Whether you’re restoring a historic home for sale or you’ve just purchased a diamond in the rough that needs some polishing, Portland has some amazing resources for classic restoration hardware, fixtures, and furniture that are true to the spirit of Northwest style and sustainability. What better way to be green when you’re fixing up a classic home than to use salvaged antique materials? Here are some of The McDonald Group’s favorite spots for browsing through classic tiles, old neon signs, gorgeous sustainable lumber, rusted scrolled keys, and giant boxes of original tin ceiling plates. Remember to use gloves, those edges can be sharp!
The ReBuilding Center: The ReBuilding Center is a non-profit used building materials outlet, perfect for finding everything from rough cut lumber and bamboo poles to beautiful antique fixtures and hardware. Part thrift store, part treasure hunt, and part hardware store, this is the go-to place to find salvaged building and remodeling materials. There’s a reason you see bumper stickers around town that proclaim that drivers love this place. You have to be willing to dig a little, but everything is logically located and labeled, and the staff is fantastically friendly, so you’ll be sure to find inspiration for projects big and small. Plus, the prices are so low, you’ll leave with enough to keep your home improvement muse happy for weeks.
3625 N Mississippi Ave Portland, OR 97227
(503) 331-1877
www.rebuildingcenter.org
Rejuvenation: If polished floors and expert design staff are more your style, check out Rejuvenation. They specialize in traditional lighting, antique and new hardware, drool-worthy furniture (there’s a patterned arm chair sitting in a corner that has been on my wish-list for months!), gorgeous tin ceilings, stylish plumbing, and housewares.There’s also a beautiful and cozy corner of the store set up like a library full of books of inspiration, from catalogs of craftsman homes and Japanese gardens to biographies of classic architects and art deco art books. They’ve got an extensive clearance section, a gorgeous rug room, and they are absolutely passionate about lighting restoration and architectural salvage. Plus, if you go after dark, their upstairs showroom has one of Portland’s best views of the downtown skyline!
1100 SE Grand Avenue Portland, OR 97214
(503) 238-1900
http://www.rejuvenation.com/
Hippo Hardware & Trading Co: This such a fun place to explore when you are looking for something unique for your home, and the prices are great. I once lived in a classic bungalow off of SE Division, and while it remains one of my favorite locations in the whole city, the house could use a LOT of restoration. We had some trouble with the plumbing in the bathroom (i.e. it was really, really old and no one had taken care of it…) so we headed over the Hippo Hardware for new fixtures and advice. The staff was so patient with us, and even loaned us some specialty tools we needed for the project for free. Bobby’s also been known to offer to spray paint your hardware, help assemble shelves, and give the kind of advice you’d pay big bucks for, all gratis. We got a few more years out of our claw-foot tub, but if we ever needed to replace it, we could have found a great salvaged one at Hippo.
1040 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 231-1444
hippohardware.com
Stay tuned for more tips for restoring and selling a home! Got other tips for great antique hunting, salvaged materials, or knowledgeable help? Let us know!
