Item #338230: Sanitary Wall Sconce – $165

Created by: Greg Balducci
We get lots of compliments on this creative light fixture, hanging up near our customer service desk. One day someone is going to take it home, and on that day we will mourn the loss of a true 2U fixture (pun intended) but be glad to see it go to someone who appreciates its beauty. Could that someone be you?

Item #577723: Foundry Bookshelf – $95 (ON SALE!)

Created by: Dirk Wassink2U President and Co-Owner Dirk does more than just hold this company together: he creates one of a kind shelving out of one of our favorite and most versatile materials: foundry patterns! Hot tip: our last batch of foundry is on the floor and on sale now, while supplies last!

Items #607525 (Pipe Organ Birdhouse -$85), #607541 (Tiger Maple Shelf -$195), and #607529 (Skateboard Birdhouse -$55)

Created by: Nils Rye
Nils loves wood. This is a fact. And the things he does with it are truly incredible. Take this pipe organ birdhouse, for example, where he has taken something that used to make music and made it into a home for creatures who will fill your yard with song. A beautiful second life for this pipe organ piece, isn’t it?

This tiger figured maple shelf practically glows! The reclaimed steel shelf supports add industrial charm to the naturally beautiful wood, finished with sunflower oil.

And for the sportier bird fans among us, this reclaimed skateboard birdhouse is a unique yard feature that will be sure to attract only the *coolest* of birds. Your neighbors will be jealous, we guarantee it.

Item #607335: Adorable Strawberry Light – $95

Created by: Elliot O’Sheehan

This fruity light is just begging to be the statement piece in your kitchen! We picture it above a dining table or in a pantry, but you can make it yours and put it wherever your heart desires.

Items #607273 (Coleman Lantern Lamp – $145) and #607283 (Skateboard Wall Sconce -$95)

Created by: Anne Kohl

Our resident in-house lighting restorer, refurbisher, and all around creative light fixture powerhouse Anne made this lovely table lamp out of a Coleman lantern. Polished and chic, with tons of salvage charm, this would look great in any space!

And how could you resist this cooler-than-cool skateboard sconce? Perfect for the budding boarder in your life, or as an accent piece in your living room.

Check out these items and more any day of the week from 9AM-6PM, and give us a call if you’d like to put anything on hold! (206)-763-6929

Gentry learned general carpentry and handyman-ship from his grandfather starting at an early age. As an adult he spent a number of years constructing post-frame buildings and working on home remodel projects. Realizing that the finer aspects of woodworking appealed to him most, he decided to attend cabinet and fine furniture making school at the Wood Construction Center in Seattle. Gentry has been working with salvaged building materials throughout the entirety of his woodworking career.

After cabinet and furniture school, Gentry sought to further his woodworking education. A love for hand tools and the “old ways of woodworking” led him to seek a teacher with similar practices. He found this teacher in Dale Brotherton, from whom he studied the art of Japanese-style woodworking for three years.

Gentry has worked at Second Use for six years, wearing many different hats. Now, he works most regularly in the store and yard, Friday through Sunday. When he is not at Second Use or working in the shop, he attends physical therapy school. He is very familiar with wood species identification, the processes of preparing materials for use, and their implementation in many construction applications. Feel free to ask him any questions when you see him!

Posted 6/6/2013

Dave received a Degree of Certification in horticulture technology at the Area Technical Trade Center in 1996 in his hometown of Las Vegas. While in the program, he began an internship at the Las Vegas Valley Water District, where he helped educate residents on drought-tolerant landscaping. The District’s gardens comprised 14 different “landscapes,” featuring native plants, cacti and succulents that proved you can still have an inspiring garden, while providing shade and keeping water usage to a minimum. In addition to leading garden tours and public education, Dave helped to create and maintain the various other habitats and landscapes showcased in the diverse demo plots.

Lacey moved to the Northwest shortly thereafter and joined EarthCorps, an environmental service program based in Seattle. He learned and practiced invasive removal of English ivy, the tenacious blackberry, and morning glory, as well as receiving an education in native plant design and installation. Lacey also gained exposure to using chainsaws for articulate work and the rules of laying stone for everlasting structures in trail work and various hillside restoration projects. It was through this exposure he become inspired to be more of a builder, working with the environment, and not conforming it.

Following his stint with restoration, Lacey learned the tradition of classic stonework through a variety of reputable landscape companies. He picked up ideas as he went, until gaining the confidence to branch out on his own, when he created his own company, Wooden Stoneworks. He specialized in dry-stack walls, patios, pathways and custom exterior carpentry. He always aimed to incorporate salvaged material in his work and convince his clients of the necessity of conservation through permaculture and intelligent design.

Dave has always been drawn to the sustainability of reusing building materials, and that is what brought him to Second Use–the draw of working with a like-minded, focused community and a different kind of public interaction. He started working at Second Use in April and is currently the weekend manager. If you have any questions about landscaping and how to incorporate salvage into your yard, don’t hesitate to ask Dave Lacey. At 6 feet 9 inches, you can’t miss him!

Posted 2/1/2013

Isbell received his B.S. in architectural engineering from the University of Wyoming. He worked for two structural engineering firms, DCI Engineers and Quantum Consulting Engineers, prior to his position at Second Use.  Isbell has done structural design for projects varying from small residential remodels to new high-rise construction, but he prefers the more tangible scale of smaller projects.

At Second Use, customers can see Isbell’s work firsthand in the hanging light trellis. The light trellis was designed to better showcase the store’s rotating collection of about 100 vintage and high-end light fixtures. Staff built it from the wood of a demolished mezzanine, right in the warehouse. However, most remarkable about the trellis is the fact that Isbell designed tensioned chain braces to keep it from swinging—a huge asset when dealing with fragile lights.

With an interest in expanding the scope of salvage beyond finishes and décor, Isbell hopes to see it play a more integral role in architectural features and structural systems. If you have questions about incorporating salvage in your project, Isbell would be happy to help. If he is not around, there are plenty of other staff members on hand to help advise you on your home improvement projects, too.

Posted 1/2/2013