Reclaimed materials add character to architect Frederick Hyer’s residential projects. One of his favorite touches is to use Douglas fir salvaged from nearby commercial buildings as window casing and windowsills.
“My clients like the way it looks, with distressed marks or nail holes, and they like that it’s reusing something that would otherwise be thrown away,” he says.
To personalize the exterior of a 450-square-foot guest house in San Leandro, Calif., Hyer scoured local salvage yards to find a Porsche 924 hatchback that became the home’s front door awning. Using existing hinges from the windshield, he secured the 30-pound piece of automotive glass to the exterior for a one-of-a-kind custom touch that delighted the homeowner, a grandmother and old-car aficionado.
“It’s got a real sculptural shape to it,” he says.
In addition, a weathered farmhouse door, found in a Berkeley salvage yard, was hung from a salvaged Douglas fir beam with barn door hardware for a unique sliding bathroom door.
Green Details
Reclaimed materials add character to architect Frederick Hyer's residential projects.
Pine and oak trees from the site were used in the kitchen ceiling.
Reclaimed materials are a hallmark of custom builder Josh Wynne's projects.
This California home owes much of its rustic good looks to reclaimed materials.
The Flip House remodel re-used nearly all of the materials deconstructed from the original 1924 home.