Antique Paymaster's Desk - GREAT SALES COUNTER!

not sure exactly what this was originally used for... although, it looks to be a paymaster's desk from the late 1800s/early 1900s... there are lots of ways to use this beautiful desk today... i personally think it would make a terrific sales counter!

i'm having problems uploading the images... for more info, here's the link to our Ebay listing.

Simply Put - Home Redesign & Staging in Roanoke, VA

Our very own Koiner Kulp Thomas (head merchandiser here @ The Dog) and Courtney Cronin (who provides fabulous finds & creations via "The Dot Spot" located here in our Marketplace) have joined forces to offer Home Redesign & Staging Services in the Roanoke Valley.

They specialize in helping you reduce, reuse and recycle your existing furniture.

Have too much clutter? Not sure how to make your favorite piece of furniture, artwork, fabric work in your home? Want to give your room a new look without blowing your budget? Looking to sell your home in this tough competitive market?

Call Koiner & Courtney for a consultation!

I can speak from experience that Koiner has the magic touch ~ as a friend, I've thankfully been able to utilize her services these past few years for my own little cottage. It's gotten to the point where if my husband drives up & sees her car out front, he knows for sure that something has been rearranged inside (or that I've snuck another Black Dog find into our house)! Koiner has a terrific eye for design & color ~ to see for yourself, come browse through our showroom.

Courtney's creative energy is evident in her booth here @ Black Dog called 'The Dot Spot' ~ she has a knack for finding furniture with great bones and bringing pieces back to life. I have her to thank for many a side table in my house!

Together, the two are great fun to work with and will offer a professional and creative eye to their clients.

For Consultation or Appointment call:

Koiner Kulp Thomas 540-293-1542 cell or koiner2@cox.net

Courtney Cronin 540-798-5454 cell or cronin.cb@cox.net

Certified Home Makeover Specialists

Welcome back Mike! We'll miss you Sally...

Our head dog Mike has just returned from a much needed escape to beautiful Costa Rica. He & his family explored the countryside and stayed for awhile with friends who run Coral Hill Bungalows in Cahuita, Costa Rica. We'll get him to blog later about the trip...

Sadly for me, that means I must give up Sally, the Salvage Dog ~ she's been my shadow while Mike was away... there's no doubt that my pups Tarka & Moses will be in withdrawal from their playmate tonight. They had a ball spending the week together.

Here's a few pics of one of my favorite evenings with them... there's nothing better than 3 pups at your feet while working away online... all furiously chewing bones and then moments later, passed out in complete contentment!

We'll miss you Sal Sal!!!

A great day to play hooky!

After the oppressive heat wave last week, we are finally back to having beautiful weather here in Southwest Virginia! For anyone wanting to play hooky... come on by! It'll be a great week to skip out of the office and explore Black Dog.

Here's a quick pic of our building ~ we're the big yellow warehouse located at the edge of the Memorial Bridge ~ it was beautiful to drive over the bridge this afternoon, flags waving and the sun shinning... I took a quick peek over the bridge and the Roanoke River looked like a great escape! Soon you'll be able to access the river behind Black Dog on the developing Greenway Trails.

Hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy the beautful weather this week!

Rain Barrels

Rain Barrels

If you're like me, you've heard of rain barrels... think it's a great concept... but not quite sure how to make it all work...

We're in luck! Our friend, Jeff Hofman, just started a Rain Barrel business called Rain Keepers. He'll even come out to your home or business to help you set it up. Give him a call or drop him an email to see about shipping options, for those of you out of town.

Jeff came out & set one up for us here @ Black Dog - see the pictures above. It catches the condensation from our AC system & it's amazing to see how much water it produces - as much as 15 gallons in one day! Brent, our latest addition to the Black Dog Crew, is using it to water his growing garden.

For more info, contact:

Jeff Hofmann

540-815-3444

rainkeepers@gmail.com

http://www.rainkeepers.net/

Roanoke Dog Park - Bumper Stickers for a good cause!

