Salvage yards are becoming popular again, not just a place to find discarded or obsolete parts but a place to find new treasures. You know the old saying, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Down in the greater LA area you’ll find Re-stores by Habitat for Humanity; they take in as well as sell items that have been donated. You can turn in practically any household item that you no longer need, thus saving the land fill. I have seen many ‘vintage’ things, like Tiffany style lamps from the 70’s, not to mention sinks, toilets and tubs, doors and windows.

Some great finds have been French Doors and paneled doors and hardware, windows of all styles and sizes. If you are looking to do a remodel project and want to re-use some fixtures, this is the place to go. Check the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store listings on line.

Some uses for doors other than their original intention is as a table top surface; paneled doors can be used with a piece of Plexiglas on top for a smooth surface. Plain doors don’t need any adaptation other than something to hold them up, like file cabinets or an old dresser.

Old windows can be adapted to fit your home or outdoor living spaces. How charming would it be to suspend an old window with divided lights and fix them to your pergola to give your outdoor room a cozy feeling; plant a vine in a container below and train it up the window? You might consider several windows on several sides of your outdoor room.

You might find great doors and windows for a child’s playhouse. A broken door, might be made into a Dutch door; old shutters added to the inside or outside of your home. You can use shutters as a decorative panel beside a desk; a place to hold notes or cards. Put a shutter on its side at the head of a child’s bed as a headboard painted a bright color.

I could go on and on, but I know that if you keep an open mind you too will find a treasure trove of things that can be reused.