I am told that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But in reality, most things that are thrown away are done so for a reason. Do you want a pair of dusty Venetian blinds, made by Sears circa 1995? Of course not. What about one slightly used Rubbermaid trashcan? No, thank you. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll find something worth saving. And that’s where the architectural salvage industry comes in. Porch columns. Art Deco chandeliers. Pedestal sinks. Victorian mantels. You can find these and more at architectural salvage centers in and around Nashville.
Photos by Eric England
I am told that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But in reality, most things that are thrown away are done so for a reason. Do you want a pair of dusty Venetian blinds, made by Sears circa 1995? Of course not. What about one slightly used Rubbermaid trashcan? No, thank you. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll find something worth saving. And that’s where the architectural salvage industry comes in. Porch columns. Art Deco chandeliers. Pedestal sinks. Victorian mantels. You can find these and more at architectural salvage centers in and around Nashville.
What they do is buy and sell parts retrieved from demolished or renovated structures. While salvaged items have been fashionable in northern cities like Chicago and Minneapolis for decades, the trend is only recently catching on in the South, and Nashville’s architectural salvage industry is still in a nascent stage.Ted Fridholm moved to Leiper’s Fork in 2003 and opened Dumpster Divers Antiques, from which he sells faucet knobs, Arts and Crafts-style furniture, old bed frames and even a church pulpit or two. “They’re popular with restaurants,” Friedholm says. “They make good reception stands.” Dumpster Divers is a bit of a drive from downtown Nashville, but if you’re looking for the perfect Victorian street lamp or a built-in bookcase from the Carnegie Library, it’s worth the trip. The crowded, tourist-friendly store carries fewer large installments like doors and entryways than Preservation Station, so you might want to call ahead if you’re looking for something specific. When home remodelers Julia Petrova and Aaron Hetrick noticed growing demand for salvaged items a few years ago, the couple opened Preservation Station, a store that specializes in items from the 1930s and earlier. Petrova says many designers and homeowners come to their store in search of elements that will give character to new homes. The well-worn items give houses a sense of nostalgia and a feeling that they are well loved. It is a decorating strategy that can fit almost anyone’s budget. At Preservation Station, doors range from $35 to a couple hundred. You can spend $1,400 on a pair of Art Deco wall sconces rescued from a demolished movie theater, or you can get something a little more generic for around $170. Petrova has worked with giant mansions and small bungalows; architectural salvage looks good in almost any environment.John Poses of Architectural Elements focuses on items from Nashville and surrounding areas. “Sometimes I’ll go to Kentucky,” he admits, “but never much farther than that.” Poses, who worked for Hailey’s Salvage for 20 years before purchasing his own store from the Hailey family, carries everything you could ever want, and even stuff you know you never will. Architectural Elements has the usual stuff—claw-foot tubs, mantels, stained-glass windows—but also some original pieces, like the pediment of an 1800s Murfreesboro house, an entire wrought-iron staircase, and a 1920s prison laundry cart that was recently used in Walk the Line, the upcoming Johnny Cash movie. Poses rents props to movie and music video directors, and his items can be seen in videos for Gretchen Wilson, Alan Jackson and LeAnn Rimes, to name a few. He also sells building supplies to architects and builders who renovate homes. According to Poses, when a home is listed on a historic register, it can only be renovated with period pieces. “You can’t just go to Home Depot and by some bricks,” he explains. “That’s like saying you have an old car with original parts but you really bought the bumper from AutoZone.” Architectural Elements carries more than 100,000 bricks from the 1900s to 1940s and even a few hundred that were handmade by slaves in the 1850s and before. But the best piece in the store is an enormous $3,000 entryway with purple and red glass windows. “Purple and red windows were a sign of wealth,” says Poses, “because they put gold dust in the glass to get the color.” The Belle Meade Mansion is the only house around Nashville that currently has original red glass windows. Ted Fridholm moved to Leiper’s Fork in 2003 and opened Dumpster Divers Antiques, from which he sells faucet knobs, Arts and Crafts-style furniture, old bed frames and even a church pulpit or two. “They’re popular with restaurants,” Friedholm says. “They make good reception stands.” Dumpster Divers is a bit of a drive from downtown Nashville, but if you’re looking for the perfect Victorian street lamp or a built-in bookcase from the Carnegie Library, it’s worth the trip. The crowded, tourist-friendly store carries fewer large installments like doors and entryways than Preservation Station, so you might want to call ahead if you’re looking for something