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Olde Good Things

Architectural and Altered Antiques

6 Ways to Use Vintage Glass

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There is just something about it. That unusual-looking glass that caught your eye. Maybe you noticed it in the shopping district of a high-end neighborhood, or perhaps it stood out in your own friendly neighborhood watering hole. Vintage reclaimed glass comes in all shapes, shades, and textures. Not only is it irresistible aesthetically, but salvaged glass has also proven extremely durable for both indoor and outdoor uses. You love the way it adds charm and character. 

“But what will I do with it?” you say. Here are a few ways you can rehome antique and vintage reclaimed glass, or you can brainstorm something completely innovative and ingenious while browsing the selection at Olde Good Things.

1. Skylights and Architectural Borders

The Arlington Club in Upper East Side, Manhattan, used Olde Good Things pebbled chicken wire glass for this skylight overlooking the atrium. The client also used touches of antique glass on the soffit above the bar. The soaring glass skylight allows just a breath of light to pass through, giving the atrium an expansive and distinguished feel.

 

2.  Privacy Walls and Enclosed Partitions

 

Everybody needs a little privacy sometimes. Whether you share a residence or a business space, a reclaimed glass privacy wall will set aside your area for a multitude of purposes. With a vintage glass partition, you can delegate a small private area or an entire office. A reclaimed glass room divider can be used to tastefully separate a small office area, meeting room, dressing area, or to organize space and create flow in retail stores, entertainment venues, and dining spots. Our reclaimed glass also makes a startlingly unique inlay on doors, such as the shower doors made from pebbled chicken wire glass in this New York City loft.

 

3. Antiqued Mirrors

Antiqued silvered glass mirrors make a statement whether they are featured as a bar backdrop or in a custom frame. Olde Good Things offers beautifully done mirrors customized to the needs of the client, like this Boulton and Watt Restaurant bar backdrop in East Village, New York City. Our clients have used OGT glass mirrors in restaurants, bars, retail, or simply framed in one of our beautiful custom mirror frames for home decor. Our vintage glass mirrors are composed of reclaimed glass salvaged from some of the most famous and historic buildings, and each piece has its own story to tell.

 

4. Exterior and Interior Window Features

Paned windows give you a great view out onto the world. The glass panes that grace your restaurant, retail space, or business is what customers will look through and notice, and you want your windows to make an impression. This restaurant storefront on the Lower East Side demands attention with OGT pebbled chicken wire glass. Olde Good Things has a huge selection of vintage chicken wire glass, whether you want yours corrugated, pebbled, ribbed, wormy, hammered, textured, colored, or clear.

 

5. Canopies and Awnings

Glass awnings and canopies are trending in stylish office, retail, and entertainment environments. Awnings and canopies provide shade and modernistic angles, and they are used in both interior and exterior design themes, like this cutting-edge canopy at Diane von Furstenburg’s apparel showroom in the Meatpacking District, New York City. New cut glass can be pricey, and many Olde Good Things clients choose to go with our sturdy and resilient salvaged architectural glass from historic buildings, factories, and industrial sites.

6. Wall Sconces

Vintage reclaimed glass is a statement piece when repurposed into wall sconces. Beertown Restaurants used our warm amber corrugated chicken wire glass in the wall sconces of the dining areas to highlight the beautiful raw materials featured in the design. The light shining through this glass gives the restaurant a charming, subtle ambience and brings out the other uses of vintage glass in the overall atmosphere.

Reclaimed vintage glass from the Olde Good Things extensive and unique collection lends a distinguished look and subtle ambience to any space. Each item is a discussion piece, salvaged from historic architecture. The quality and resilience of reclaimed glass are unsurpassed. We love to help our clients with ideas, selection, customization, and execution. Contact us or come in today to discuss your ideas and share how you want to use vintage glass.

