SweisKloss, all photos on this page by SK Staff

Our Trip to the Past

by SweisKloss
February 3, 2022

Do you remember our blog the other week about sourcing places that could reuse our outdated samples from our materials library, and we mentioned donating to an architectural salvage warehouse? Well, we took a trip to Eric’s Architectural Salvage LA to see what they are all about. Situated on an unassuming street in DTLA, the space is massive and holds literally thousands of vintage architectural pieces from eras past, such as Art Deco, Craftsman, Spanish Revival, and Mid-century.

Their inventory includes exterior/interior lighting, hardware, every type of door and window imaginable, gates of all shapes/sizes, weathered garden statues, ornate built-ins, mantels, fireplaces, rare tile such as Batchelder, cabinets and shelves filled with genuine Fiestaware (everyday tableware from the 40’s – early 70’s which now could be worth as much as $1600 for a single casserole dish). In short, they pretty much have everything AND the kitchen sink.

Meandering around the warehouse, each item seems to vibrate with its storied past, its evocative design, and the home in which it was procured. To be sure, this amassed collection would fascinate any history buff given that many pieces come from century-old homes around Los Angeles, our glorious and eccentric city. We also appreciate the sustainable aspect of reuse and preservation of these salvaged objects.

From what we’ve ascertained, this warehouse is a place where set designers, film students, celebrities and their designers, antique collectors, and LA homeowners who are in the know go to find period pieces that are extra special. Eric’s Architectural Salvage seems to have quite a following, which is perhaps why they can afford to be one of LA’s best kept secrets and why one would be hard pressed to find much info about them online.

Today, where everyone has a website, Eric’s does not. They do have a dare-you-to-find-it IG account (@erics_salvage_ where Eric & Wanda are listed…who is Wanda?!), a shop on the notable Chairish site, and a straightforward, well-stocked shop on Ebay, but not much else. However, to their credit, their business has been around way longer than websites, social, or anything digitally app related and are doing just fine. Ironically, this is the part where we would want to insert a not-so-old-world winking emoji followed by a clever hashtag about being vintage in every way.