Submitted on behalf of Laura Elfline and Mighty House Construction
“Built in 1980, the guest/kid bathroom was dark and dreary with crummy and crumbling finish materials. Our goal was to create an space as light and airy as possible (without actual windows) and give it a fun, yet sophisticated look. Using salvage was an essential component for us — as much from budget standpoint as reducing consumption of new materials… given our skill set, we just didn’t feel good about bringing new finish materials into the space.
With an unusual width for a vanity cabinet, we planned for it to take awhile. We couldn’t find a single cabinet to fit without major modifications or too much compromise for quite awhile. But then, we found two cabinets at Second Use in the same finish color and wood type that combined fit the space perfectly. The only catch is that they were from two different trim styles. However, that looked soooo close to one other that at first glance, no one notices unless told to look.
The field tile are concrete pavers that we also found at Second Use. There were only the two colors remaining and not a lot of the green. We knew that with some creativity, we could make the limited numbers work. Our final solution incorporated locally-procured, 100% recycled glass from Bedrock Industries. To visually tie the cabinet and shower together more intentionally, we also purchased matching glass rounds to glue to peg knobs (leftover from another project). The accessories and the sink are also reused and the floor was also a remnant from another project.
Materials used: concrete pavers, recycled glass tiles, knobs, cabinets, sink, low-flow faucet, low-flow shower head, tub, low-flow toilet, marmoleum, hardi board (for counter and tub foot wall), glass, solatube, led lighting
Creation Process: design from what we find rather than find what we designed.
Inspiration: keeping the space light and airy, sophisticated and fun and built from salvage!”
Do you have a salvage project to share? Email [email protected] a few pictures and a description of the project and process. All submissions will be entered to win a monthly raffle for $10 Second Use store credit.
