REPURPOSING
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For the most part, free-standing coat racks are a thing of the past. They belong to a time when closets were only dee...
Tin cans are like air—they're all around us. Most families go through several cans each week, and some even use that ...
Getting the most out of your iPad sometimes means going hands-free, but you don't need to spend another dime!
Walking through my Brooklyn neighborhood this past weekend, I spied an interesting structure on the sidewalk. Someone...
Wake up your sleepy bedroom decor with a DIY headboard that reflects your personal taste and lifestyle.
Every single drawer in your apartment is overflowing with chopsticks. Sure, you could toss a few pair in the trash. B...
With imagination and elbow grease, you can transform that old door into a one-of-a-kind piece that's both useful and beautiful.
Many of us know tin ceiling tiles as the reasonably priced domestic cousin of European plasterwork. Ubiquitous in Vic...
Why put your plants in a boring pot, when you can make your own unique planter with materials you may already have on hand?
Whether you've been bitten by the travel bug or merely want to give the impression of being well-traveled, maps lend ...
Silverware is so much more than simply the source of your next bite. After all, if you tap a knife on a glass of cha...
Imagine bringing the quality and charm of eighteenth-century wood planks into your home today. With reclaimed wood, y...
With a little ingenuity, you can move your antique armoire into the 21st century without sacrificing any of the furniture's old-fashioned charm.
Hardware cloth is a small, sturdy mesh product sold in rolls at your local hardware store or home center. Made from m...
String lights are always associated with the holidays, but what if you use 'em in April or September? Well, they look...
One of the biggest challenges of any remodeling project or basement clean-out is figuring out how to get rid of const...
This time of year, if you take a walk through an area with pine trees, you’ll find pine cones nearly blanketing the g...
Did you know that wall-to-wall carpet from just one standard 12 x 15 ft room takes 8 gallons of oil and 900,000 BTUs ...
The other day my roommate came home from IKEA with a pack of 100 tea lights. One hundred. To be fair, my roommate als...
It's hard to hate a globe. Whether you're going for an around-the-world vibe or an homage to your second-grade classr...
Reclaim lumber, salvage wood, and upcycle logs to create unique conversation pieces that warm up any room.
When you enter my neighbor’s house, you are greeted with a warm wall of rustic and variegated wood. Framed in the cen...
Wine bottles, though made of glass, are actually quite strong. For durability and as a safety precaution, manufacture...
Straw bales aren’t just for horses and hayrides anymore! This perennial sign of fall has become decorating and garden...
“I wish I had more leftover bottle caps!” is not something you’re likely to hear anybody say. Given the abundance of ...
When artist Elayna Toby Singer contemplates a new mixed media assemblage, she pieces together objects from both natur...
Whenever I hesitate before throwing out something useless, like an expired coupon or an old magazine, I think to myse...
'Knot' just for sailing fanatics or decorating summer beach houses anymore, rope has found its way into homes of ever...
Cinder blocks: They are inexpensive, reliable, and strong but are light enough to be easily used in DIY projects. The...
Whether making cake stands or candles, Fresh Pastry Stand's Deva Mirel finds inspiration in the vintage kitchen and i...
See how DIYers combine, modify, and rearrange IKEA stock to create their own unique furniture pieces.
Deconstruction is the new demolition. CM_BVNOTES-1235-6 Recycled Bldg ProductsListen to BOB VILA ON DECONSTRUCTION, ...
Beadboard is a classic wall paneling commonly associated with New England and Cape Cod-style houses and country decor...
Wooden crates used to be the way to get everything to market, from fruit and produce to soda bottles. These days, tho...
Compassion, faith, and hope are not intrinsically wired into the furniture business, but Lamon Luther, a fledgling ma...
The old adage goes, "It's like riding a bike. " Meaning of course that cycling becomes so integrated into your muscle...
Now that folks are more conscious about not sending everything to the landfill, and there are even tax incentives for...
Chances are that, languishing in your basement or garage, you have an old wooden ladder splattered with coats of pain...
Take the first step in reducing paper and plastic waste by bringing one of these smart re-usable totes the next time you go shopping.
As the owner of this blog and as someone that usually posts about things construction and the home, I take today to show ...
Might I tell you my very favorite thing about the ever-versatile mason jar? The design has remained essentially uncha...
Plan a summer sale by following our simple outline, designed to keep stress low and sales high.
