the happy living Blog

architectural salvage i.e. glamorous trash picking

My dad is the world's best trash picker.  Besides my Hot Wheels tricycle, my first three bikes came from the trash.  If I need to find something for a project at home, like window sashes or old shutters he will get them for me.  He must have perfect 180 degree periferal vision when he drives. 

Luckily we don't always have to have a professional trash picker in the family or wait for a neighbor to discard that perfect cast iron sink.  Architectural salvage is a huge business and the selection of items available gets better all the time.  Unfortunately people have begun to recognize the value in the old and that old door or toilet is not always as cheap as it used to be but you can still find great pieces at reasonable prices.

Of course there is always ebay and craigslist.  I find that they both require more time to sort through all the junk.  It boggles my mind the stuff people will list on there for sale and if you try to do too detailed of a search you risk filtering out something good.  Also, I enjoy being able to look at something in person before I buy whenever I can.  That is why architectural salvage yards and shops are great.

Don't you just love that sink?!  Only $450 from Restore. (pic from Restore)

Here's a list of salvage shops and what they specialize in (where available):

Provenance Architectural Salvage: Architectural Salvage from some of Philly's most historic landmarks.  Philadelphia

Second Chance Inc: "We rescue the wood, metal, marble, plaster, stone and other architectural elements that make the building special. We give these pieces new lives, in new homes, in new ways, with new uses." Baltimore, Philadelphia and DC

Portland Salvage: has four floors of architectural pieces, reusable building materials, tools, fixtures, collectibles and antique period materials.  Portlant, ME

Old House Parts Company: Our focus is on 18'th, 19'th and early 20'th century restoration and home improvement Architectural Salvage and Architectural Antiques like french doors, antique windows, antique doors and other architectural salvage for exterior and interior design.  Kennebunk, ME

Nor'East Architectural Salvage Antiques: We stock an extensive inventory of architectural salvage and antique building materials from 1700-1940.  South Hampton, NH

Architectural Antiques: Mantles, bars, doors, antique beds, mirrors, paneled rooms, ironwork, stained glass, lighting.  Philadelphia

Ohmega Salvage: At Ohmega Salvage we are committed to preserving the architectural heritage of the Bay Area. To this end, we buy and sell usual and unusual building materials.  Berkeley, CA

Architectural Salvage, Inc.: Doors,hardware, plumbing fixtures, mantels, lighting and more. Denver, CO

Architectural Antiques (the Original):  High quality stuff! and they take the extra step to help you integrate your item into your space. 

Salvage One: Everything from Andirons to Wrought Iron.  Chicago

Architectural Accents: All the usual including fired tile, columns and garden items.  Atlanta

The Demolition Depot:  This is a personal favorite.  I am on their site all the time.  A unique source of vintage plumbing fixtures, doors, windows, shutters, railings, gates, grills, mantels, stone and terracotta pieces, religious objects and so much more. NYC

Frank's Demolition Salvage: architectural antiques and building materials such as granite, marble steps, cast iron radiators, ashlar (stone), brownstone, bluestone, keystones, distressed bricks, field stones.  Woodlyn, PA

Olde Good Things: locations in Manhattan (2 actually), Los Angeles and Scranton, PA

ReStore: A Philly favorite, they have plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, hardware, mantels, doors stairwell parts, iron fencing, cast iron ornaments, marble, stone, slate and tile.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reinvent!  Philadelphia

Sylvan Brandt: a specialist in resawn and antique flooring, they also carry beams, doors and other architectural elements.  Lititz, PA (PA Dutch Country!)

This is by no means an exhaustive list.  These are just some of my favorites, some local and others not, places I have actually been to, or know a little about.  If you have a favorite salvage shop near you please comment about it!

reduce : reuse : recycle : reinvent

happy trash picking!

myperfectcolor : the blog

I have mentioned Myperfectcolor before when I was looking for that perfect Martha Stewart green that my friend used in her kitchen.  They are a New Jersery based retailer that matches colors from every paint company and can even make colors that are discontinued like that perfect green.

They have been blogging since January and I am enjoying their posts.  God knows we have a lot of painting to do around here and I need all the help I can get.  There's a fun one titled How to paint and save your marriage in three easy steps....  What I love most about Myperfectcolor are their 16 oz. sample cans.  All this, and now they are offering free shipping on orders over $50!  Yes, you can get all your paint samples and full size cans of paint delivered right to your door.

shop : read

Check them out and happy painting!

duty and the earth : roadmaps : spring cleaning

I did my civic duty today, or did I just exercise a right?  Either way I voted.  Honestly, I did it purely because I have the right to do so and think of all the oppressed people in the world still who would like to also have that right.  When I think of our government and politicians I don't get all warm and fuzzy but I still have hope in mankind.

