I can now officially say that I’ve been to homeowner heaven. A few weeks back, Claire and I visited some friends in Portland. One of the things we wanted to do when we were there was visit The Rebuilding Center, a gigantic repository of salvaged building materials.
The Rebuilding Center was founded back in 1997 as a nonprofit that would help connect homeowners with salvaged building materials. In 2000, they moved to their present location on Mississippi Avenue, which is festooned with all manner of repurposed art. During the last thirteen years, they’ve won numerous awards, provided countless jobs and helped earn Portland its rightful reputation as a green mecca.
I’ve been in architectural antique stores and salvage warehouses before, but I’ve never experienced anything quite like The Rebuilding Center. Do you remember that scene in The Matrix where Laurence Fishburne summons endless rows of guns? Replace those endless rows of cyberweapons with hundreds upon hundreds of salvaged sinks, fixtures, doors, windows, tiles and cabinets, and you might come close to imagining what The Building Center is like.
I was like a pig in mud as I rooted through their offerings. I was joined by dozens of Portlandians hunting for bargains (not to mention an alternative to the shoddy, faceless offerings of big-box home improvement stores). Portland has more than its share of charming old craftsman houses, and luckily, some of their guts made it to The Rebuilding Center for a chance at a new life.
For those among us who are handiness challenged, The Rebuilding Center has an entire gallery of artist-made repurposed furnishings called ReFind Furniture. Old mirrors, cabinets and moldings are given a new twist, and a new lease on life. ReFind is also a line of furniture made from old-growth douglas fir that has been reclaimed from the frames of demolished homes. If you need to find a craftsperson to do some custom work, The Rebuilding Center can also give you the hook-up.
Speaking of demolition… if you live in the Portland area and need to demolish all or part of your home, The Rebuilding Center will deconstruct your home faster than you can say “French Literary Theory”. They can reuse up to 85% of the materials, and do it safely. Did I mention that it’s also tax deductible?
In the end, we didn’t have a ton of space in our car to bring home claw-footed bathtubs and new cabinets, but we did score a bunch of old doorknobs that we’ll transform (okay let’s be honest…that Claire will transform) into a new coat rack. We also found some nice outlet covers and bits of hardware that we won’t have to buy from the hardware store.
Being in The Rebuilding Center was great for sparking my imagination, but mostly, it made me jealous of Portland residents. If you’re visiting Portland, you should definitely put it on your itinerary. As a bonus, The Rebuilding Center is practically across the street from The Flavour Spot, one of Portland’s awesome WAFFLE TRUCKS. You can shop ’til you drop, then refuel with one of The Flavour Spot’s excellent sausage and maple butter waffle sandwiches.
I miss you, Portland! I’d love to know about architectural antique stores and salvage warehouses where you live.
A tree grows in Brooklyn, and so does its flock of birds. If you live in New York, or plan to visit before the end of the year, take a special trip to Fort Greene, where you’ll find the Myrtle Avenue Bird Town.
