The Best Place To Find Vintage Home Details Is More Elegant Than The Thrift Store

Designer-Coded is where real interior designers detail tricks of the trade to style homes for less. If you're looking to craft a high-end aesthetic on a real-world budget, you've come to the right place.

I truly love a thrift store, but sometimes, wading through the stuff that was tossed for good reason is tedious. Looking for special vintage details to incorporate into a specific project can feel like you're searching for a needle in a haystack. However, as an interior designer, I personally don't have time to try to stumble upon the right gem at the thrift store when my contractor's project clock is ticking. Instead, the local architectural salvage shop is my go-to stop for cool historical, vintage, or antique materials and decorative details.

Your typical thrift store takes a wide variety of donations in different categories, qualities, and time periods. However, a salvage shop (or yard) focuses entirely on collecting architectural building materials, elements, and decorative items removed from older buildings that are being renovated or demolished. These stores may cost more than your local thrift shop. But the pricing is still likely less than or comparable to mass-produced new-to-look-old imitations or online options with high markups and shipping costs. 

The salvage yard is a great alternative to shop a huge in-person selection of unique, historically authentic finds to add character to your next project. It may not be a massive cost savings in your renovation budget. However, it'll save you precious time versus hunting at traditional thrift stores.

When it comes to your local salvage shop, the individual inventory will, of course, differ based on your area's architectural landscape and historical preservation efforts. But the depth of their offerings is usually downright staggering. It's certainly more robust and genuinely vintage than the mountains of cheap '90s and 2000s junk at the thrift store. In true "they just don't make them like they used to" fashion, these rescued architectural details are often made of quality, long-lifespan materials that are both authentic and unique. On top of that, this shopping method is wonderfully sustainable, repurposing items that would otherwise be destined for a landfill. It's a feel-good experience, and I've never once left empty-handed or disappointed.

The valuable old-home historical items you'll likely find at a salvage shop include vintage wood doors, wavy restoration glass or leaded windows, and stained glass panels (there was a whole set of pointed arches pulled from an old church at mine). Available building materials may include tile, moldings, reclaimed flooring and beams, and corbels. They also often stock door and cabinet hardware, light fixtures, fireplace mantles, air vent covers, plumbing fixtures, and bathroom accessories. 

You may even find one-of-a-kind custom built-ins or freestanding units like bars or kitchen Hoosier cabinets. I even saw an old theater ticket booth facade at my last visit! As long as you're willing to do a bit of treasure hunting and creative thinking, there are lots of opportunities to stumble upon unexpected surprises (maybe literally ... closed-toed shoes are a good call here, as we only want metaphorical stumbling). And these discoveries can inject some serious historical charm into your home.

While the adult equivalent of "a kid in a candy store," for me, is wandering around the architectural salvage shop, I have a few professional tips for making sure it's a fruitful experience. Visit as early in your renovation or design process as possible, as adapting plans to showcase one-of-a-kind elements is easier toward the beginning. It's also essential to come prepared with your required dimensions, specifications, and a tape measure. For example, I did a personal laundry room project where I wanted to showcase a pair of mini wood French doors in a 36-inch-wide opening. Because I had exact specs, the owner was able to direct me to a pair of amazing red oak, 18-inch-wide window sidelites to repurpose as statement doors. 

It's also essential to have an open mind, as some materials can be reused in ways that deviate from the original purpose. In the laundry room project example, the fixed sidelites once flanked a natural wood exterior entry door. But with a little imagination, some gorgeous vintage hardware, and a heck of a door guy, they became fabulous French doors for their second life.

Additionally, don't be afraid to ask questions. Unlike some thrift store employees, salvage shop owners are often extremely knowledgeable about their inventory. They have insight into the local building history, period-appropriateness or accuracy, and architectural significance of the materials. And most importantly, don't leave something you love behind — you may never see it again! Strike while the iron's hot to avoid that sinking feeling of walking away from a magical vintage treasure.