A public dog park is coming to Roanoke City! All that's needed is the funding... NewVaConnects has helped raise $10,000 in a few short months but still has $20,000 to go. Any dog lovers out there?

For any folks interested in having a Dog Park in Roanoke... Bumper Stickers are now available @ Black Dog Salvage and online @ www.roanokedogpark.com (click on 'donations/donate now') for $5.

All proceeds go to building Roanoke's 1st public dog park.

For more information and ways to help, go to:

http://www.roanokedogpark.com/

Custom Reclaimed Wood Tables

Custom tables available from Black Dog Salvage

These two beauties just came out of our workshop...

The top picture is a reclaimed white oak top with antique iron base - this is a classic dining table - large enough & sturdy enough for the whole family - I see lots of late night homework & projects being done on this table!

The bottom picture is a reclaimed cedar table top with aluminum cradle base - the warmth of the top paired with the edginess of the base is a terrific combination! I see this in a renovated loft with plenty of room for the gang to gather around or in a conference room.

One of the fun things about spending the days here @ Black Dog is that there's always something new showing up on our sales floor - these kinds of custom designs are one my favorites. I'm always amazed at what our craftsman come up with (as I have very little DIY skills myself!).

It's always exciting to work with a client and have something designed for them (& often times by them). We'll post some pictures in future blogs to show what some of our clients have created.

In the meantime, these two tables are available for sale here in our retail shop and in our Ebay Store. Check out our Ebay store for more examples of custom designs.

Thanks!

Christa

Craving the taste of summer? This table is for you!

The thought of peeling shrimp & cracking into some crabs has been on my mind ever since this table arrived today!

This 'Seafood Table' was created by John Davis, an independent furniture designer who has designed products for a number of companies, including Charleston Forge. (John was also Mike's mate at the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, mentioned in an earlier blog).

Made of hand hewn white oak, the lazy susan can be removed to reveal a bucket ready to hold all of your seafood shells. If you're not into seafood, the bucket is perfect for cooling down your favorite beverage or any number of things.

See our Ebay listing for more info & feel free to give us a call with any questions @ 540-343-6200.

If you really, really like it & want multiples, John can make as many as you need.

Happy Summer!

Christa

Sidewalk Art Show THIS WEEKEND

If you're in town this weekend, don't miss the 50th Annual Sidewalk Art Show located in Downtown Roanoke. Here's the link to the article in the Roanoke Times.

Where: Market Street and Salem Avenue, downtown Roanoke
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
Cost: Free and open to the public

Be sure to stop by and see Gill Pollard, one of our favorite vendors here @ Black Dog (Koiner & I both have a few of his pieces at home!).

He'll be on Salem Ave (space T87) in front of the Wachovia Tower, near Jefferson Street. The painting above is one of my favorites and will be at the show, among many others.

See you there!

Christa

A huge loss for the Architectural Salvage Industry

Our thoughts go out today to Nor'East Architectural Antiques. We just learned about the horrific fire that took their warehouses & inventory, gathered over the last 11 years. See the article for more info. This is a huge loss for the industry.

Reading their 'About Me' page reminded me of Mike & Robert's start here @ Black Dog - I'm sure many in the Architectural Salvage industry can relate. There's no doubt that the passion that helped create Nor'East will help carry them forward to the next chapter. Our best wishes go out to John & Donna.

Vintage Virginia Wine fest 08

The last time we blogged I was waiting for homeland security to let the container into the country. We got it 3 weeks late heavily handled but clear of any security threat to the people of the United States. Sleep well tonight America.

After unpacking and removing all the tropical funk we start to peddle our wares. Things being slow in the retail world, we have had somewhat disappointing results here in SW VA. So I pack up the trailer and head to the Vintage Virginia wine fest in Centerville VA.

Now you are wondering what does Black Dog Salvage and a wine fest have in common? The fine people of Northern VA like to buy too after an afternoon of fine wine and music. We are a sponsor of Floydfest in Floyd VA and the promoters of that extravaganza also produce the wine fest as well.