And today is also Earth Day 2008.  And since I am being honest I did not really do anything to celebrate.  Well, I did forego the paper cozy at Starbucks this morning and I walked to the voting place.

Some housekeeping...I have a new email address.  It is erinn at happylivingdesign dot com.  It is all part of, as a former colleague put it in a recent email, taking 'happy living Design, LLC' to the next level.  I also have my talented cousin who is a graphic designer working on a HLD logo.  It's all about your 'brand', ya know. 

Speaking of business stuff and following your dreams, Erin has a great new series called Roadmaps on her blog.  She just recently quit her day job and if you are thinking of doing the same to pursue another career or turn a passion into business you might like to check it out.  It compliments what is going on at decor8 and Creative Thursday.  All good ladies, all good stuff.

It's spring!  And there is sun and I have a farmer tan to prove it.  This past Saturday we went fishing and canoeing up in Coal Country, PA with the boy's dad (my FIL) and Poppy (his grandfather).  Do you think any other Dwell subscribers fish while reading the latest issue?  I caught one fish but it wasn't big enough to keep.

Do any of you actually do Spring Cleaning at your home?  I always have great intentions of accomplishing a great big Spring Cleaning Checklist on a sunny Saturday but it never happens.  I think it is hard for most of us to have large blocks of time to get through a big checklist.  Somehow the important things get done around here (most of the time!) but just at our own pace.  We whittle away at our list and projects, sometimes with a big spurt of energy here and there.  When it comes down to it though, I really need to visit with my 90 year old grandmother and my windows will still be there when I get back.  I am sure of it.

still waiting for spring over here

Today in West Chester, PA it's been 60 degress, with torrential down pours, then sunny (with a rainbow), then we had some hail, snow flurries, 50 mph wind gusts and now it's heading down into the 20's tonight.  Quite a full day.  Where is spring? For some reason this year more than most I am waiting impatiently for those perfect spring days and for our last frost so that I can plant my caladium bulbs.  Friday I called out sick from work (had a multi-day headache) and the only thing I accomplished all day besides getting some much needed rest was starting a garden journal for the new-to-us garden.  There is only so much House of Babies, Bend it Like Beckham and MTV Cribs that one person can endure when not watching the inside of ones eyelids.

I had all this stuff in a binder (yea, I'm a binder freak like that) but it was too rigid.  I think this is more free and condusive to creativity.  I left some room around some of the clippings to make notes like where to plant some of the flowers.  I got this idea from the current issue of Country Home and also thinking about Victoria's inspiration journals.

Are you guys excited about gardening this season?  Planning on planting or growing anything new?  I am actually planning on doing quite a bit of container gardening this year since I would like to see what comes up in the planting beds first before I start tearing stuff up.  Container gardening is great if you have very little or no yard.  I actually enjoy it more because it can feel more manageable.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.  It's quiet here since the boy is in Utah on business.  Yesterday was such a bust with my quasi-migraine but today was better.  For breakfast I made scrambled eggs with cut up bits of tortilla that I sauteed in oil first.  I added a little salsa to the eggs and some seasonings.  I got the idea from Nigella Express but for the life of me I can't find the recipe.  It was yum.  I am going to try it out on the boy when he gets back.

all this talk about 'green' makes my eyes glaze over

So I was glad to read this article (via materialicious) in the Washington Post entitle "Greed in the Name of Green".

Quoted from the article "Really going green, Hawken says, "means having less. It does mean less. Everyone is saying, 'You don't have to change your lifestyle.' Well, yes, actually, you do."

Our consumerism and overspending is now justified becauase we can buy green and organic products.  Or is it?

This question is why I roll my eyes everytime someone else comes out with some organic luxury product.  And why I was very disappointed in the current issue of Domino magazine where they highlighted Ted Turner's daughter's 6,200 square foot mansion (excuse me, Ecomanor) as a green house.  Not even a family of five needs to live in a 6,200 square foot house and if we don't get out of that mindset we get no closer to solving the environmental problems we have.  I don't care how many recycled products you can squeeze into a home that size.  It doesn't automatically make it sustainable.

I do believe in doing just one thing a day to do my part in helping the environment but if we don't think more wholistically in terms of our homes, how we live our lives and how much we consume, I believe we are just spinning our wheels.

I am stepping down from my soap box now.

sparkle-ly windows : a facial for your house?