specific. While Fridholm scours the country in search of inventory, he also travels regularly to England, where he peruses the eclectic furniture and antique markets. “Mostly I bring light fixtures and knobs, small things I can take with me on the airplane,” he says. A native of Minnesota, he’s familiar with hotspots like Chicago’s Salvage One, a 30-year-old business with a four-story warehouse large enough to store pieces like entire bistro bars that can cost up to $28,000. Nothing in Nashville is quite as large or as expensive as that. At least, not yet.Interior designer Greg Hinson says old fixtures are especially good at softening the sterility of new homes. “You just can’t take new construction and give it warmth without injecting old elements to it,” he says. “People build these big new homes, and then they don’t feel comfortable in them. The first thing they want to do is make them feel old again.” The quickest way to do that, he advises, is through the lighting. A few old light fixtures can change the entire ambiance of a room. Hinson is also fond of using old glass in cabinetry. “Buy some old doors and build a closet behind them. The doors will produce an old armoire look, but open them up and you can find an entertainment system behind them.” John Poses of Architectural Elements focuses on items from Nashville and surrounding areas. “Sometimes I’ll go to Kentucky,” he admits, “but never much farther than that.” Poses, who worked for Hailey’s Salvage for 20 years before purchasing his own store from the Hailey family, carries everything you could ever want, and even stuff you know you never will. Architectural Elements has the usual stuff—claw-foot tubs, mantels, stained-glass windows—but also some original pieces, like the pediment of an 1800s Murfreesboro house, an entire wrought-iron staircase, and a 1920s prison laundry cart that was recently used in Walk the Line, the upcoming Johnny Cash movie. Poses rents props to movie and music video directors, and his items can be seen in videos for Gretchen Wilson, Alan Jackson and LeAnn Rimes, to name a few. He also sells building supplies to architects and builders who renovate homes. According to Poses, when a home is listed on a historic register, it can only be renovated with period pieces. “You can’t just go to Home Depot and by some bricks,” he explains. “That’s like saying you have an old car with original parts but you really bought the bumper from AutoZone.” Architectural Elements carries more than 100,000 bricks from the 1900s to 1940s and even a few hundred that were handmade by slaves in the 1850s and before. But the best piece in the store is an enormous $3,000 entryway with purple and red glass windows. “Purple and red windows were a sign of wealth,” says Poses, “because they put gold dust in the glass to get the color.” The Belle Meade Mansion is the only house around Nashville that currently has original red glass windows. If you’ve exhausted the Nashville market and still can’t find the materials for a floor made of antique cherry, maple or oak, Architectural Exchange in Chattanooga features 14,000 square feet of antique and recycled building materials. But why exactly would you want discarded building materials? Let’s face it: few people need fireplace summer covers or other obsolete items available in the dusty warehouses of the salvage world. Many salvaged items are used for decoration rather than their original purpose. Take that fireplace covering, for instance: just frame it and hang it above your antique mantel and, suddenly, it becomes a work of art. Preservation Station carries entire wooden entryways from now-demolished Victorian homes that can now be used as indoor fixtures, opening into a dressing or powder room.Resources Interior designer Greg Hinson says old fixtures are especially good at softening the sterility of new homes. “You just can’t take new construction and give it warmth without injecting old elements to it,” he says. “People build these big new homes, and then they don’t feel comfortable in them. The first thing they want to do is make them feel old again.” The quickest way to do that, he advises, is through the lighting. A few old light fixtures can change the entire ambiance of a room. Hinson is also fond of using old glass in cabinetry. “Buy some old doors and build a closet behind them. The doors will produce an old armoire look, but open them up and you can find an entertainment system behind them.” If you think you want some architectural salvage for your own home, make sure you know what you’re buying. There are a lot of replicas out there, especially of claw-foot tubs, which are back in style. Petrova, Fridholm and Poses know what they’re talking about, and can help you authenticate your purchase. “There are two types of nails,” Poses says as an example. “Round nails weren’t used until around 1900. So if you buy something with square nails, you know it’s from the turn of the century or before.” Also, antique mirrors were always dated before they were silvered. Tricks like this will help you turn trash into treasure.Dumpster Divers Antiques Resources Architectural Elements 725 Lebanon Pike, 244-9050, 305-3497 Dumpster Divers Antiques 4158 Old Hillsboro Road, Leiper’s Fork, 591-3832 Hailey’s Salvage 1224 Dickerson Road, 226-0696 Preservation Station 1809 Eighth Ave. S., 292-3595