Vintage windows are much easier to come by than you might think. Before the salvage craze became mainstream, windows ...
You’ve likely seen wood shipping pallets, like these, piled up next to dumpsters outside your local furniture store a...
If you are a fan of salvage, like I am, you will understand what delight I felt upon discovering these weathered, blu...
Deconstruction is the new demolition. Instead of gutting a project and sending the whole shebang to a landfill, more ...
Donate or auction off your old building materials to help you recoup costs and reduce your contribution to landfills.
Many contractors and home improvement experts will say, "Homeowners and DIYers should try anything, except for electr...
No one likes cleaning up after a storm. But when the storm causes structural damage to your home, the cleanup process...
Turn your empty Starbucks cups into holiday ornaments full of cheer.
Gorgeous rediscovered and recovered woods will add a touch of class to any home, whether you're going for sustainability or distinction.
Highlights from the 19th-annual Canstruction Competition, hosted in New York City.
At the 19th Annual Canstruction Design/Build Competition—an art show and food drive benefiting City Harvest—some of N...
If you're looking for vintage and salvaged finds, check out these great sources.
Putting salvaged aircraft to fun and innovative home use.
There is a new residence in the Malibu hills constructed mostly from an old airplane. Consisting of a main house and ...
Architectural salvage is a timeless way to bring quality and character into your home.
A sample of what you can find shopping for architectural salvage.
Remodeling Yields Various Debris. Decide What’s Waste and What’s Salvageable.
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City ...
The new addition's footprint is essentially a whole other house, yet it will integrate visually with a matching roofline to the existing house. New technologies h...
Architect Mary Kennedy and Bob tour her Georgian Colonial family home in Westchester County, NY. After a flood ruined the house, the challenge was to salvage and ...
Bob discusses the best ways to discard debris and unwanted items before starting a renovation.
Stone workers install a granite retaining wall, replace a front walkway, and build a backyard patio.
Bob meets with the construction foreman to discuss the demolition work that's underway. Having removed the elevator shaft, the crew plans to move ahead by taking ...
Bob pays a visit to Jane Walentas, a member of the artistic community in DUMBO.
Project supervisor Dave Southard of DS Woodworks explains why high-rise demolition is different from demolition work that takes place elsewhere. Also, Southard la...
Bob introduces an 1890s Brownstone on New York City's Upper West Side.
Reviewing the architectural floor plans for the Brownstone remodel, salvaging the vintage sink, and removing asbestos tile uncovered at the start of demolition.
Carpenter Bob Ryley and contractor Grady Garrett install a reclaimed Yellow Pine hardwood floor.
Bob Riley and Howard Brickman install a reclaimed hard pine floor. The orientation of the boards is explained, and the moisture content of the subfloor is checked...
Bob takes a final tour of the home workout area, discussing the tub surround and the new exercise equipment.
Bob and carpenter Cortney Lofton review and demolish the original kitchen cabinets. Bob then visits a salvage yard to view the turn-of-the-century cabinets purcha...
Bob and carpenter Bob Ryley rebuild the deck in the rear of the addition using salvaged lumber from the demolition.
Bob watches as the mason lays a new hearth in the old fireplace using salvaged Charleston brick.
Bob helps contractor Bob Ryley install a salvaged door on the side of the dream garage, which is undergoing construction.
Bob tours the furnished, decorated Martha's Vineyard Victorian project house. The designer has sourced pieces from antique stores, salvage yards, second hand stor...
A window is recycled during the remodeling process and placed back into the frame of the new addition. Bob explains the reason for recycling and assists with the ...
Two recycled windows are used to create one large window. Once carpenter Bob Ryley demolishes the old frame, supports are installed to hold up the new combined wi...
Flooring contractor Leo Boudreau shows Bob how to recycle hardwood flooring. First, the floor must be salvaged. A pry bar is used to lift and remove the wood, pie...
Bob shops an architectural salvage yard for used, inexpensive doors and bathroom vanities.
Bob heads to the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago, the largest wholesale design center in the city, to see a selection of bathroom fixtures at K & B Galleries...
The crew lowers the recycled "ell" onto the new foundation with a crane.
Bob compares kitchen appliances at the Irv Wolfson Showroom, part of Chicago's Merchandise Mart.
Bob travels to Chicago’s South Side to tour the Salvage One architectural warehouse with Anne Steinweddel.
