Comments on: We love: Re-Store, Re-Build and Habitat for Humanity warehouses

By: pam kueber

pam kueber — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:41:03 +0000

holey batman, jeff. i wanna i wanna i wanna. especially the 12×12s with sunset grey lilac beige. that sounds fabulous. I can just see it. But – any pics of the tile perhaps from your cell phone?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:16:07 +0000

Pam, I have to send out this alert to anyone needing MCM tile, still in the boxes- Miami’s Re-store has literally dozens of giant palletts, right now, (June 26, 09).

As I mentioned before, I’m restoring a 1953 atomic ranch in Southfield, Michigan, and needed tile for the bathroom. I had found the “sunset” peachy/flesh colored toilet and sink locally to match the original tub (with swan etched glass doors), but needed wall tile. The floor was original and a super design in “sunset” and coco brown.

But since I also have a home in Miami, I decided to check out the Re-Store and voila! If any of your readers need 6×6 wall tile in 50’s baby blue, there are literally hundreds of boxes of it, and only 10 cents a piece! 6×6 pink is also available, and my favorite are 12×12 sheets of 1×3 rectangles laid in vertical rows in sunset, gray, beige and lilac alternating colors. You really need a specific palette to use this, but I do, and there are two pallets stacked five feet high of it! 1.00 per sheet!

Coco brown 4×4 with base cove and edging, you name it, they’ve got it! Also a selection of concrete barrel tile for roofing in GREEN and traditional gray and terracotta- price: 4 piecs for 1.00!

There is also a salvage yard on 79th street in Miami, (will get name and number later) with literally hundreds of MCM sinks, toilets, etc., in every color of the rainbow. The people there are a little difficult to deal with, and English IS the second language, but the prices are low, and the selection is vast.

By: sumac sue

sumac sue — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:09:41 +0000

Lexington KY has two Re-Stores, one for home furnishings, and one for building supples. (Jim, manager of the building supply store, is a big proponent of retro renovating, and that store always has a lot of colored sinks and other good stuff.)Neighboring little towns are getting Re-Stores too — the one in Berea is really good.

From local Re-Stores we got our 60s era Hager kitchen cabinets for $300, our late-50s GE electric range for $65, as well as light fixtures, cabinet hardware, paint, a countertop, vintage embroidered linens, and the amazing discovery of a 60s era record featuring a high school orchestra in which my husband’s brother played trumpet!

By: sablemable

sablemable — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:01:47 +0000

Pam, the door doesn’t have any scroll work on it; it has 4 glass panes separated with horizontal wood strips and I think most of them were made of pine. I have one going from my garage to the sunroom, but apparently the others were junked by the second owner.
Would love to see the pics you have of what you’ve got. Thanks!

By: loumeigs

loumeigs — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:03:43 +0000

Elvis a.k.a. Jane, thanks about the ReBuilding Center, we still get over to home (Portland) every couple of months or so. We’ll check it out! Funny, I just found out today that our restore refuses any and all items over 10 years old and here is this post! So sad about that.

By: Elvis (aka) Jane

Elvis (aka) Jane — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:05:35 +0000

Many Portland readers already know this, but another fabulous place in Portland to find old building stuff is The ReBuilding Center on N. Mississippi. If you’re remodeling or restoring, all I can say is GO! You won’t regret it.

By: Megan

Megan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:25:28 +0000

Thank you again Pam for posting our flier! I am so excited to read that everyone is already a HUGE fan of ReUse stores. It breaks my heart to know how many tons of building materials – usable building materials – end up in landfills every year. Will all of your passion and dedication you are helping to make those numbers smaller. Keep spreading the word! I love to read these posts. I am learning so much every day!

If anyone knows someone who is remodeling, on top of what you are already doing, try to suggest DeConstruction to them! Companies can take homes apart piece by piece and donate the materials.

Pam I LOVE your idea with the post-its! I hope I find one some day!

By: Femme1

Femme1 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:34:45 +0000

My local Re-Store is a treasure trove. Even better, my husband volunteers there and gets to see the best stuff as it comes in.

Because I’m friends with the store manager, we’d chat whenever I stop by to browse. So I told her about RetroRenovation.com and let her know how precious those colored sinks and old formica countertops were. Problem is, now that she’s fully aware, she’s raised all the prices!! But that’s good for Habitat for Humanity, just bad for us bargain hunters!

By: Katie

Katie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:47:09 +0000

I called my local re-store a while back here in Atlanta and asked them if they stocked vintage fixtures of any sort. They say they only accept stuff around 5 years old. I swear, Atlanta is anti-retro. I look through the housing listing for fun all the time and see all of these great mid-century houses that have been stripped of every last bit of charm they once had and then I get depressed when I realize most of the cool stuff probably got trashed.

By: pam kueber

pam kueber — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:16:11 +0000

So…maybe I should print some postcards or stickers or post-its up…touting the kewl-ness and wise-ness of retro renovation starting with preserving what you have… all we estate sailors could leave the stickies in little hiding places throughout the estate sale houses…so that when the new buyers get in, they keep finding them….and stop to actually think about the option, become aware of it… Like: A “Save me! Check out why at RetroRenovation.com” sticker under every toilet tank lid, behind every medicine cabinet door…hidden inside a kitchen drawer…and certainly behind the recessed Hall-macks…where else could we sneak ‘em in?