Monday, March 31, 2014

An Iowa Find: West End Architectural Salvage

This weekend I traveled to Iowa to visit my amazing friend, Emily, who just had a baby!! She and her family live in Iowa right now, so I ventured to the Mid-West (for the first time) to meet her sweet little one, cook a few meals, and just be an extra set of hands around the house. One day, we drove to Des Moines to wander through West End Architectural Salvage after an amazing lunch at La Mie French Bakery.


 West End Salvage is a four-floor shop filled with unique and repurposed furniture, light fixtures, and various building, construction, and factory components.

 
Emily and I perused the warehouse while her little baby quietly slept. Being able to wander this shop with Emily was amazing, her home is a welcoming blend of farmhouse meets city. The granddaughter of a farmer, she lived in London for a stint before moving to the District. Her style reflects the influence of her time on her grandparents' farm blended with the enjoyment she finds from living in a busy modern city.
 The entry way to the warehouse.
 Brightly painted bin after brightly painted bin, all size 7.5. All I could think was these somehow belonged in an Anthropologie store window, or in a design studio of a designer participating in the CFDA Fashion Fund.

Being a salvage location, there were many pieces, including pews, clearly from old churches.  I have always thought it would be great to finish an old pew in outdoor paint and seal to use as a bench in a garden, especially if it were bleached for a white-washed look. That said, I'm really more focused on small-spaces and vertical gardening at our home in the District. Here in Iowa though, a girl can day dream about a large garden.
This mirror and frame were incredible. We both agreed the frame would be amazing in a color other than it's current shade of green. It was so large it easily would have been a floor-to-ceiling mirror for my living room back home.
The stairwell portrayed the warehouse perfectly, with the repurposed iron pipes serving as the handrail. Very industrial but with a sense of warmth and lightness of the creativity used throughout the space. 

West End Architectural Salvage also serves coffee and offers part of their space as a venue for events (I'm not kidding.) When Emily and I were there, a baby shower was being held in the cafe portion of the shop. 

If you find yourself in Des Moines, Iowa with a little time on your hands, stop by West End Architectural Salvage, and then get an Avocado Tartine from La Mie Bakery.

Here's to unexpected treasures and weekends with dear friends, 

-Domestic in the District

p.s. A special thank you to all the friends who so generously watched my son during the week days I was away and Ken was at work. I cannot sufficiently thank you. I am so very grateful for your friendship.

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