Shop Talk: Columbus Architectural Salvage

Whether you’re renovating an old house, constructing a new one, or looking for a unique decorative piece, there’s something new to discover around every corner of Columbus Architectural Salvage.

The 10,000-square-foot warehouse −at 1580 Clara St. next to the Ohio State Fairgrounds− is chock-full of rare and interesting finds, including vintage door and window hardware, fireplace mantels, doors, windows, sinks and tubs, stair parts, planters, and building ornaments.

“We travel all over Ohio, and sometimes to neighboring states, buying and salvaging old house parts and unique architectural artifacts,” says Chris Sauer, Columbus Architectural Salvage’s proprietor. “We buy individual pieces, as well as salvage rights to entire buildings. When we buy the salvage rights to a building, we go in ourselves and carefully remove as many materials as we can handle. I really enjoy searching for the items we have in the store, and I never know what I’m going to find.”

Visitors often comment on how organized the warehouse is and how nicely the merchandise is displayed.

“They say, ‘This is the cleanest architectural salvage place I’ve ever seen.’ We value these old house parts and building ornaments, and I think it’s reflected in the feel and look of our store,” he says.

Columbus Architectural Salvage moved to its current location in June after three years in Grandview.

“We appreciate all of the support from our customers over the years, and it’s been fun to see people bring family members and friends back with them to show them our store,” he says. “Hearing things from visitors like ‘Thank you for what you’re doing’ or ‘You’re one of Columbus’s best kept secrets’ is rewarding and keeps us going.”

Photos by Adam Slane Photography.

Click to enlarge images.

Click to enlarge images.

Click to enlarge images.