Reuse. Rehabilitate. Restore. Architectural salvage and repurposed pieces for the home.
Web Urbanist recently featured ten of the coolest counter and surface material designs. Although they’re all really beautiful, I noticed that the more spectacular ones are lit from behind. So my question is, do you really need to spend a fortune on semi precious gemstones or lava to get that same glowing effect? Sure,… Continue reading Lighting Countertops
**Archive. Originally posted January 30, 2008. Since we looked at vintage cabinets yesterday, we figured we would give you some options for matching retro laminate countertops. Formica’s Classic Boomerang: Coral We all know the biggie: Formica. Their “Classics” collection includes Boomerang, originally designed in the 50’s. This pattern bounces back to us (Get it? Because… Continue reading Retro Countertops
Zinc Copper The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of metal countertops may be stainless steel, but there are so many other types available. Stainless is the most durable as it won’t ding as easily as softer metals and it won’t patina. The color can be varied with laminate and finishes can… Continue reading Metal Countertops
We’ve been breaking down our countertop reviews by material. The Kitchen Designer has the complete guide posted this week. Apart from the old standbys, Paperstone and Icestone, there are some companies on there that we’ve overlooked (or didn’t get to yet). The most impressive one to us was the Craft Art wood, because the reclaimed… Continue reading Recycled Countertops: The Ones We Missed
We recently wrote about Squak Mountain Stone and Kliptech countertops. Over the weekend, Treehugger reported that the two companies have merged to form Trinity Glass. Amee Quiriconi and Joel Klippert were constantly meeting up at events and exchanging ideas, so it seemed natural to merge. Trinity Glass is a composite of 75% glass from recycled… Continue reading Trinity Glass Recycled Countertops
Icestone Of the three larger companies fabricating recycled glass composite countertops, Icestone, the best known, is also the only local one. The product, made from 100% recycled glass mixed with concrete, is manufactured in a day lit factory in Brooklyn. The chemical composition is benign and 99.5% inorganic. Icestone comes in a variety of 23… Continue reading Recycled Glass Countertops
Alkemi is actually recycled composite material as it’s composed of 60% post industrial scrap aluminum and polymeric resins. Internet photos do not do it justice. You have to see it in person to appreciate it. Best way to find a dealer is to contact the company directly. Eleek manufacturers tons of cools home fixtures, but… Continue reading Recycled Metal Countertops
The look: A cross between soapstone and formica, if that makes any sense. We’re aware of 3 companies that manufacture recycled paper countertops. Shetka: Shredded Counterfit $ ShetkaStone has a 100% sustainable life cycle. Products are manufactured from pre and post consumer waste paper and all by-products can be recycled back into the manufacturing process.… Continue reading Recycled Paper Countertops
You let it go until the last minute, didn’t you?? You suck! Well, don’t worry. Reclaimed Home is here to save your sorry ass. We’ve got gift certificates. Any denomination. Can be applied towards anything online or in our brick and mortar shop or towards the services we offer. Services include: Various painting techniques for… Continue reading Gift Certifcates
Copper green patina and stencil Emilia has been as busy as a little elf creating some awesome sample boards for custom jobs. I haven’t quite had a chance to put them up on the service page yet (where there are even more techniques) because I’m more like Hermey the Elf who would rather be doing something… Continue reading Painting Techniques
Is there a perfect countertop? One that won’t crack, burn or get stained? Eh, probably not. Some counters have more positive qualities than others. Here’s a look at some of them. Lava Stone, shown above is the stuff (my) dreams are made of. This natural material is glazed with an enamel that produces the most… Continue reading Choosing a Counter Top Material
Wood is the esthetic building material of choice when it comes to fencing, floors and decking. The problem with wood is that it starts to wear down after time. Longer lasting options would be Trex, laminate or PVC fencing to name a few. It just feels wrong to replace a natural material with plastic. *It… Continue reading Concrete Wood
Pig in the City. NY Times Rape and Murder of Historic Home. Apartment Therapy DIY Countertops. Bob Vila Bronx Abandoned Mansion. Scouting NY Reclaimed Summery Style. Vintage Interior Blogs
Back in December I did a post about DIY concrete countertops. The method doesn’t involve any complicated pouring of concrete so I decided to give it a shot. Whaddya think? Not bad. The photo above was taken before the sealer was dry so any dark areas you’re seeing are actually still wet. Also, pay no… Continue reading DIY Concrete Countertop
I tend to go with tile countertops because they are inexpensive and easy to do but sometimes one needs a change in life. So, I’m researching. You can stick just about anything in resin but the problem with that is that heat will melt the epoxy. So what’s a DIY gal to do? I’ve always… Continue reading Cheater DIY Concrete Counter