Design With History:
New Homes, Restorations and Renovations with Salvaged and Reclaimed Materials
Every reclaimed beam, brick, and door carries a story. We can design your next chapter around it.
We can design new structures and renovations that weave salvaged and historic material into contemporary architecture — heart pine floors pulled from an 19th C. warehouse, hand-fired brick from a demolished commercial warehouse, hardware and mantles reclaimed from renovated homes.
The result is architecture with depth: spaces that feel grounded, textured and tactile, built for clients who want their home to hold more than square footage.
mantle and rails in a new residence milled from pine material sourced from dismantled morris island lighthouse keeper’s cottage
source building in lane, sc
Sourcing & Discovery
Before design begins, we discuss the goals for the project and how we want a residence to feel. Then we scout what's available — architectural salvage yards, deconstruction sites, and material from structures slated for demolition. We catalog what we find: species, dimensions, condition, and origin, so that selected pieces have a documented history.
19th century brick were sourced from crumbling commercial structure in lane, sc, and cut for use in flooring in new residence
3” bluestone slabs sourced for use as hearth in new residence
reclaimed heart pine installed and finshed using techniques to achieve a lived-in feel
Material-Led Design
Rather than designing a space and shopping for finishes afterward, we let key salvaged materials inform the architecture itself — reclaimed beams that may inform ceiling height, brick for flooring that sets the framed floor level, a soapstone sink around which a mudroom is crafted--true material integration, vs. an appliqué of a surface veneer
this mudroom in a new home was designed around an antique soapstone double sink sourced from massachussets
1940’s parquet tile floor sourced from schoolhouse, and painted
vintage 1960’s weiser hardware sets sourced for 1960’s cottage renovation
18th c. brass knobs sourced from charleston for custom cont rack
Restoration & Preparation
Salvaged material often needs work before it's ready to build with: de-nailing, milling, kiln-drying, structural assessment, and treatment. We can manage this process (or coordinate with trusted craftsmen who do) so material is sound and ready to perform in a modern home.
this antique sheraton chest, sourced in hanover, ma, was modified for use in a new powder room
EARLY ZOTHIC. HEART PINE DOORS SOURCED FROM UPTOWN CHARLESTON RENOVATIONS MODIFIED FOR USE IN RENOVATED RESIDENCE
reclaimed heat pine milled and fabricated into wall-hung nightstand. with salvaged light fixture incorporated
vintage ceramic sink used in 1960’s cottage renovation
simple pine flooring sourced from a sullivan’s island residence used for 1960’s cottage renovation
a vintage cast iron corner sink incorperated into a bath in a new residence, with sink stand and backsplash designed to fit.
Integration & Craft
We collaborate with experienced building partners to integrate salvaged elements within new construction with attention to how old and new materials meet — the reveal where reclaimed wood trim meets a new drywall corner, the transition where an antique door hangs within new millwork. These details are where the craftsmanship shows.
weathered decking from dock used for outdoor shower
crab pot floats found in charleston harbor as wall display
The Finished Space
The final home reads as one continuous piece of architecture, not a renovation with salvage bolted on. Visitors feel the history in the room before they can name where it came from.
Character that can't be manufactured. New material can be finished to look old; it can't replicate genuine patina, grain, and wear earned over decades.
Sustainability. Reusing structural timber, brick, doors and fixtures keeps material out of landfills and reduces the embodied energy of new construction.
Craftsmanship from another era. Much of what we source — old-growth heart pine, bench made doors, antique hardware and fixtures, solid masonry — was built to a standard that's difficult or impossible to source new today.
A home with provenance. What if you had a home where you knew where the materials in your came from, and that has a story. We can tell them — the building, the era, the feeling of authentic quality.
antique concrete blocks with beautiful patina used in firepit
Do you have a project in mind? Whether it's a full custom home built around a collection of salvaged material or a renovation that needs one perfect reclaimed detail, we'd like to see what you're working with. Let’s start a conversation.