Product Description

Architectural salvage is all about saving and reusing unique bits and pieces of the past--whether from old buildings, businesses, or homes--and preserving them as beautiful reminders of the talent and artistry of yesteryear. Good Old Things shows how architectural elements and antiques--such as a 200-year-old solid-oak door, an Arts & Crafts fireplace mantel, a Victorian stained-glass window, or an Art Deco lamp--can impart character and heritage to any home, even if you never got around to buying that perfectly restored historic home of your dreams. See how vintage sinks, hardware, and lighting are perfectly blended into new environments, giving the items a new lease on life, and in the process, preserving them for future generations to enjoy.

From a Manhattan brownstone to a Marin county barn-turned-cottage, Coleman has documented an exquisite array of homes in locations across the country. See how a large Arts & Crafts apartment is restored to its original 1916 décor with salvage finds and a little sleight of hand, a San Francisco row house is reborn with glamorous salvage, and a tranquil, Vermont retreat is enlivened with salvaged, nineteenth-century architecture in this beautifully photographed new book.

Brian D. Coleman, M.D., is a practicing psychiatrist in Seattle, Washington, and the author of several books including Scalamandre: Luxurious Home Interiors, Classic Cottages, and Vintage Victorian Textiles. His articles on historic home design have been published in a variety of magazines such as, Old House Journal and Period Living (U.K.), and he is the West Coast editor for Old House Interiors. He divides his time between New York and Seattle. Dan Mayers is a New York-based photographer whose work appears regularly in Country Decorating Magazine's Cottage Style, Country Collectibles, Country Victorian and Old House Interiors. His work has been included in books such as Scalamandre: Luxurious Home Interiors and The Ultimate Kitchen.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #629533 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

From the Inside Flap
Architectural salvage is all about saving and reusing bits and pieces of old buildings and construction, reminders of the talent and artistry of yesteryear. Brian Coleman shows how architectural elements and antiques--such as a 200-year-old solid-oak door, an Arts & Crafts fireplace mantel, a Victorian stained-glass window, or an Art Deco lamp--can impart character and heritage to any home. See how vintage sinks, hardware, and lighting are perfectly blended into new environments, giving the items a new lease on life and, in the process, preserving them for future generations.

From a Manhattan brownstone to a Marin County barn-turned-cottage, Coleman has documented an exquisite array of home styles incorporating salvage items in imaginative ways. Extraordinary doors, mantels, windows, sinks, hardware, lighting, art pieces, and more are attractively blended into new environments to start a second life and give character to newer homes.

No place to install a salvaged window? Why not turn it into a mirror and put it on prominent display in your living room. In need of window shades for a funky bedroom? Some quirky pull-down maps salvaged from an old school can give your room personality plus. Apothecary doors can become classy cabinet fronts; and antiques of every type can take clever places in your decor.

More than 150 photographs by Dan Mayers will inspire you to enliven your own environment with found and rescued objects from the lovely to the quirky.

Brian D. Coleman, M.D., is a practicing psychiatrist in Seattle, Washington. Also an old-house enthusiast, he has grown his love for historic restoration into an active second career. He has written numerous articles on historic home design for magazines ranging from Old House Journal to Period Living in the United Kingdom and is the West Coast editor for Old House Interiors. Brian is the author of Scalamandre: Luxurious Home Interiors, Classic Cottages, Vintage Victorian Textiles and The Victorian Dining Room. He divides his time between New York and Seattle.

Dan Mayers is a New York-based photographer whose work appears regularly in Country Decorating magazine's Cottage Style, Country Collectibles and Country Victorian as well as Old House Interiors. He was the photographer for Scalamandre: Luxurious Home Interiors, and his work has been included in such books as The Ultimate Kitchen and has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

About the Author
Brian D. Coleman, MD, divides his time between Seattle and New York. His articles have appeared in magazines ranging from Old House Journal, where he is the West Coast editor; to Period Living in the U.K. Brian is the author of seven books on the decorative arts, including the recent titles Farrow & Ball and Cottages.


Photographer Dan Mayers was the exclusive photographer for several books-Scalamandre, Extraordinary Interiors, Details, and most recently, Dog Palaces. Dan's work appears regularly in Harris Publications Decorating Magazines as well and Old House Interiors and La Vie Claire.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Architectural salvage has a special beauty all its own. The intricate turnings of a nineteenth-century, carved oak newel post from a Victorian mansion, the sparkling, jewel tones of a stained-glass window from a razed church, the color and patina of crusty, wrought-iron fence railing from an inner city brownstone all share a charm and attention to detail that is rarely found today. Castoffs from another time, these architectural details are actually works of art on their own. Pride of craftsmanship is the quality that still shines through, whether it's a roughly cut oak beam from a 200-year-old barn or a sophisticated Art Deco glass-and-metal chandelier from a 1930s movie palace. Saving and reusing these artifacts allows us to enjoy them once again and preserves these treasures for future generations.

This book celebrates the beauty of architectural salvage and showcases how common building elements of the past have been used to transform homes into distinctive and very personal spaces in the present. We visit fascinating and unique projects across the country, from Soho to San Francisco.

Customer Reviews

Bring an Old World Feel to Your Home
I discovered this book after reading a very favorable review in the Orlando Sentinel. The book shows salvaged items used in "elegant rooms to funky apartments, with practical ideas and whimsical inspiration."
You just don't find pieces like an antique Indian swing or Syro-Turkish wall panels at the local Home Depot. The book shows rooms with salvaged items like an ornate painted mirror or bistro lamps from Paris. Saving these items from demolished buildings preserves the past and adds character to new homes.
Anyone who loves home decorating will enjoy browsing this book and the inspiring rooms in it.

Extraordinary Interiors: Decorating with Architectural Salvage & Antiques
Lovely photos for interior decoration but not really architectural salvage as promised in the title. The best is the cover photo which has nothing to do with architectural salvage and was an entire room just purchased at auction as is. This is more of what you'd find in a glossy magazine - If you're looking for architectural salvage ideas there are a FEW, but
you won't find much here.