Architectural Salvage: Hot Real Estate Trend

NEW YORK, May 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The architectural salvage marketplace, once the sole province of old-house owners and a curiosity to nearly everyone else, is going mainstream in a big way, according to Jim DiGiacoma of Olde Good Things, the nation's leading architectural salvage company with retail stores in New York, Los Angeles and Scranton, PA, as well as a major online presence.

As the desire to purchase expensive, high-end homes and apartments increases, more consumers are seeking to add an historical touch to their new space using architectural salvage. Upcycled, recycled and reclaimed architectural salvage ranges from tin panel ceilings to industrial lighting and historic chandeliers to marble fireplace mantels and refurbished wood flooring to ironware and hardware—all adding the perfect sustainable transformation to newly acquired residences.

"We treasure hunt and upcycle from the most prestigious New York historic hotels, Broadway theaters and prominent commercial buildings to rustic barns, industrial warehouses and vintage shops in order to create a most unique retail experience for our customers," notes DiGiacoma.

"On any given day, shoppers might include an architect looking for antique French doors, a designer looking for industrial chicken wire glass and unusual factory doors, a decorator trying to find a set of lights for over a kitchen island, or millennials shopping for unique items from the past," adds DiGiacoma. "Urban dwellers snatch up things like bar carts made of reclaimed pine, large mirrors framed with repurposed copper or tin ceiling tiles, and rare pieces of wooden furniture, while others may covet the cast iron ball and claw bathtubs or porcelain faucets."

Those interested in revamping their home to create a more sophisticated and authentic style may wish to start their design search at their local salvage shop. "Salvaged from old buildings or junkyards, these items ensure a home's uniqueness," says George DeMarco, real estate agent with Halstead Manhattan, "and can boost resale value if done well. Walking into new construction and seeing a blast from the architectural past often can make just enough difference in the buyer's mind to help make the sale."

Salvaged items can add a sense of history to a new residential apartment notes Michael Cohen of Michael J. Cohen Interiors, a New York-based residential interior design company. "Introducing historical items such as a stained-glass casement window or repurposed industrial halophane lighting, can add character to an otherwise cookie cutter city space." 

Although preservationists often bemoan the loss of the distinctive buildings that supply the inventory for architectural salvage, the greatest appeal for consumers is the chance to acquire house parts with a pedigree. "People like to point to an antique mantelpiece or flooring and say that it came from an old button factory or the Waldorf Astoria Hotel," adds Mr. Cohen. "They like the stories behind the pieces."

"It's a treasure hunt," says Michael Laudati, a New York-based designer specializing in restoring historic Manhattan residential building lobbies to the original beauty of a bygone era. "You never know what you're going to find or where you're going to find it when you shop for architectural salvage." Among his latest salvaged discoveries include a hand-hammered copper ceiling fixture, a Renaissance Revival fireplace mantel and an 1880's wrought iron gas light fixture.

If quality, uniqueness, and bragging rights aren't enough reason to join the treasure hunt, factor in the sense of buying a bit of history and nostalgia along with the idea that repurposing is a very smart way to go green.

Contact: 
Temi Sacks
917-446-5697
[email protected]

SOURCE Olde Good Things