Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Sneak Preview...


Here is a preview of a few of the favorite reclaimed pieces I've collected for my renovation. These are the character building elements that will make my space elegant and timeless.

Seeing triple?

These French doors are fantastic and I was lucky to find one, never mind three. I visited them at the store for 6 months, trying to get up the nerve to buy them. I love the wreath design and in all my trips to the salvage yard, I've never seen any like these, nor have I since. They came out of an Upper East Side Townhouse and must have been sensational in their original home - makes me wonder where they were in the house and what else I missed…

Scale wise they are massive – each is 3 feet wide by 9 feet tall. One of them will go on either side of the mantle in the living room while the third will be a pocket door into the bathroom. Originally they were pocket doors as each has wheels on the bottom. Good thing - they are really heavy.

The mantle came from the Plaza Hotel. I’ve been renovating for years and never had a marble mantle, so I’m excited. It’s also fun to add another piece of New York City history to my salvage collection. In my last renovation I bought a Plaza mirror which originally hung above a mantle like this one. I also found several logo engraved oval door knobs in a polished nickel - can't wait to use them.

Collecting reclaimed materials is an ongoing process. You have to buy great things when you see them, because finding them when you need them is not easy. That said, I'm always collecting for the future. I have had the wreath doors for several years in storage waiting for the right place to put them. Thankfully now I do. At Thanksgiving I bought a large plaster niche that is absolutely stunning. I have nowhere to put it now, but chances are I will.

3 comments:

Friend_on_12 said...

I echo the sentiment that the floors add a defining grace to the space. I so enjoy and look forward to your blog's reports on the renovation's progress and as the "friend on 12", I'm also uniquely lucky to be able view its unfolding wonders first-hand..!

Dream Mom said...

Those doors are amazing. Drop dead gorgeous. I've never seen anything like it and can only imagine they must be more spectacular in person. And the size, that has to make a statement. I can not wait until it is finished. I can't even tell you how excited I got when I saw those doors. I am already envious and the place isn't even done. LOL!

A Perfect Gray said...

Fab doors! Look forward to seeing them in.