I'm Back!!

 Hello Friends, I recently pulled out my old laptop and connected to the internet! I thought you were lost forever when I could not access my blog on my newer devices! What a wonderful surprise!!  Here's hoping this computer lasts forever!

There is so much to catch up on! Let me fill you in bit 

I'm in Rochester, MN now and recently remarried to the most fantabulous human on the planet! He is a retired master carpenter and can bring any and all of my designs to life. We are a perfect match and we are starting up the business here in Minnesota! We plan to have occasional sales one weekend a month during the nicer months of the year, May-Novemberish, in which we will sell our repurposed creations along with vintage items and architectural salvage. We did have 2 sales this past fall but now are a little sidetracked, due to a couple deaths in the family, as we have inherited another property which needs our immediate attention.  We're not sure at this moment what that will bring for planned business sales in 2023 but we will keep you posted. Find us on Facebook as Somethin' Salvaged MN-ID Connection or on Instagram for updates.  

But...keep pickin'

Kelly & Bennett 

Mudroom Makeover

I am finally going to post photos of our mudroom!  I have been holding off because we have not updated the flooring. But let's be real, I'm too lazy to move the full pantry at this point to put in new floors. 

 

So...here we go!  Keep in mind I live on a farm and this is the real world, no fancy staging here (though I did de-clutter a bit before shooting some photos.)

 

BEFORE -unfinished bare stud walls






   

 

We moved this door to the right of the wall so that we could remodel the kitchen and put the fridge right here. We had intended to keep the door, but we loved how it seemed to open up the house without it so we just left a doorway.  Then we had spray foam insulation installed.

 

   I had some salvaged bead board that I brought with me from Idaho so I got busy installing it, all the way to the peak of the ceiling. 

 

Charlie helped out!

 

Well, maybe not but isn't he cute!

 

After salvaging a house from the 1850's in Wisconsin I stripped and stained the woodwork to put in this room.  I didn't have a long enough piece to fit above the door so I had to get creative with the rosettes and trim.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really wanted to put this sink that we salvaged from that Wisconsin house in the new bathroom (with a matching faucet of course) but it was vetoed by my husband.  So the pups have a new drinking hole!

The best for last...

I love, love, LOVE this gate because it comes in handy on rainy days like today!  I know, I know...poor puppies want to come in! 

 

 

 Thanks for visiting my favorite room in the house!  

 

Keep pickin'

 

Kelly

 

 

Architectural Salvage For Sale

My love of old houses began when I was in college in Winona, Minnesota which is located on the Mississippi River.  I often walked the streets of the city, to the river or lake, to feed the ducks. I was absolutely mesmerized by all of the beautiful historic homes, and I would admire all of the wonderful detail that was so lovingly put into the buildings of the past. I wondered about the people that built them, who lived in them and what life must have been like over a century ago.  And, I dreamed of owning such a home myself.

Fast forward almost 2 decades and I found that charming house! It was nothing fancy, but by Idaho standards it was unique and I couldn't wait to restore it to its former glory!  

(You can see the whole restoration, if you are interested, by clicking on the House Restoration label on the right side of this blog!)

This restoration was a 5 year journey!  Since Idaho is not very populated, and many areas were not founded until after 1900 there weren't many homes that fit my definition of historic, and it was pretty much just luck if I found any salvage that could be used in the house.  The search took me to Salt Lake City, Utah; Portland, Oregon; Pasadena, California; Washington state and Minnesota looking for historic house parts!  And that is when my collection of architectural salvage began!

When the house was done and I decided to quit teaching, a group of friends and I opened a store in a former gas station in Shoshone, Idaho called Somethin' Salvaged. 

 I  had a growing collection of historic house parts, and I repurposed junk into usable items.  (See the labels to the right for photos of repurposed creations) 

The plan was to be THE place to go for Architectural Salvage in Idaho...but my husband was transferred out of state.  A friend was going to take over the store and I was going to salvage houses in the Midwest and deliver the inventory to Idaho to fill the demand for lovers of historic homes.

It didn't work out with my friend that still had school age children she needed to tend to, but I am in Minnesota and I am saving what I can from any historic home I have access to!  I've salvaged 3 houses in the last year...

and my desire is to find someone to partner with in a salvage business, someone to buy my inventory as I continue salvaging.  I have people from Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado contacting me to buy my inventory...the demand is there...but I don't have a store front to sell from.  So if you have a knack for business and a love of  architecture please contact me at kellyaverbeck@gmail.com or 208-308-6886 and lets visit!  

Here is a sample of my inventory....

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Kelly