The windows at my day job (two sides of a 3-story Victorian twin) were cleaned today, inside and out, storm windows and sashes.  I could see the classical white columns of the Presbyterian church across the street very clearly now that the film of grime and dirt had been wiped away and I enjoyed the winter light and sky during the workday for the first time. 

I think having windows washed is like a facial for a house.  It is typically not something one has done regularly but when you do it is like uncovering a whole new person.  I think the same feeling applies to a house.  Not only do clean windows add sparkle and curb-appeal, but your view from the inside looking out is so much more enjoyable.

But let's be real here.  I was lucky to clean my windows at our previous home once a year if even that often.  Ideally I would get myself on a regular window cleaning schedule but I am not.  Before we moved I was lucky enough to have my mom come over and clean most of our windows.  They already need to done again. 

I think there is definitely value in hiring a window cleaner.  The prices that I have heard quoted for a typical residence were very reasonable.  Sure the act and process of window cleaning is something that most people can tackle on their own, but time = money.  I find it difficult enough to get laundry done sometimes let alone set aside at minimum a half day to wash my windows.  Value.  Remember, Time=Money.

If you do it yourself I recommend...

Basic H2 Organic Cleaning Concentrate from Shaklee
1-2 drops mixed with 16 oz. of water, I swear it works!

Super Microfiber Window Cloth also from Shaklee

happy cleaning!

a way to get less junk mail

reduce the number of catalogs you receive: https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS or http://www.catalogchoice.org/
opt out of those annoying pre-approval letters: https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

via Design Milk

Both good for the environment, less paper wasted, less paper to be recycled, but also good for you.  Think about how much time and energy you spend each week going through junkmail.  I try to do it quick but I still end up having to open about half of our junkmail to make sure it does not have any private information on it.  Such a time and space waster!  Arrr.

ps.  I must have done something bad, because Typepad has not let me insert images for the past few days.  Hopefully we'll be back to normal soon.

I like green...

...paint :: Benjamin Moore Aura low VOC paint in Grasshopper
...notebooks :: by blossom creations stationery, dove notebook, 100% post consumer waste
...transportation :: Novara Bliss Women's Mountain bike in Lime Green
...fashion :: Eileen Fishers clean and classic style now in organic cotton
...shopping :: Sur La Table's Collapsible European Market Tote in Polka Dot
...sleeping :: Organic Cotton Nylum bedding from Gaiam
...living :: via the Small House Society, dedicated to the promotion of  smaller housing alternatives
...more transportation :: the Enertia electric motorcycle
...house keeping :: Get Clean cleaning products from Shaklee
...flooring :: Marmoleum floor covering made from linseed oil and ecologically responsible pigments

in honor of
 


sorry, no pretty pictures today.  having annoying technical difficulties.

finding the perfect shade of green

My friends Annisia and James have their kitchen (previously featured here) painted in a wonderful shade of green so I asked her for the paint manufacturer and color name.  Martha Stewart for Kmart E29 Euphorbia, discontinued.  Grr.

So I did a search on Google, of course, and was given a link on the sidebar to MyPerfectColor.com.  You can get 16 oz. Paint Sample Minicans for $5.99 of almost any color out there: Sherwin Williams, Ben Moore, Valspar, Lowes, Home Depot, Pratt and Lambert, etc...  all from one place!  I am in heaven.  And right now if you order 5 Minicans you get one FREE.  Much better than the 2 oz sample pots that Ben Moore offers.

Here's what they say:
Myperfectcolor.com
Perfect Size. Perfect Selection. Perfect Color.

Myperfectcolor.com is an extension of Breslow Home Design Center, a New Jersey based retailer with over 80 years experience in helping customer find their perfect paint colors. We have been selling anycolor paint samples in our store for quite some time. People from all over the country call us to send them paint samples for a myriad of colors across all paint companies, so we decided to create a website to make it even easier for customer to find their perfect color.

 

You can also browse all their available colors ONLINE!  Although I would caution you not to make final selections based on screen views of paint colors.  Everyone's monitor is slightly different and therefore may not accurately represent colors.  But once you order your samples and make your selection you can also order full gallons of your paint from Myperfectcolor.com.

I am not sure whether the color above is actually discontinued or not.  But regardless, with a sample of a color you can go to any paint store and they can match it.

Thanks for all your well wishes.  We had a great holiday/vacation/trip.  And I can't wait to share our photos with you.

Dalkey, Ireland

good idea :: recycled concrete patio

via The Hip Homemaker via Terra Nova

Very cool!