Click here to visit OldeGoodGlass.com

Decor that Shimmers: Decorating with Vintage Reclaimed Glass

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Those who look into the soul of any vintage item will see beyond its form and function and into the life it should have going forward. Vintage glass allows the viewer to look through into other worlds and imagine things that used to be on the other side of the pane. Next time you need something to decorate the interior or exterior space of your house, turn to Olde Good Things for your classic touches of style and history. A hint of the past is always a great way to move into the future. The past represents a groundedness that is not found in modern mass-produced-in-China items that overflow the shelves of décor stores. Impersonal, cold, and often too cheap to be worth passing along to the next generation, these items succumb to the decay of time.

We have the largest selection of vintage chicken wire glass, including corrugated, pebbled, hammered, ribbed, wormy, and clear. We also have many types of obsolete textured glass, antique pattern glass, and wavy window glass. We have developed a unique process of creating the most authentic looking antique distressed mirror on the market. We have a full service shop ready to process your order of vintage glass and mirror.

We have five types of glass available to purchase:

1.  Chicken wire glass

2.  Corrugated glass

3.  Antiqued silvered mirror

4. Exclusive glass and windows

5. Large sheets of stained glass

 

Featured Reclaimed Glass

Rare Large Sheet of Clear Chicken Wire Glass – Limited quantity, pieces this large are rare. Each sheet is 28 square feet. Measuring 81.75 in. H x 49 in. W x 0.25 in. D.

View our customer showcases on our vintage glass website, www.oldegoodglass.com. Request a free sample here.

Salvaged Antique Door Hardware from Philadelphia Civic Center

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Recently at Olde Good Things, we rediscovered in the depths of hardware department a large collection of bronze Corbin made door hardware salvaged from the Philadelphia Civic Center. In 2005, when the Philadelphia Civic Center was demolished, Olde Good Things reclaimed many architectural friezes, industrial lights, seats, copper roof, marble wall plaques, doors & door hardware.

 

The hardware is of an Art Deco style with a medallion shaped Philadelphia Civic Center emblem on the top. Each bronze piece is Corbin made in the early 1900s. The commercial types range from mono-lock, push plate, door pull, & door knob with plate. Typically, one pull and one push plate completes a swinging door on each side. Below views each type now available, with a limited quantity.

 

See below on how the hardware was used in Philadelphia Civic Center. The mono-locks were used in phone booths and the door push plates & pulls were used in the common hallway areas.

 

To learn more about this amazing 2005 salvage job and the history of Philadelphia Civic Center, read our initial blog post Architectural Find of the Week: Historic Limestone Friezes from Philadelphia Civic Center.

To view ALL remaining inventory left from this salvage job, click here.

Closer Look at the Salvaged Iron Yard in Scranton, Pa

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For years, Scranton, Pennsylvania served as a major industrial hub, not only for our country but also for the rest of the world. Industries such as coal mining, iron forging, and railway transportation all played a role in shaping Scranton and the surrounding areas. Scranton’s industrial boom is sadly behind us now, but it’s only fitting that Olde Good Things houses an enormous and awe-inspiring collection of iron and metalwork right in the heart of Scranton.

Video Tour of The Iron Yard

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Click to Take the Video Tour

 

Picture Gallery of the Iron Yard

Stepping foot into the iron yard at Olde Good Things can be a visually overwhelming experience. The yard is packed end to end with all kinds of metal pieces, from the wrought iron railing and fencing to decorative pieces and even cast iron tubs.

Some of the more interesting pieces housed in the iron yard are the cast-iron ship anchor chains. These anchor chains are repurposed by Olde Good Things for our Altered Antiques Chain Tables product line and are made into items such as coffee tables or lamps, which add a great rustic nautical element to any home or project.

The vast array of wrought iron gates, railing and fencing are also repurposed for a variety of interesting and creative uses. Many OGT customers have re-used fencing and gates in conventional ways for exterior dividing lines, entry gates, and garden trellises.  But they can also be used for many interior design details such as room partitions, wall décor, headboards and more.  With the number of assorted styles and shapes in the iron yard, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

 

Many of the pieces in the iron yard can be used as they are, ready to help bring in a certain charm to any décor. Metal wall art panels or ornate sculpted metal pieces could be used as a striking centerpiece to tie a room together. Large pulley wheels or ship wheels can bring an industrial flair to any project. Even collectible pieces like an authentic metal Coca Cola cooler, original metal street signs or branded oil drums have the right amount of vintage flair to liven up any room.

