It’s no secret that I love to use salvaged materials. Although they’re often more trouble than buying new, I think they’re worth it. They’re my favorite way to create interesting, unique interiors, all while saving money and resources. A post I wrote about advice for shopping for salvaged materials went up on Apartment Therapy last week, so I decided to round-up my favorite sources for salvage in Portland.

Although there are tons of great vintage furniture resources in town, I’m only including shops on this list that also sell significant amounts of vintage hardware, lighting, plumbing or architectural materials.

• ReBuilding Center  – This is my go-to place for salvage of all types. I’ve bought tiles, light fixtures, doorknobs, pegboard, tools, wood, tons of random hardware, and a sink there, and I’m sure that list will only grow. It’s the least expensive option on this list, so it’s not curated, and definitely a treasure hunt. I’ve found many a diamond in the rough there, though. If you’re curious about it and can’t visit, I did a photo tour that will give you an idea of what it’s like. My corner bathroom sink, wood for my bathroom ledge shelves, and my wall grid materials all came from here.
• Salvage Works – This place is all about reclaimed wood. They sell wood as lumber, wall cladding, and custom-built furniture. When we wanted to add live-edge wood shelves to our kitchen, we wandered in here one day, picked out some pieces of wood, then had them cut, sanded, and finished to our specifications. We love how they turned out.

• Hippo Hardware – This place is an old-Portland legend. Its instantly-recognizable three-story building is full of vintage treasures, from hardware to architecture and plumbing. We’ve only bought doorbell chimes and drawer hardware here because it’s on the pricier side, but if you’re looking for something specific, or just have a generous budget for special finds, it’s worth checking out.
• Old Portland Hardware and Architectural – They actually moved across town this summer, and while I haven’t been to their new building yet, I can’t leave them off the list because they were so helpful in our quest to fix up our old doors. A bunch of our interior doors had broken or missing locks, latches, doorplaces or knobs, and they repaired pieces and sold us replacement parts. They have all sorts of hardware and lighting, plus some unique reclaimed/repurposed vintage furniture and decor finds, and big slabs of wood.

• Aurora Mills – They describe themselves as purveyors of “architectural salvage,” which covers all sorts of furniture, decor, hardware, wood, etc. You used to have to drive out to Aurora, Oregon to visit the warehouse and barn, which is still totally worth doing, especially since there are other antique stores nearby, but now they have a showroom in Portland. They have gorgeous finds that are priced accordingly (AKA on the high side), but it’s fun to visit for inspiration, and possible splurges on those unique treasures you just can’t leave behind.
• Rejuvenation – While you may know Rejuvenation from its web shop, or one of its locations across the country, the original store in Portland was an architectural salvage shop before the owner started rebuilding light fixtures. The Portland shop still has a large salvage section, as does their website. It probably won’t come as any surprise that their salvage is beautiful, but expensive.
• ReClaim It – This is a relatively small, volunteer-run store that has a mission to divert materials headed for local landfills to local artists. They put on art shows where the artists literally find the materials in the dump, so the emphasis here isn’t as much on practical materials as it’s on things you could use in art in a creative way. But they do have small stacks of doors, windows, wood, and some furniture and yard supplies, so they’re worth checking out.
• Metalwood Salvage – So far I’ve only been here once, but I was intrigued. When I visited, the inventory did lean heavily towards what some people might call “junk,” but those of us looking for unusual pieces might find some things to use and adapt.  They’ll even build you custom furniture and lighting from reclaimed materials, and repair broken metal items.