How to Find Salvaged & Antique Materials/Goods

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It’s no secret that I love giving an antique salvage piece a new life in my home. I don’t know what it is about old things, but I am constantly drawn to their history and stories. Even though my house is brand new, I wanted it to feel like pieces had been here for centuries. That’s why I constantly look for salvaged architectural details such as bricks, tiles, doors, and even furniture pieces. Even if it’s new, I want it to look old. (Check out our exterior cladding HERE. It screams old-world design to me.)

Here are the gorgeous European Quarry tiles that were sourced by my friend Kaci at East End Salvage. We used them in our walk-in pantry and they perfectly replicate the old-world feel I want in every space of our home.

But Lanna, where do you find all these pieces? Where do I look to find some myself? Friend, let’s dive in.

  1. Antique/Salvage Vendors
    • Some of my favorite pieces have been sourced by people who find salvage for a living! I have met so many great vendors at Round Top Antique Show (see last year’s finds HERE) and through local contacts. Here’s a list of some of my favorites!
      • East End Salvage
      • Benny Jack Antiques
      • Stone Farm Living
      • Knock On Wood Antiques
      • The Old Grainery
  2. Facebook Marketplace
    • Facebook can be a tricky one to train toward your liking. My biggest tip here is to go in and search for items you like, even if you aren’t going to buy them yet. Search “bricks”, “tiles” “antique” and “architectural salvage”. Scroll and find similar items to what you are looking for and then save them-even if you won’t return to them. This will help train your Facebook algorithm to automatically pull up items you are interested in.
  3. Local Salvage/Surplus Stores
    • Habitat for Humanity has great items, and while they may not actually be old, a lot of times you can find tiles that will fit right in.
    • Search for salvage yards in your area and give them a shot-usually these are a trial and error but you never know when you’ll find a gem.
    • Garage/Estate sales.
      • Estate sales are superior
  4. Online
    • If you’re looking for antique furniture check out these below. There are usually items in all budget ranges.
      • 1st Dibs
      • Chairish
      • Etsy
The bricks in my laundry and mud room originally came from two separate textile mills in Massachusetts. They were sourced from Stone Farm LLC and sliced into thin pavers.

You’ll find thrill in the hunt. I remember growing up, I would always get super embarrassed by my mother slowing down when she saw large piles of thrown-out renovation trash. And I cringed as she would recruit me to load up an item pulled from what I saw as the garbage. But every item she pulled was turned into something beautiful down the line. I guess what they say about one’s trash is another’s treasure really is true.

Seeking out salvaged items is often a jog, not a sprint. So start looking in advance of when you will need something! I had my old windows for my greenhouse sitting in storage for years before I finally put them to use. So if you are able, plan ahead.

Photos by EMPhotograpy of the greenhouse before I changed the back wall last spring.

Salvage does not HAVE to be expensive to look nice. Almost every structural piece of my greenhouse I found either on Facebook Marketplace or sitting in an old barn on the property. Even the lockers and birdcage chandelier came from an estate sale. You have to be patient and always have your eye out for those cool pieces.

Happy hunting, and talk soon.

xx. Lanna

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