In Kirstie's Homemade Home, Kirstie Allsopp kits out a house by shopping at reclamation yards. But what do you need to know about reclamation yards before you go, and where should you shop? Here's the 4homes expert guide.
By Sarah Warwick
Whether you’re after lighting, tiles, bricks, ironwork or other elements of a home or garden, a reclamation yard is the perfect place to track down what you need – plus plenty you’ve never even dreamt of.
Pottering round a salvage yard is a pleasurable way to shop for your home. Instead of being thrown away, the building materials and contents from old houses and other buildings have been saved so they can become part of the fabric or interior of a different building – a green solution to improving your home.
Using pieces that don’t have the shine of newness will also give your house character, and you can bet you won’t go round to friends and find they’ve got exactly the same piece when you shop this way rather than on the high street.
Make sure you’re dressed for the occasion: for reclamation yards this means putting on boots and gloves so you can have a good scout around.
You may get a bargain, or the opportunity to ask for a better price if you’re buying lots at one go. However, be aware that in this case secondhand doesn’t necessarily equal cheap. Age and character can come at a cost.
At a reclamation yard you can buy everything from the smallest finishing details for your home, such as door furniture, to building materials like roof tiles and timber flooring.
Consider looking for buys like:
• Fireplaces
• Tiles
• Stained glass
• Bricks
• Garden statues
• Lighting
• Furniture
• Radiators
• Doors
Keep an eye out too for interesting re-uses of original pieces – for example, mirrors made from sash windows. Or, if you want to give a dining area character, why not think about using church chairs or pews, both of which are plentiful. And if you want a quirky feel in your home or garden, old signs and even classic red telephone boxes can be tracked down.
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