How To Decorate With Architectural Salvage 5 Ways: Fridays At 5:00

Do you know how to decorate with architectural salvage? I am sharing 5 ways that I incorporate these old pieces in my home!

If you are anything like me then you like to admire the beauty of ‘old things.’ You might be surprised to know that some of my favorite “OLD THINGS” to find, collect, and use in my home include special pieces that have been ‘salvaged.’ I am talking about Architectural Salvage.

Architectural Salvage is a broad term that many use to describe items that have been saved from a structure (building, mill, hotel, house, church, school, etc) before it is demolished. These could be items from both the inside and outside of the structure. Some examples of architectural salvage include:

• Pediments
• Glass Door knobs
• Tiles
• Windows
• Shutters
• Bricks
• Corbels
• Finials
• Columns
• Newel Posts
• Lighting
• Tin Shingles
• Door Hinges
• Baluster

From old stained glass windows to old wrought iron fencing, these salvaged pieces can be used in and around our homes as decor. Today I thought I would share with you how I decorate with architectural salvage. For my Fridays at 5:00 blog series, I am sharing 5 examples of salvage that I love and how I use them.

How To Decorate With Architectural Salvage 5 Ways

Sitting Pretty On Display

In my opinion, putting architectural salvage (usually smaller pieces) on a shelf or on a table is one of the easiest ways to incorporate salvage in and around your home. I have used all sorts of things in this way over the years including: corbels, finials, wrought iron sections, etc ….

One of my very favorite pieces that I like to decorate with are these sections of old salvaged plaster. These came off of a building in Northern Florida and if you look closely you can see these salvaged pieces are full of horsehair! I have two sections of this plater sitting on a shelf in our entryway.

I see these things as art.

Hide and Seek

Over the years I have used this old vent (and other various pieces) as a way to hide “blemishes” around the house! This antique vent was once inside an old victorian home and now I use it to hide the electrical outlets in our kitchen. As you can see here, it is the perfect shape to cover both outlets and it is so much easier on the eyes than those outlets that don’t get a lot of use.

Hanging On The Wall

Using larger sections of salvage as ‘art’ is another great way to incorporate them! For example, I JUST hung this window from an old hospital on the wall in our upstairs living room. I have hung other items as well including stained glass and wrought iron pieces on the wall as well!

Here you can see that I used just hung plain salvaged wood sections above the window in our home to add interest. I love how the gorgeous texture of the wood fills the void between the top of the window and the curtain rod.

Let Them Lean

Just like these large glass doors that I picked up at an estate sale, larger architectural pieces look great just leaning against the wall. I have also used windows and shutters around my home in this same way. This is a great option for filling a vacant space on your walls without having to nail a hole in the wall.

Get Creative

Don’t be afraid to think “outside of the box” when it comes to decorating with salvaged treasures. Above you can see how I used some salvaged exterior pieces from an old home in a centerpiece vignette for my kitchen table. (You can read more about that centerpiece here.)

I used these porch columns to make candle sticks for my antique booth. I also have a thicker column and metal base in my home right now behind our couch that I use as a plant stand.

I addition to columns, I have corbels sitting on a shelf in our bonus room, simple pieces of salvaged wood that add interest to the vignettes around the house – the list goes on and on – ha!

I love to think outside of the box when it comes to decorating with salvage!

Finding It Is My Favorite

As much as I love decorating with architectural salvage, finding it is my absolute favorite. And, being an antique and vintage dealer, I have been lucky enough to find lots of it over the years. In the past, I’ve been knowns to pull gutters off of barns (that were going to be torn down) and spindles out of burn piles. If I see beauty in it (and if I can legally save it), then I will try to!

One of my favorite days of ‘picking’ was when I found these amazing newel posts, among other great architectural salvage pieces.

Wrap Up

I could decorate with salvage all day long. I really, really enjoy it … and I bet you do too! Thank you for checking out how to decorate with architectural salvage! If you use it around your home I would love to know how – just leave me a comment here below or over on Instagram!

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