Restore

It's weird what people get rid of and in what quantity. Bleachers from old gyms, 70s style avocado toilets with matching sinks, barber chairs, etc. I like to simply walk around. I don't always find stuff, but I know that my imagination runs wild when I'm at Restore. Non-profit, community education, and an environmental mission is enough to get my support. Windows, doors, and odd furniture are regular items. more

Located in Ballard, just northeast of the Ballard Bridge at 1440 NW 52nd St. is the RE Store. They have your standard building salvage pieces along with some unusual and downright odd items. For unusual, last time I was there they had an ancient bidet or sits bathtub. The oddest thing they had then was clothing, from the 1950s or 60s that had been salvaged from a former dry cleaners. The items were apparently found behind a locked door that wasn't highly visible and had been forgotten about. The RE Store personnel discovered the door and found the old clothes. They weren't building supplies, but were too cool to scrap, so they salvaged them! Price wise the RE Store is all over the board, from very pricey to downright reasonable, depending on what you want. I haven't tried dickering or doing a trade in, but hey, some of the stuff they get is donated, so I suppose you could try. One word of caution, make sure you know what you want before you go in, it's one of those"kid in the candy store" places for builders and remodelers. more

Call up the Re-Store. They have heaps of salvaged old house parts, more cool stuff than you can believe. And their non-profit. Also call up the other great house salvage joints in town, SeattleBuilding Salvage, Earthwise (down on 1st ave south), and Second Use (down near white center in a hard to find place). If you call those guys up, at least one of them probably has old house numbers. And the old place we rented actually had some cool old tin ones that were cheap that they had gotten at Anthopologie. If all else fails, check out the offerings at VanDyke's Restorers online at www.vandykes.com. Good luck more

although i haven't been there myself yet (i plan to go this weekend to find some cool kitchen counters), the re-store sounds like just what your sweet husband is looking for. they are a non-profit that aims to recycle high quality building materials. they also offer workshops to the public, both at this location and at their bellingham store. www.re-store.org more

This awesome salvage store at the foot of the Ballard Bridge collects and resells vintage items from demolished or gentrified homes, schools and buildings. A friend bought these spectacular chandeliers for her home from a now-demolished historic hotel. Lot's of light fixtures, doors, knobs, bathroom fixtures and even those little desks from school.. Even if you are not in the market for something specific, this is a fun visit. more

If you're doing a house construction project and need finish materials (doors, windows, trim, plimbing fixtures) but hate to pay retail, this is the place to start. It's a non-profit that recycles old materials from tear downs, for pennies on the original cost. more