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Top Five Reclaimed Materials for Designers & Architects

Posted on February 26, 2018 by ogtadmin

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

Industrial Style Dining Room Tables at Olde Good Things

Posted on July 21, 2017 by ogtadmin

Who would have dreamed that interiors once reserved for factories and warehouses would one day grace our living spaces? The industrial style movement has taken the design world by storm — and we love it! Here at Olde Good Things, our salvage team seeks out the industrial with our careful excavations of historic buildings.

Not only is the loft look the epitome of sleek and modern, it adds a simple, utilitarian vibe to household effects. By combining the durability of historic craftsmanship with contemporary design, hard, manufactured edges with soft, discreet undertones, the industrial living space achieves a robust balance between nature and the innovation of man.

The secret to achieving this ambience is by using open space as a design element and breaking up the space with a few signature items. The industrial look may include, but is not limited to: marine salvage, industrial carts, pulleys, salvage machine bases, and salvage lockers illuminated by industrial lighting fixtures. Lighting can be achieved by utilizing overhead holophane fixtures from a factory, or repurposed steel cage sconces. Earthy elements like copper, tin, iron, and corrugated metal are salvaged from the discard pile and made by Olde Good Things shops into mirrors and furniture.

Custom Industrial Tables

One of the most highly revered pieces of the modern design aesthetic is the custom, industrial style dining room table. Olde Good Things prides itself on repurposing pieces of unassuming, natural materials into beloved and substantial tables. Custom tables can feature surfaces constructed of reclaimed wood or steel, paired with steel or cast iron legs. Clients have the option of ordering matching wood benches to complement their custom industrial dining table. Tables are made-to-order with a 6-8 week production time. Table top sizes can be customized to fit need and usage.

For a custom piece of history like the rustic table, Olde Good Things offers a selection of pine, oak, maple, walnut, and steel for the surface. Slabs are available in smooth, rustic, or semi-rustic textures with a selection of stain colors. Cast iron or steel legs serve as a base.

To learn more about our distinctive crafting process, visit our website page here, or come see us in person at our Scranton, Pennsylvania warehouse.

Latest Arrival – Salvaged Milk Bottles Handsilvered to Make a Great Look

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Erica Hope

It’s that time again.

…A time to transform your home into something festive, but not at all tacky, and this holiday season OGT will be your best friend.

First up we have hand-silvered old milk bottles.

Great holiday idea… hand-silvered vintage milk bottles

Foraging for goodies in an old Brooklyn dairy, we found a batch of beautiful bottles made in 1954. Looking closely at the glass, a few, inscribed with Forest Lake Dairy, have a gorgeous pink hue.

Old salvaged milk bottles available at Olde Good Things

For all of them, the shape is what sets them apart. A design first patented in the early 1900s, there is a bulb at the top of the bottle, a visually quirky and entirely practical addition designed to collect the cream as it separated from the milk.

The patent for cream top bottles was first assigned to the Cream Top Bottle Corporation in 1925, and the size of the bulb was typically one fifth of the entire bottle. Apparently there was a bit of science that went into this ratio. The Cream Top Bottle Corporation stated that “milk with 3.5% butterfat test was sufficient to fill the cream bulb with cream and the separated cream would be 22 to 27% butter fat.“

Cream Top milk bottles were sold at a similar price as the conventional ones however the dairyman had to pay an annual licensing fee to the Cream Top Bottle Corporation. In exchange, the Cream Top Bottle Corporation would give the dairyman exclusive rights in his territory to sell milk in Cream Top bottles.

The Cream Top Bottle Corporation claimed many advantages for their bottles. Since they were only allowed to be used by one dairy in a given territory, they were easily identified and difficult for other dealers to steal and use. The Corporation also claimed that their bottles would experience less breakage due to their design AND that this unique design would discourage consumers from keeping bottles for preserving foods (a common problem with regular milk bottles) or storing other liquids.

Advantages or not… in 1933 the annual licensing fee was challenged in court and not upheld, opening the door for more manufacturers and designs to follow (i.e. the MODERN top milk bottle and the baby top milk bottle).

The bottles we found are not only Cream top milk bottles, but “space-saving,” due to their square shape. While the manufacturer is not listed, we know Lamb Glass Company was making square bottles during this time.

We loved the shape and the story and true to Olde Good Things style, we wanted to add another layer.

…literally.

Our warehouse in Scranton is home to some truly talented craftsmen. Some make tables, some make tin mirrors and some use the old world way to silver antique glass by hand (more on that process to come!).

After a few weeks in the warehouse… VOILA! Something old and something new; A timeless piece perfect as personal décor or glorious gift. These beautiful bottles can be found online or in any of our stores. To inquire or purchase click here!

Table Talk

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Sara

It’s that time of year-table time. And we thought we would give everyone a sneak preview at some of the new designs coming out of our shop this season. It’s not too late to get your table before the holiday’s, so peruse our web site and take a look at some of these pictures, and help us design the perfect table for you made from reclaimed materials.

One of our favorites this season, is the maple and oak industrial flooring table tops. These have been turning many heads and gaining more interest by our customers. Here’s just a few samples of what we have produced.

30 in. Wide bistro table made with the industrial flooring wood

Stainless steel screws enhance the rustic, scratched patina’d floor wood, beautifully planed and a special matte lacquer finish applied. These tables are especially popular and can be made to size. Here’s just a few samples:

As you can see, the patina is magnificent:

Also, now available, reclaimed oak from old barns. Here’s a breakfast room table 40 in. wide:

Of course, we are still producing classic reclaimed antique white pine tables, many with extensions, like this six foot variety with 14 inch extensions and brown maple stain.

Here’s one of the most popular white pine tables available, our “urban farm” table with Brooklyn NY cast iron legs in provincial stain.

If you prefer a more elegant finished look, you can always opt for an American black walnut table. Here are two recent custom samples produced in our shop:

Remember, we stand behind all our products and guarantee the craftmanship and expertise to be exactly what you’ve grown to expect from tables manufactured by Olde Good Things. All our tables are hand-made and produced right at our shop in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Take a look at our web site and you will see the many varieties of tables we have available. You can also order your own custom table made from reclaimed and live edge woods, just email us your specifications and we’ll provide a quote for you.

Nomad Mexicue: Tin Roofing Reuse

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Sara

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.

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.

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

The same material is used for the counter in the take-out department

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!

A Piece of Paris History: Repurposing Vintage Street Lights

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Danica Sorber

An 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

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.

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!

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

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Danica Sorber

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

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

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.

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.

Customer Showcase: Pearly Gates Bar Reinvention

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Danica Sorber

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

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.

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!

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!

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