Olde Good Things spends countless hours scouring through industrial, hotel and residential locations to salvage only the most interesting metal pieces to add to our collection. Whether you’re an interior designer looking for the perfect piece for a client or a homeowner in the midst of a redecoration, we’re sure the piece you’re looking for is waiting for here at the iron yard in Olde Good Things in Scranton.

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.

BH Tshirt Logo Back

 

 

Samuel Yellin: Antique Whimsical Iron

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Samuel Yellin, master blacksmith

Samuel Yellin, master blacksmith

Samuel Yellin was born in Galicia, Poland in 1885. In 1906, he departed Europe to begin his career in Philadelphia where, 13 years later, he’d garnered attention for his work as a professor at Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, and his iron workshop at 5520 Arch Street.

With the industrial revolution well under way in the early 20th century, and the proceeds from it building a wealthy America, many  benefactors commissioned Samuel Yellin to incorporate ornate and impressive architectural metal pieces in grand structures which still stand today.  At this time, he employed as many as 250 artisans to produce these commissions. He demonstrated not only traditional ironworking skills, but also whimsical creativity, always encouraging his artisans to use their imaginations.  The result being his studio was able to produce anything, from a small candlestick to a massive gate each with the uniqueness of his detailed work.

Yellin's drafting room in the early 1920's. Photo: samuelyellin.com

Yellin’s drafting room in the early 1920’s. Photo: samuelyellin.com

His massive gates are among some of his most impressive works, including the Harkness Tower Gate at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut and the enormous gates of the Packard Building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also designed gates for J.P. Morgan’s estate, as well as many other wealthy individuals. His studio designed outdoor lighting fixtures, window guards, interior and exterior stair railings, and decorative ironwork.

 

Genius like this is unprecedented in today’s world of mass-production and off-shore fabrication.  The saying:  “they don’t make it like they used to” is an understatement when considering the works of Samuel Yellin.  If you are a lover of old world architectural artistry, we have a fabulous opportunity for you.

Now available through Olde Good Things, several pieces of Yellin’s master craftsmanship tell their story from long ago.  Currently in our inventory, you find two pair of entry gates and a pair of signed Yellin window guards.

 

These entry gates were salvaged from a Philadelphia bank. Each measures 118.25 in. tall.

These entry gates were salvaged from a Philadelphia bank. Each measures 118.25 in. tall.

Hand-wrought iron window guards with decorative caps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samuel Yellin gates form the entryway to our Chelsea location at 124 W. 24th St., NYC

Have you ever wanted to make a statement about your style before your guests enter your home? This large, ornate, impressive, and simply stunning, hand-hammered wrought iron masterpiece makes a statement alright—they say that you have a piece of American history gracing the exterior of your home.

Currently this pair of Yellin gates form the grand entryway to OGT Chelsea at 124 W. 24th Street.  Below you see the detail of the decorative  handle, a whimsical figure, one of the trademarks of many of Samuel Yellin’s masterpieces.

 

 

 

Whimsical figures are often the trademark of Samuel Yellin's iron pieces

Whimsical figures are often the trademark of Samuel Yellin’s iron pieces

Details of a pair of entry gates which can be seen at OGT Grand Ave., LA

 

Contact us today to learn more about these incredible pieces, and how you can own them. Or, visit one of our showrooms to see what else we have tucked away in our growing inventory.

 

 

Design Showcase: Before & After

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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.

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.

A before photoA before photo

 

 

 

 

 

After:

After: Transformed into an amazing entryway

Transformed into an amazing entryway

Great focal point to this foyer

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.

after1After: This railing now brings new beauty to this home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Cata: Silvered and Industrial Glass and Lighting

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Come inside Cata and see what a few refurbished salvaged items can do

Come inside Cata and see what a few refurbished items can do

In a world where it is considered such commonplace to “throw the baby out with the bath water” so to speak, it is a breath of fresh air when one can so masterfully find creative ways to employ otherwise overlooked items.

