clock at our Grand Ave. Los, Angeles location and had the vision for it’s renewal in this penthouse apartment.  Take a look at this project and many others on her web site at this link.  Come visit us at one of our six locations and find that perfect piece for your next design project.

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Customer Showcase: Pearly Gates Bar Reinvention

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Pearly Gates Bar in Frankfurt, Germany just underwent a major redo

Pearly Gates Bar in Frankfurt, Germany just underwent a major redo

On a cobblestone street in Frankfurt Germany one will find a newly transformed classic venue called Pearly Gates Bar.  This one-of-a-kind local eatery and bar was in need of a dramatic and lasting redesign, and they called on designer, Madjid Djamegari, for help. Djamegari, known for his redesign of The Gibson Club, wanted to create an interior space with a classic 1920s vibe—complete with the sensual lines and simple yet stylish fixtures of an American speakeasy. Unfortunately, there aren’t many architectural salvage and repurposing specialists in Europe, so Djamegari travelled to New York to find the perfect pieces for his perfect vision. Fortunately for Pearly Gates Bar and for us, he stumbled upon a small shop filled to the ceiling with everything he needed to make his mark on a timeless German bar. He’d discovered Olde Good Things where he tapped into the wares at our Madison Avenue location, handpicking many vintage and altered antiques to create his desired look.

Much of the seating, lighting and table tops were supplied by OGT

Much of the seating, lighting and table tops were supplied by OGT

For a touch of glimmering illumination in his interior transformation, Djamegari chose these beautiful copper pendant lights which he hung from 100 year old reclaimed tin-tiled ceiling. The tin ceiling was pieced together from actual vintage tin OGT salvaged from buildings in NYC and Chicago. You can get a better idea of the work that goes into the removal, cleaning, and restoration of tin ceilings by reading our blog post here. The pendant lights, once backstage lights at the 1930s Philadelphia Convention Hall in Philadelphia, form a glow of subtle lighting over the bar area.  The table tops were custom made from reclaimed copper and galvanized sheet metal, and were built in our custom furniture shop at our warehouse in Pennsylvania.

Leather couch and oak bankers chairs were purchased at our Madison Ave. Store.

Leather couch and oak bankers chairs were purchased at our Madison Ave. Store.

Much of the seating was supplied by Olde Good Things, including the swivel top stools, the 1940s leather couch, and mahogany banker’s chairs.

Not only did Djamegari have comfortable seating in mind, he also wanted to draw in the style and vintage charm of classic NYC with these small sconce lights lining the intimate corners of the bar. These wall lights once graced the white-tile walls of the New York City Subway system.

Sadly, the pictures supplied do not feature some other interesting items used during the redesign. These items include: vintage bathroom pedestal sinks and reclaimed doors.  Although Olde Good Things, Madison Ave is our flagship location, there are three more unique locations in New York City, one in downtown Los Angeles, and two large warehouse locations in Scranton Pennsylvania.  Each of our locations house an eclectic variety of salvaged, restored, and re-purposed items perfect for a restaurant, commercial, or residential redesign, remodel, or refurbishing.

To see what else OGT has to offer, visit our website and look through our growing inventory, or visit one of our locations in-person for a real eye-opening, design bending experience!

Creating an Outdoor Oasis Using Salvaged Items

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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.

 

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

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

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

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

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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

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

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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

A closer view of the Star Island mansionThis 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.
Piece by piece, the ceiling is being removed
Each piece has been numbered

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:

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.

Open Your Doors and Invite Creativity In

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Because Olde Good Things has so many stores and such great warehouse space we often find that we are salvaging tons of the same types of things just because they’re neat and need to have a new home. One of those much salvaged objects is the door. There are so many old Victorian homes, old industrial buildings, and old office and apartment buildings that have incredible doors that we just couldn’t let them go to the mulcher! We had to save them! So we did. The problem is that now we are up to our eyeballs in salvaged doors that need to find a new home with our loyal and tasteful readers.

 

Entire entry door set salvaged from this Victorian Home

Seen here at our warehouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re wondering, “I already have doors in my house, why would I want more”, you should consider that you can be as creative as you wish with these doors. They can be refinished and repurposed into something totally new. Let the doors of your mind fly open, greet creativity on the threshold and…tops. Because they are long and typically pretty thick, you can design and affix legs to the flat surface of the door, and refinish and paint the door a natural wood color, or go all out and paint it to match your favorite centerpiece. You can also make a salvaged door into a coffee table.

Invite it to dine

Don’t forget that when you have a table, you should also have a place to sit! Narrow solid closet doors can be re-purposed into benches. You can either leave them as they are, or design pillowed cushions to glue on top.You can use an old door with transom to make a built in for your dining area.

Invite to rest

If you’re remodeling or redesigning your bedroom spaces, you should consider using salvaged doors as head boards and foot boards for your bed. Solid or French doors can make an incredibly eye catching headboard when place directly behind the head of the bed.

Old French door from Olde Good Things converted into a cool headboard

Old French door from Olde Good Things converted into a cool headboard

It’s recommended that your screw or nail the doors to the wall for safety. Your door headboards can be left as they were found for a vintage look, or they can be refinished and painted as an accent to put the finishing touches on your bedroom oasis.

Invite it to marvel

Salvaged doors can also serve as a blank canvas on which your imagination can truly take flight.  Artists can take a single or dual panel solid door and paint a masterpiece upon it, which they can then hang upon a wall. A floral pattern to bring life to a living room, a geometric design to bring striking colors and shapes to a hallway or entry way, or an entire panoramic painting of the Smokey Mountains – be as creative as you want to be in order to create the space you want using salvaged doors.

These are just a few of the ideas we came up with. Do you have any great ideas you’d like to share of ways that you’ve reused and repurposed salvaged doors? Check out our large selection of salvaged doors at one of our store locations, or come by and rummage through our warehouse in Scranton. We’d love to have you, and we’d love you to love our collection of old doors.

Olde Good Things