Ep 001: The Art of Salvaged Design

Written By Kimberly Steiner

What do you think when you imagine yourself in a space like this?

Maybe you think of sneezing because of the dust, imagine spiders crawling up your leg, or remember that musty smell that hits when you open the door to a long-closed space.

All I see is possibility.

I love old things: estate sale finds, salvaged architectural elements, the forgotten objects that still have so much life left in them beyond the scratches, dents, and flaking paint. To me, these pieces aren’t junk they’re time travelers with embodied history. They’re full of character, texture, and soul that you can’t fake with something brand new.

Why Restoring Furniture is Sustainable and Economical

Over the years, I’ve realized this instinct to salvage and restore isn’t just about aesthetics it’s also practical. Refurbishing and repurposing well-made furniture is often more economical than buying new, keeps quality materials out of the landfill, and reduces the carbon footprint that comes with manufacturing and shipping new furniture.

This work also supports a network of skilled local artisans: upholsterers, refinishers, woodworkers, and metalworkers who’ve spent years honing their craft. Every salvaged piece that needs restoration becomes an opportunity to invest in these craftspeople rather than feeding mass production. You’re rescuing an object from the landfill while sustaining the skills and livelihoods that keep traditional crafts alive in your community.

All too often “new” means fast furniture constructed with particle board held together with hope and dowels that strip the first time you move. Compare that to a mid-century dresser built with solid wood, dovetail joints, and real craftsmanship, something that’s already survived 60 years and will easily last 60 more with a little care. Here’s the thing: buying and restoring that vintage dresser often costs less than a new one, but the quality isn’t even comparable. It’s how you can own truly exceptional pieces, the kind built with materials and methods that would be prohibitively expensive, if made today, for a fraction of what they’d cost new. The result? High-quality pieces that grow more beautiful with age and furniture that becomes more valuable to you over time, not less.

Door from Detroit Urban Artifacts 
Refurbishment by Andrej Golovan, Carpenter Craftsman

Finding Potential in Forgotten Pieces 

When I walk through a salvage warehouse in Chicago, wander through a Berlin flea market, explore an antique store in Paris or pull over for a local estate sale in Detroit, I’m not seeing what’s broken. I’m seeing what could be. The craftsmanship, the materials, the proportions all of it has potential. It’s not about rescuing old things just for the sake of nostalgia; it’s about sustainable design and respecting what already exists and giving it a new role.

And beyond the environmental and economic impact, there’s a joy in knowing these salvaged pieces are often one of a kind. They become the details that set your home apart, the reason a space feels personal rather than from a catalog. It’s so much more fun to answer, “Where did you get that piece?” with a story about a dusty warehouse, a Saturday morning estate sale, or a treasure found in a Lisbon street market, instead of a link to a website. 

These pieces carry stories that new furniture simply can’t replicate, the patina of age, the marks of use, the evidence of care from previous owners. When you bring them into your home, you’re not just decorating; you’re becoming part of their continuing narrative.

Restoration by Andrej Golovan, Carpenter Craftsman

Transforming Heirloom Furniture for Modern Homes

Sometimes, the most meaningful projects come from helping clients rework a beloved heirloom that doesn’t quite fit their home’s aesthetic and reimagining it so that it does. A dining table with great bones but a dated finish, a vintage chair that needs new upholstery, a cabinet with beautiful proportions but tired hardware, these are opportunities to honor the past while keeping it functional in the present.

I’ve worked with clients who inherited their grandmother’s antique pie safe but couldn’t figure out how to make it work in their newly renovated mid-century home. By refinishing it in a lighter tone and designing new leaded glass panels, we transformed it into a statement piece that honored its history while fitting seamlessly into their space. They got to keep that family connection without compromising their design vision. That’s the beauty of thoughtful restoration.

What started as a creative impulse has grown into a conscious, sustainable design practice.

I know not everyone gets that same spark of excitement. But I see the opportunity to save something with history, to make it beautiful again, and to do it in a way that feels aligned with how I want to live and work.

That’s the heart of my approach to design: slowing down, paying attention, and finding beauty in what’s already here. Because sometimes, the most inspiring thing you can do isn’t to start from scratch it’s to start from what’s been left behind. 

Custom Furniture Restoration Services 

If you have a piece with that kind of potential, a cherished heirloom or salvaged find, I’d love to help you see it with fresh eyes. Diagram Studio can oversee every step of its transformation. From custom refinishing to reimagined design details, we ensure it feels perfectly at home in your space and tailored to your lifestyle. 

We also collaborate with fellow designers to source, restore, and reimagine pieces for their clients. Let’s create something meaningful together! 

Cheers,

Kimberly Steiner