The team from Black Dog Salvage recently traveled from Roanoke, Virginia, to Louisville, Kentucky, where the 16th Woodcraft National Sales Conference and Vendor Trade Show was held. Season 4 of their popular TV show Salvage Dawgs, with co-hosts Mike Whiteside andRobert Kulp, began June 7 on the DIY Network. Mike and Robert were on hand to connect with Woodcraft franchise store owners, and they shared some great upcycling projects with those attending the closed show.
“It’s all salvage inspired. That’s the key to all the stuff we do.”
Taking pieces of architectural history and repurposing them in new ways creates upcycled projects that can have great meaning. “Everything we build has anywhere from one to four stories in it. It’s all salvage inspired,” Mike said. “That’s the key to all the stuff we do.”
Check out these 5 great upcycles from Black Dog Salvage.
1. Window Frame Coffee Table
Items from salvaged window frames are very popular right now, so this cool coffee table (above) is right on trend. Mike and his daughter Grace collaborated on a table very similar to this in Season 1, Episode 3 of Salvage Dawgs.
Using weathered boards to make the frame gives this table an aged, even beachy feel, depending on the finish chosen if you were to make your own. Throw in some reclaimed hardware, beadboard, balusters and leather trim, and you can have yourself an awesome table that doubles as a display case or can be used for storage. This one has a prop pole salvaged from a car to hold up the lid when rearranging the items inside.
You can find a three-piece set with a coffee table like this and two end tables for sale on Black Dog’s Online Marketplace.
2. Floor Lamp
This interesting piece is created using a cast-iron spool from an old textile factory for the base and some salvaged oak on which to center the floor lamp’s wooden frame. The two lighting boxes, which are attached back to back, are vintage fixtures from the 50s.
Mike shared, “I like doing lighting. You use a lot of creativity in it.” He’s also a big fan of using weathered wood that has seen the sun, rain and snow, like the reclaimed barn wood used on the side supports in this lamp. “That’s how you get that gray look,” he said. “You can’t replicate that.”
You can see the floor lamp build in Season 4, Episode 4 ofSalvage Dawgs.
3. Panel Door End Table
Old doors are pretty easy to find in Habitat for Humanity ReStores, salvage yards, flea markets, estate sales or thrift stores, as well as on home renovation jobsites (ask first!), online at sites likeCraigslist or eBay, or by dumpster diving. The doors with panels are some of the most interesting for repurposing.
This end table is made from a salvaged five-panel door, with a glass top added, as well as a reclaimed wood drawer, which pulls out for additional storage.
The easy-to-reach storage pocket on the side of this end table, made from reclaimed wood and a radiator screen, would be perfect for magazines, TV remote controls or video game controllers.
4. Brick Mould Wine Rack
Mike and Robert salvaged some wooden brick moulds from the Old Virginia Brick factory in Salem, Virginia, onSeason 3, Episode 9 of Salvage Dawgs. Old Virginia Brick is one of the few moulded brick companies left in the US that still uses the wooden moulds to create their bricks, which gives the bricks an old Colonial look.
The Black Dog team upcycled one of these moulds into a clever wine rack, which features tons of room to display your favorite legal beverages.
A wrought iron bracket balances out the front, while a wooden stand on the back side holds the mould at the proper angle. Finished off with cast-iron star elements to balance the bottles, this project is a real conversation piece.
5. Album Cover Table
This little table is a great way to display your favorite album!
It features walnut trim on the top and bottom shelves, 3/4″ plywood for the body of the shelves and metal legs painted with black satin finish. The wood is stained with a dark walnut, and a piece of glass fits on top to protect the album cover, magazine or favorite photo you wish to display.
Watch Salvage Dawg Tay Whiteside take you through the process of building this cool table, which was featured in Season 2, Episode 4. Click the video below to see how it’s done!
Black Dog Salvage and Woodcraft – a great team!
Pictured left, Grayson Goldsmith (Black Dog Salvage), Lori Haught (Woodcraft) and Mike Whiteside (Black Dog Salvage), at the Woodcraft National Sales Conference and Vendor Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky.
Stay tuned for more collaborations from Woodcraft and Black Dog Salvage!
