Philadelphia Salvage: Where to Go, What You'll Find

The Problem- You live in a castle with gothic stained glass windows. Your neighbor's bratty child threw a baseball through said stained glass windows.

The Solution, presumably after you had a restorative cocktail- Architectural Salvage.

When you've lost something that happens to be irreplacable, when you're restoring a historic home, or when you're just looking for an interesting kitchen sink, the first place you should head to is one of the city's many architectural salvage clearing houses. These stores buy up wonderful old items- from mantles to columns to claw foot bath tubs, and everything in between- from renovators, clean them up and re-sell, at a fair price. Here's a few good places to go:

ReStore (3016 East Thompson St.): A very comprehensive selection, includes cast iron ornaments, tile, doors and sinks. Also offers a design service and never-used pieces.

Found Matter (1320 N. Fifth St., by appointment): In addition to handcrafted furniture pieces made from re-harvested wood, a very good selection of architectural pieces. Stained glass windows, doors (including double-doors), moldings and more.

Architectural Antiques Exchange (715 N. 2nd): If you have a sudden need to buy a complete, paneled library, this is where you go. Gates, lighting, beds, bars...and everything in between.