1.10.12

Salvage hunting



To take our minds off certain house buying things, we went salvage browsing.




The first place boasted the 'largest stock of furniture' in the Universe - or claims to that effect and yet oddly, we could not find anything we particularly liked (or could afford!) in the vast storerooms.




Apart from this lovely (new) four poster bed, which would swamp an average sized bedroom.




Our next stop, BEESTON RECLAMATION YARD  was more like it. Must have chimney pots in a garden one day.



 



 And maybe an Edwardian fireplace - for inside, of course.  but which one to choose?


 


 This one was sweet - 



 Under the cobwebs, poppies and swallows;


 


...and this one...




But I think we both liked this the best, with bucolic country views painted onto the tiles. It would go beautifully in a little Edwardian cottage bedroom...


 

 


We day-dreamed of re-tiling a kitchen wall with a glorious melange of antique panels.



 


These kinds of colours, we thought. 



Exploring  enticing storage crates rammed with furniture -




- if I could have had one thing and money to burn, it would have been this clock, though hard to tell if it just needs winding or simply won't go any more...




Finding exactly the right sized radiator I'd thought would be perfect for underneath a window. If one had a window of one's own , that is.




Then I spotted this giant old water trough and started wondering how it could be turned into an outdoor hot tub. At which point I realised it had all gone to my head and it was time to trundle home for a cup of tea. And to tackle the behemoth deadlines, two of 'em, that are still looming over my head.







24 comments:

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

Is that water trough hewed from stone? How wonderful that is.
I love your idea of a grouping of tiles on the wall, those are some of the prettiest I have seen.
All so inpsiring!

Nancy said...

I love the tiles. Sigh. If I had the horse trough I'd plant water lilies outside in my garden in it.

I rent my house and will never be able to afford to own one but I have giant wish lists of things I'd do if I ever owned one.

A fireplace like you showed is now being added. lol

Charlotte said...

Lovely, I do like the idea of the tiles in the kitchen. Having a house post 1945 we would look idiotic if we tiled using that style. But sometimes long for an open fire with tiles and a mantel. Hope the house hunting is going apace. We found, just as you thought it was never going to happen! You suddenly have a house.

Caroline B said...

Gorgeous fireplaces! I wouldn't know which one to pick, plus I think I would be carrying home a massive stack of those tiles if I were to visit that place!

Yvonne Moxon said...

Thank you for your little picture tour of the salvage yards I love places like that. It must be a difficult time right now with all the waiting I feel for you and hope it comes to conclusion soon. I was thinking about you this evening as I read 'Mrs Mouses Cupcakes' to my little Charlotte, she likes it lots and always pretends to eat the little cakes :)

Claire said...

Hey Gretel, what wonderful places to visit, not surprised your dreaming go the better of you.....
Love the chimney pots and all those gorgeous tiles.

If I had money to burn I think I would find it all to hard to make a decision.

A nice cuppa sounds like the best decision of all......

CLaire x

Lin said...

Oh, what fun digging through all those treasures!! I don't think we have chimney pots here. I think I want one for my garden too!

rossichka said...

How many opportunities to make your home cosy, just in the way you'll like it! You have such a big choice of beautiful furniture, I'm impressed!I liked most the fireplaces and the variety of panels.I've never seen chimney pots before, maybe because we live mainly in "blocks" here, not in houses!
I'm thinking about you, Gretel, and keep my fingers crossed! Hope you are well!x

Frances said...

Gretel, it's so much fun to see all the antiquities available to enhance a home.

When I've visited places like what you've shown, I've always been tempted to come up with back stories...just how is it that these lovely (or sometimes just very strange or eccentric) items arrived before my eyes/

I agree with all those earlier comments...the tiles are lovely.

Still got my fingers all crossed in many directions for your getting your very own home sweet home.

Best wishes on those impending deadlines.

xo

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Those gorgeous old tiles are such a weakness for me. I use them as coasters.
xo,
p

menopausalmusing said...

Just let me loose on those tiles........

ted and bunny said...

I do love a good reclaimation yard- unfortunately ours have moved with the idea of "fill it with made to look old but really brand new rusty cast iron and no-one will know the difference"

Annie said...

What wonderful finds Gretel. Hoping the house buying is still going well as I've not heard different from you.
Hugs,
A x

Tonia said...

The clock and the tiles, definitely. Whether it works or not!

Acornmoon said...

Why did I not know about this amazing place, I am definately going to visit one day, if only to daydream!

Anonymous said...

Oooo, what a lovely day's visual grazing! I adore junk yards and reclamation yards. Those tiles....!

Yesterday I took delivery of a big oak Edwardian wardrobe. We haven't had a wardrobe in 3 years, clothes have lived on a rail, but that's not why I stroke it every time I walk past it! It's got that patina that says 'I've been used and looked after.' Lovely! (and I've just discovered the handles are copper!) You don't get that in a flat pack!

Jess said...

I love the things in those places and so glad to see things rescued but I get disappointed at the prices, maybe it's because there's such a demand for them now? I hope you find some bargain treasures for your new home.:)
Jess xx

ellen said...

Such loveliness to look at and dream about.
Dear Gretel, I hope that all this agony of waiting ends very soon for you and Andy. How stressful.
I am still sending good wishes and hopes that soon, very soon..as in Right Now, it ends in a dream come true.

donna baker said...

I would lose my mind there. Leaving that water trough would have killed me.

BumbleVee said...

oh, boy....if only I could find some real tiles like those....I might consider that as my kitchen backsplash .... so far I have no clue what colour tiles or what type I will put on my wall under the cupboards at all.... it is daunting to try to make such decisions.... we must live with it for such a long time after deciding..... or not, I guess.. I suppose a person could afford to do tile every so often..... as long as I don't go overboard with it price wise....

BumbleVee said...

oh, boy....if only I could find some real tiles like those....I might consider that as my kitchen backsplash .... so far I have no clue what colour tiles or what type I will put on my wall under the cupboards at all.... it is daunting to try to make such decisions.... we must live with it for such a long time after deciding..... or not, I guess.. I suppose a person could afford to do tile every so often..... as long as I don't go overboard with it price wise....

Vintage Jane said...

we love a good old rummage in a rec yard, but sadly our nearest one has decided to fill it's barns and yard with repros from China :(

Unknown said...

Which I knew where this was. I'd love to contact them as I am trying to track down a match for antique tile and they sure seemed to have a lot of it. Please post name of shops etc. It would be helpful unless for some reason you cannot.

Gretel said...

Dear Cassandra - I am hoping that you find this, as when I looked at your profile there was no information, nor any way to contact you, and I do like to try to be helpful where possible. I have been blogging for ten years now and where possible, I always put links in to shops or useful sites. The link to the main salvage yard in this post, where the tiles were, was actually linked and highlighted in green. I have since been back and edited the post (which is now over three years old, but they are still trading) and put the text in capitals and in bold type, so that you can find it more easily, should you return.

I did not post a link to the first salvage yard, as at the time it did not have a website, and I have since forgotten where it was, it being so long since I wrote it and life has been somewhat busy since then. But I am sure that if you contact the Beestons Yard, which is in Cheshire, United Kingdom, they will be happy to help you.

This is a personal blog, and I feel no obligation to post links. I certainly don't get paid for doing so and I reserve the right to post/link whatever I like. In this case however, there was a link, and I hope you will a) find it this time and b)find it useful.