Portland Architectural Salvage

Architectural Salvage is a very unique store next to the equally interesting flea for all. Here you can find antique tables, giant fish made of soda cans, and door knobs that may have come from Versailles. They are even dog friendly, but be sure to ask first if it’s ok to bring in Bowser. The owner is friendly and very helpful when looking for something specific. Prices weren’t terrible, though it’s hard to compare as the items are fairly unique.

Nice selection at top dollar period… blah blah need more words blah blah

Incredibly cool place. My hubby and I went today and had a lot of fun exploring the 3 floors. So much stuff and a lot more than salvage. They had some really nice older furniture, stained glass, signs, doors, door knobs, curtain tie backs. It is right next to the Flea For All so I suggest planning a trip when both are open.

Was absolutely shocked by the deplorable customer service. Unreal.

Very interesting collection of items over 4 floors BUT ridiculous prices. i would have purchased but not at that price.

HOLY CRAP what a cool place. No, not cheap by any means, but such a freaking cool collection of stuff, you will easily get lost in here for hours. Organized, helpful staff, awesome place.

Oh the griping over prices. Yes, this is going to happen here. Things are NOT marked up 500%. Some of them are acquired cheaply (people just getting rid of houses being torn apart) but MANY things are not easy to find or cheap to purchase and sell. I saw antique marble counters come and go in a day for far cheaper than buying new and they had a patina that was GORGEOUS. sniff sniff. It really depends on what you are looking for. I have loved everything I have purchased. They have a very scary basement of amazing antique doors. I like to incorporate these doors into home renovations. By the time you buy the door (which are priced very well here, btw), have the door refurbished and framed out… you could have bought new. The beauty and authenticity is worth it though!

Portland Salvage is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating experiences to be had in all of Maine… the owner, Alice, is an eccentric (in the best possible way!) and animated host. Her staff are knowledgeable and helpful. Take the time and poke around — you won’t be sorry!
Referencing the negative commentary below re: pricing: Let’s face it, salvaged items are all the rage — across the country and beyond. I mean, check out Restoration Hardware — their new ‘brand.’ The stuff is exorbitantly priced, and yet mass produced and not nearly as interesting/​authentic. Portland Salvage’s pricing, given the booming market, makes sense. Further proof of its popularity, check out any design magazine — repurposed and salvaged materials/​furniture are highly sought after and popular with many design aesthetes.
Portland Salvage is indicative, to me, of the burgeoning Portland, Maine ‘scene.’ A vibrant destination to experience food, culture, shopping and so much more!

I love coming here to look at the lovely vintage finds. I have purchased an old lobster trap, a Peaks Island sign and loads of skeleton keys — but the price on some of the larger pieces are so high that they just aren’t worth the find. If you are looking for vintage parts for your home (door knobs, hooks, etc) definitely a great stop.

Very very expensive!!! I have tried buying a number of items over the last three years but price is prohibitive.

This place is fabulous. They always have interesting items, both large and small.
Every piece I have ever purchased I will treasure and never get rid of. You can design an entire room around some of the custom pieces. There is actually room to walk around and see things as opposed to some places around so crammed full of stuff you can’t even move. Alice rocks!

OMG, love it. LOVE IT. Hey, they bargain, make an offer. Yeah, a tad expensive and I have seen antiques for less in California, but hey, I needed something for Maine.
Got it. Love the staff. LOVE this place. Neat stuff. Just so cool and ORGANIZED. There is a salvage store in the East Bay (in Cali) but it is such a mish mosh of unorganization I can’t think. This place is great. GO here. You will fall in love and buy some of the coolest things. I am telling you, make an offer. Really. They will take some money off. Really. can’t hurt to ask, so ask and you will receive!

I’ve read the 5 reviews below me and I agree that this place is priced out of the universe. Yes, $ 300 for an old barn window is a bit weird. But hey, you know there’s no way you’re gonna actually take the time to decorate your house like that hip urban décor magazine you subscribe to so chill…
I’m reviewing this place for the fun I had just rummaging around and checking out all the old stuff. It was more like an off-​beat museum to me and less of an antique shop. When you stop in, make sure to go to the 3^rd floor and check out all of the old mantle pieces and industrial furnishings. If you do happen to have a fat bank roll burning a whole in your pocket then you can pick up some antique doorknobs or a few old barn windows for whatever project you had in mind. If not, just stop in and have a fun time looking around.

This place is huge and filled with amazing finds: antique furniture, quirky old store equipment, vestiges of another industrial time, even a legit old wooden cartridge. It’s part museum, part junk shop, but mostly a collection of solidly built furniture and industrial wares. Amazing.
The lady working there was friendly, funny, nice and happy to tell great stories about where things came from. Best of all they endorse creative re-​use and clever adaption of these old, solid gems.

I was very excited to find this pace on a recent trip to Portland. Unfortunately, my excitement waned when I read the first price tag, then the second, and third, and so on. I nearly walked out after 2 minutes.
As a trained and educated professional in preservation, I love to see the reuse of salvaged architectural items. But in turn, I also HATE to see when a purveyor of these salvaged materials sells out and begins hiking up the prices to make a rather large profit.
Additionally, as an owner of an historic house, I love to come to across warehouses full of house parts ready to be reinstalled in historic buildings (of all kinds). Unfortunately, the prices of the materials here were so inflated that I simply could not afford anything. $ 100 per doorknob, $ 125 for a bathtub tray, $ 495 for a bathroom sink (no hardware included), etc. adds up quite uncomfortably for someone with a smaller budget (or maybe even a larger budget).
It sickens me to think that a person not accustomed to the ideals of preservation could walk into an establishment like this and assume that this is the going rate for salvaged architectural items. I’ve seen the same door knobs go for $ 35, the same bathtub tray go for $ 45, and have purchased the exact same sink for $ 100 (which included hardware) elsewhere.
To those of you who are thinking that this is what all preservationists are like: we are not all pretentious. Preservation should not be displayed as a past-​time of the wealthy, because it simply is not true. Many of my fellow preservationists think this is ludicrous as well and places like this give preservation a bad name. I will not be returning to Portland Architectural Salvage.

This place was high on my list of places to visit on our trip to Portland. I’m no stranger to paying high prices for unique furnishings and accessories, including antique/​vintage pieces, but this place just felt really expensive for its offerings. I’ve definitely been to warehouses with a similar concept in other cities, but they’re usually more affordable and fairly priced for the quality.

I’m just not that impressed with this place. I went once with my girlfriend. We found a doorknob for something like 20 bucks. We did not purchase this doorknob. As she said when we were talking about this place recently, it’s annoying to think about this business basically salvaging old stuff and then marking it up five hundred or so per cent. I’ll go snatch an old door off a busted house by myself, thank you very much.

me in an architectural salvage shop is a scary thing and this was no exception. After much rummaging I found 4 matching Deco hinges and drawer pulls that were in near mint condition and the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
I also snagged a beautiful 30’s glass lampshade.
All that for $ 40.
This place has a great selection and is pretty cheap.