When you walk through the eclectic doors with reclaimed chicken wire glass, the arched set of antique silvered glass copper windows that is lit just behind the bar catches your eye right away, and you cannot help but be drawn to the copper pendant lights that float across the room overhead.

Thanks to OGT, Cata, an upscale restaurant on New York’s Lower East Side, was able to do just that. By artistically using refurbished décor, they were able to create a very unique ambiance for their patrons, proving that a good meal definitely begins with presentation! Of course, in a restaurant that boasts an ever-changing menu, and a schedule that is as unique as the flavor d’jour, one would expect nothing less.

 

The delicious brick exterior and reclaimed chicken wire glass in the doors and windows of the restaurant are two of its great vintage features

The delicious brick exterior and reclaimed chicken wire glass in the doors and windows of the restaurant are two of its great vintage features

The distressed silvered glass behind the bar casts a glimmering reflection of Cata patrons as they dine in style

The distressed silvered glass behind the bar casts a glimmering reflection of Cata patrons as they dine in style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The different fixtures, all with different stories to tell, definitely contribute to the undeniable eclectic, yet swanky feel of this place. It is undoubtedly… unparalleled. This is definitely not something that can be replicated. It is not your run-of-the-mill, everyday décor, simply because these pieces cannot be picked up at your local Walmart. They are one of a kind.

Hanging fixtures add an industrial touch to an elegant space

Hanging pendant lights add an industrial touch in front of reclaimed chicken wire arched picture windows

Sometimes beautifully flawed for what they were originally intended, but repurposed and remade into something even greater. The beauty of this place is not unlike an inner-city church choir, although each individual piece by itself has its own innate beauty, it is only when they are all combined that you can truly appreciate its splendor.

Distressed mirrored glass
Reclaimed chicken wire glass

Olde Good Things Spotlight: Boulton & Watt — Emporium Design’s Dream Build

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The industrial revolution marked a huge change in history; the beginning of an exciting journey into an era filled with growth. This new era meant change, change in how things were manufactured, and the speed at which they were completed. Every aspect of life would change and improve as hand production moved to machine production increasing productivity and efficiency. The transition from hand production to machine began in Great Britain, and over a few decades made its way to the United States. This move boasted an improvement in water power, the increase in steam powered production, and the creation of machine tools.

When pondering over this time period, the 18th and 19th century’s images of large machines operated by steam may come to mind. Large, bulky and metal might be a few adjectives that could describe this era, but not words such as beautiful, unique, full of ambiance and creativity. Though one may not consider the industrial age to be a thing of beauty, one’s opinion may change upon entering Boulton & Watt in Manhattan, NYC.

This historic Manhattan building has been home to several industrial businesses over the decades, but now it is home to a restaurant that honors and beautifies the industrial era – Boulton & Watt.

This historic Manhattan building has been home to several industrial businesses over the decades, but now it is home to a restaurant that honors and beautifies the industrial era – Boulton & Watt.

This sign is a beacon to those who love amazing food and want to be wowed by their surroundings while they eat. Boulton & Watt will give them both.

This sign is a beacon to those who love amazing food and want to be wowed by their surroundings while they eat. Boulton & Watt will give them both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boulton & Watt is a restaurant full of history and charm that can be found on a prominent East Village corner in Manhattan New York. The history behind the building in which Boulton & Watt resides dates back to the 19th century when the industrial revolution was making its mark in history. Before Boulton & Watt took over occupancy, the building was once known as the neighborhoods working factory and engine repair shop. Love and gratitude for this remarkable era is obvious to guests upon entrance to the restaurant. The rich history of the industrial era was carefully kept intact by the creative minds at Emporium Design.

Emporium Design prides themselves on being a forward thinking design-build firm that specializes in creating unique spaces that complement the mind, ideals, and heart of each of their clients. Those looking to hire a design team that is not bound by in-the-box thinking are drawn to the Emporium Design firm. The goal of this company is to help create a lasting impression for everyone who enters one of their client’s buildings, and that is true of those who walk into Boulton & Watt.

