Take a tour around a salvage-lover's home

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Heather Young
By Heather Young
last updated

The kitchen is the heart of the home and as such is a perfect example of the shabby-chic style of the rest of the house. The shop counter is used as a kitchen island and is from Barjac in France, and the tiles are reclaimed.1/10

salvage chic kitchen

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

Try Drummonds for reclaimed tiles, and Andy Thornton for second-hand shop furniture and fittings.

shabby chic dining room

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

This home is the antithesis of mass-produced modern design and every piece has a history. The dining table in the airy dining room was rescued from a works canteen but works perfectly in a family home.

 Visit City Furniture Clearance Ltd for school and workplace furniture, try Bisque for classic column radiators, and The French House stocks classic metal Pauchard chairs

lounge with chair

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

An eclectic mixture of old wooden accessories and curios is a great way to give a room a unique salvaged-chic look. The mirror is actually a giant cog, rescued from a textiles factory in Lancashire, and leaning against the wall is a board from the old porcelain factory Royal Worcester. Keeping walls white or neutral and painting the floorboards white helps to keep the scheme looking uncluttered.

Try House of Mirrors for unusual mirrors and Regal Paints does a great range of floor paint.

bathroom with chairs nailed to the wall

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

You'll never be short of a seat in the bathroom! A mixture of pre-loved school chairs all painted in off-white are hung up on the wall and placed around the room for a quirky feature.

Try UK Architectural Antiques for reclaimed school furniture and The White Cottage Company for country-style bathroom furniture.

open plan wardrobe

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

Instead of hiding clothes away in wardrobes the owners display their clothes on old scaffolding poles and make the most of the space, while creating a walk-in wardrobe.

Contact Scaffolding Supplies Ltd for advice and to buy scaffolding.

shoemakers last table leg

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

The owners of this shabby-chic house love collecting old objects and using them in an unusual way, such as this cobbler's last used as a table leg.

barely decorated bedroom

(Image credit: Future PLC/ Paul Massey)

Sleep experts say that the secret to getting a good night's sleep is a simply decorated, clutter-free bedroom - and this almost bare bedroom is a perfect example. The bed is made out of reclaimed green oak and the dressing table is a 19th century French workbench.

Try Deja Vu for antique French furniture.

colourful reclaimed glass vases

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

Not everything in this recycled home is distressed and neutral-coloured. This windowsil in the home-office offers a bright pop of colour thanks to second-hand retro glass vases. 

Hunt around in charity shops for vintage glassware.

distressed dressing table

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

A cool mixture of modern and salvaged items mingle effortlessly. The basin stand is actually a table picked up from a bakery and then bleached.

Holloways of Ludlow have similar basins and try Original House for a bakers table. John Jones have a great selection of large frames.

shabby chic bathroom

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)

Not everything in this bathroom is reclaimed. The mixer tap is by Philippe Starck and is one of his most successful designs. Of course, the rest of the furniture in the bathroom is pre-loved: the three-tier stand came from a dentist's surgery and a ladder is used as bath rack.

See more real homes in our House Tours channel. Find decorating ideas for every room and see our expert videos.

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Heather Young
Heather Young
Editor

Heather Young has been Ideal Home’s Editor since late 2020, and Editor-In-Chief since 2023. She is an interiors journalist and editor who’s been working for some of the UK’s leading interiors magazines for over 20 years, both in-house and as a freelancer. 

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