Instant character

Sometimes, a new house just needs a little old-house charm.

Buying a new home doesn’t mean giving up on the past—or the visual depth it offers. Add interest to your home by weaving architectural salvage into the decor.

Here’s how to get started:

• Incorporate materials such as vintage doors, reclaimed wood flooring, used brick, or columns when planning or remodeling a home. Reclaimed wood is also ideal for exposed ceiling beams. Columns are a natural fit at the base of a table or island or anchoring a fireplace mantel. Wood carvings add interest to mantels, cabinets, and doorways.
• Make a big statement with small additions such as antique hardware for cabinets, doors, and windows. Anthropologie has a great selection of décor in their “At Home” section in-store and online. Use decorative old shutters as mail files or replace clear-glass or solid cabinet door panels with stained-glass or punched-copper inserts.
• Display vintage heating grates or tin ceiling tiles as artwork, or turn fencing into a coat rack.
• Don’t forget your landscaping; architectural ornaments, such as stone columns or gargoyles, can become garden focal points, and defunct fountains make lovely planters.