The image is the perfect complement to the wood and steel footrest stools, and various machine base table legs Olde Good Things provided for this design/build project.

The image is the perfect complement to the wood and steel footrest stools, and various machine base table legs Olde Good Things provided for this design/build project.

The wall art is 'geared' towards the theme.

The wall art is ‘geared’ towards the theme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking into Boulton & Watt is like taking a trip into the past. The Emporium Design Firm wanted to preserve this building’s deep and prolific history, and so they designed the restaurant’s theme around the look, feel and history of the building. In order to achieve a complete industrial feel the Emporium Design team needed a little help. They had the ideas, the dreams, and the vision, but they also needed the design elements and materials to bring those dreams to life.  We are one of the largest architectural antique dealers in the country specializing in historical artifacts from the nineteenth century and the pre-depression era. This makes us a popular choice for design projects such as the amazing design and build of Boulton & Watt. Part of the unique experience of eating at Boulton & Watt is sitting amongst, and literally on, history; history that has been gathered and displayed beautifully thanks to the keen eye of those that work for us, and the effort they place in locating and repurposing all kinds of antique items.

The bar is where everyone seems to gather, and when that bar is in Boulton & Watt, it’s easy to see why; the distressed mirrored glass, and the gears that turn an Olde Good Things salvaged ceiling fan add a taste of the Machine Age.

The bar is where everyone seems to gather, and when that bar is in Boulton & Watt, it’s easy to see why; the distressed mirrored glass, and the gears that turn an Olde Good Things salvaged ceiling fan add a taste of the Machine Age.

The image is the perfect complement to the wood and steel footrest stools, and various machine base table legs Olde Good Things provided for this design/build project.

The image is the perfect complement to the wood and steel footrest stools, and various machine base table legs Olde Good Things provided for this design/build project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Industrial, adjustable singer stools are just one of the reclaimed items from Olde Good Things that can be found in Boulton & Watt. Wood and steel footrests compliment a uniquely fashioned table designed and put together from various machines that are true to the era being honored. Throughout the restaurant one can see little touches salvaged by Olde Good Things such as the glass behind the bar, which boasts a lovely distressed mirror and helps add a dash of industrial flavor from an earlier time period. The Emporium Design team left no space untouched by history, to be true to the restaurant theme.

The gizmo gears in the picture actually turn a large ceiling fan.

The gears behind the bar are rigged…

The gizmo gears turn a large unique ceiling fan.

… to turn a large salvaged ceiling fan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These mint green urinals are one of the quirkiest things Olde Good Things has salvaged. Not only do they have practical use, they are pleasing to the eye.

These mint green urinals are one of the quirkiest things Olde Good Things has salvaged. Not only do they have practical use, they are pleasing to the eye.

Doorknobs, decorative iron, mantels and even salvaged urinals are just part of the unique items OGT has reclaimed and repurposed; when the designers at Emporium Design needed to complete the look and feel of the bathroom at this industrial themed eatery they knew they would find what they were looking for at Olde Good Things. To truly accomplish a task as grand as an industrial themed eatery, it takes multiple individuals, teams, and specialist, to pull off such a feat; the people at Emporium Design and Olde Good Things accomplished their goal beautifully. Those that have the unique privilege of eating at Boulton & Watt would all agree that the atmosphere and décor reminds them of an exciting time in America’s history.

 

Old Wood Meets New Metal: Tables Guaranteed to Blow You Away

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Industrial steel top table

We get to take something old, marry it to something new, and showcase the modern yet vintage piece for the work of art it truly becomes. Right now we are making tables out of reclaimed wood, reclaimed machine base legs, and new steel tabletops. The result? Ridiculously stable statement pieces that can function as dining room tables, game tables, or even just accent tables anywhere in your home or office.

These vintage industrial gems can be made to order anywhere from 3 feet wide and 4 feet long through 5 feet wide and 14 feet long. If you want something long lasting with plenty of old-world character, then one of these eye-catching beauties is just the ticket. Since you can create a size that fits perfectly within your space, it has never been easier to bring home something beautiful than now. Click here for more info.

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