RESOURCES
Amighini Architectural Salvage Antiques
When: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.
Where: 1505 N. State College Blvd., Anaheim.
Information: 714-776-5555; www.amighini.com.
Eric’s Architectural Salvage
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Where: 1540 W. Sixth St., Los Angeles.
Information: 213-413-6800; www.ericsarchitecturalsalvage.com.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Where: Locations throughout Southern California.
Information: www.habitat.org/restores.
Old Riverside Foundation salvage program
When: Call for hours/appointments.
Information: 951-683-2725 (message line); www.oldriverside.org/Salvage_Program.html.
Olde Good Things
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 1800 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
Information: 213-746-8600; www.oldegoodthings.com.
Pasadena Architectural Salvage
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 2600 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena.
Information: 626-535-9655; www.pasadenaarchitecturalsalvage.com/site.
Silverado Salvage and Design
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Where: 4625 E. 50th St., Vernon.
Information: 323-277-477; silveradosalvageanddesign.com.
Amighini Architectural Salvage Antiques
When: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.
Where: 1505 N. State College Blvd., Anaheim.
Information: 714-776-5555; www.amighini.com.
Eric’s Architectural Salvage
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Where: 1540 W. Sixth St., Los Angeles.
Information: 213-413-6800; www.ericsarchitecturalsalvage.com.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Where: Locations throughout Southern California.
Information: www.habitat.org/restores.
Old Riverside Foundation salvage program
When: Call for hours/appointments.
Information: 951-683-2725 (message line); www.oldriverside.org/Salvage_Program.html.
Olde Good Things
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 1800 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
Information: 213-746-8600; www.oldegoodthings.com.
Pasadena Architectural Salvage
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 2600 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena.
Information: 626-535-9655; www.pasadenaarchitecturalsalvage.com/site.
Silverado Salvage and Design
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Where: 4625 E. 50th St., Vernon.
Information: 323-277-477; silveradosalvageanddesign.com.
When Richard and Petrina Delman moved to their 1887 former Ontario farmhouse, there was more than a little work to be done. Updates were needed, but the couple didn’t want to lose the character of the structure, especially since Richard Delman’s grandparents called it home back when much of the area was covered in citrus groves.
“People who own old and historic homes are just like old car collectors,” he said. “We want them to look as much like the absolute originals as possible.”
Achieving that goal took research, work and several trips to Southern California architectural salvage yards.
He found doors, knobs and other pieces to complement the Eastlake/Stick Victorian style of their home. And using photos of the original, they went about restoring a little piece of Ontario’s history.
Architectural salvage helps homeowners such as the Delmans recapture the beauty and authenticity of their original structures. For others, it can offer nostalgic reuse to replicate the comfort and feel of the old and not-so-ordinary.
At Silverado Salvage & Design in Vernon, there’s row after row of architectural salvage from reclaimed wood to windows to ladders and then some. Visitors also will see how the old can become new again with many re-purposed custom designs.
“We take the artisan parts of old or interestingly designed homes and show creative ways of using them for other designs,” owner Jeff Mack said. “We have all kinds of items all with interesting possibilities.”
Mack’s company employs six carpenters who take cast off barn wood, door hardware and other architectural pieces and transform them into trendy furniture and accessories.
They also offer advice to do-it-yourselfers.
Although reclaimed wood is a hot interior design topic — particularly salvaged wood sliding barn doors (he’s made 40 of them in the past couple of months) — it’s nothing new to Mack, who has been in the business for 24 years.
“We were re-purposing when re-purposed wasn’t cool,” he said. “There’s a certain beauty and love to these old pieces. They’re aged, weathered and twisted and still have life in them. We’re like a creative person’s Disneyland where you can find cool stuff and people who can help you figure out what to do with it.”
Mack respects the history of each piece, but it’s also a successful part of his business. In fact, his original 16,000-square-foot warehouse isn’t big enough to handle the task, so he’s opened a second showroom at 4625 E. 50th St., Vernon. Top-selling items are reconstructed tables, wall art, mirrors and frames.
“There’s something about the romance of old wood — it’s magical,” said the man who once sold high-end retail for Neiman-Marcus in Texas, Nordstrom, the Broadway and Bonwit Teller.
Magical, maybe, but well-sought after for sure, according to Gayle Stoner, an owner of Pasadena Architectural Salvage. Southern California may be considered “new” when it comes to history, but she says the region has quite the stock of older/historical homes.
“I think a lot of people want a look, and they can add charm to a new house by doing that,” she said.
For example, a company crew was in Ontario last week to disassemble a 1960s-era bar from the Yangtze Restaurant, a mainstay in that city’s downtown for decades that later closed. But the company specializes in architectural salvage from the 1880s to the 1950s.
“At least 70 percent of our stock comes from Southern California,” Stoner said. “We are extremely organized. All our doors have measurements and indicate whether they swing right or left and our website is very extensive and updated daily so people know what we have. We have many older homes, and they always seem to need something.”
The Delmans not only found needed pieces at Pasadena Architectural for their restoration, but also friendly advice and encouragement, something the internet and all the sites devoted to salvage can’t do.
Stoner is right about the ongoing quest for salvage items, according to Delman.
“A previous owner built on a front porch in the 1920s which wasn’t period correct,” he said. “We removed it and they re-created what was original to the house. We also built a period-appropriate garage out back. The house never had one because there were no cars then. We still have some woodwork to do inside, but most of it is done.
“Details count, since this was our family’s home, and it was very important to us to restore it.”
RESOURCES
Amighini Architectural Salvage Antiques
When: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.
Where: 1505 N. State College Blvd., Anaheim.
Information: 714-776-5555; www.amighini.com.
Eric’s Architectural Salvage
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Where: 1540 W. Sixth St., Los Angeles.
Information: 213-413-6800; www.ericsarchitecturalsalvage.com.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Where: Locations throughout Southern California.
Information: www.habitat.org/restores.
Old Riverside Foundation salvage program
When: Call for hours/appointments.
Information: 951-683-2725 (message line); www.oldriverside.org/Salvage_Program.html.
Olde Good Things
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 1800 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
Information: 213-746-8600; www.oldegoodthings.com.
Pasadena Architectural Salvage
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 2600 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena.
Information: 626-535-9655; www.pasadenaarchitecturalsalvage.com/site.
Silverado Salvage and Design
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Where: 4625 E. 50th St., Vernon.
Information: 323-277-477; silveradosalvageanddesign.com.
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