Wanting something cool for people to look at and buy, we get an invitation. Truth being said I called Erica & Linda up at the last minute and begged to be let in do a little marketing up that way. They found a spot on stage left right by the west entrance and a row of privies. Great location. When people drink they got to go, so there we were.

Saturday started out OK. Then rolls in a nasty line of thunder storms and wind mixed with lots of lightning, not good! Linda and the local law tell every one get out NOW! Then the bottom falls out. We hunker down in the Black Dog trailer with a cold beer and a fine cigar. About an hour later the worst is over and there are still people that want to party. Go figure.

All the more mature people depart for drier surrounds and the younger crowd finish the day with music, wine and just out of collage guys sliding down the hill on their bellies ( a brown slip and slide comes to mind). The park ranger was pissed, as she had just got that patch of grass to grow. More drunks than I have seen in one place well in quit a while. Thank Buddha for the tour buses and a Saturday to sleep it off.

Sunday had better weather and the mature crowd stayed and took home some of the treasures we brought to sell. The best sellers were the Buddhas and the teak root furniture, not to mention the winking guys. Only a few of my wine racks sold and it was a wine fest - now what was that all about? My goods went from the wine fest to PA, MD, and of course Northern VA - even had a wonderful teak table go th Anchorage AK. Thanks Andie, hope it looks great in your home.

My partner in retail was John Davis of John Davis Antique, right here in Roanoke VA. John's wine tables and freight cart coffee tables were a hit but the big star was John's Tear Drop tow behind camp trailer. Custom made and appointed with beautiful woods and inlays it was a real head turner. John makes these to order so don't delay in getting yours in production for your next outing. Thanks for all the help John and I want mine longer and in blue.

So thanks to all the people that took a little of the Black Dog home with them and to the others that just came over to talk. We had a great time. Visit our online store if you wake up and said Oh I should have grabbed that bench or Buddha or what ever. We are still here just a mouse click away or if you are on the way by, stop on in. Sally will be waiting.

When we next meet.


Mike @ The Dog

Grab a bike @ Black Dog & go for a ride with SHAREBIKE!

Black Dog Salvage is pleased to offer free bike rentals thru a partnership with Sharebike & Ride Solutions. Want to explore the area, get some great exercise & reduce your carbon footprint?

Just come in to Black Dog Salvage and sign out a bike @ no charge. Use it for the day & return by the close of business. 2 bikes are available - bring a friend!

Sharebike offers the bikes, Ride Solutions provids the bike racks and signs & local businesses offer the space & time to check riders in & out.

Click here for a map of the current locations where you can check out a bike.

Chick here for an article in the Roanoke Times about the program.


Sharebike is a charitable organization which was created to stimulate, support and link together a wide range of community-based bicycle initiatives in the Roanoke Valley. They offer repair and skills workshops, bike promotion programs and bicycle recycling efforts. Sharebike is supported by a number of volunteers and the generous contributions from individuals and organizations. Sharebike's core mission is to make sustainable, community-friendly transportation available to all in the Roanoke Area.

Vintage Virginia Wine Festival THIS WEEKEND Centerville, VA

For anyone in Northern Virginia this weekend, please stop by & say 'hi' to Mike @ the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival this Saturday (5/31) & Sunday (6/1) in Centerville, VA at the Bull Run Regional Park Special Events Center.

The fine folks @ Across-the-Way Productions (who bring us Floyd Fest & Wine Down the Music Trail) are putting on this festival, so it is sure to be a good time!

Mike will be there with our Black Dog Salvage trailer filled with all kinds of custom wine designs, t-shirts, and cool finds from Indonesia. Look out for him @ the entrance to the festival.

Our Spring Container is FINALLY on its way!

After a bit of a delay, our latest container has thankfully passed customs and is on its way!

Our Spring Container Sale starts this Wednesday, May 7th and runs thru Saturday, May 10th.

Just in time for Mother's Day! Come early to see the selection - there are many one-of-a-kinds & a limited number of each item.

Items include:

Cast Stone Statuary, Buddhas, Teak Root Furniture, Shop Cabinets, Stained Glass and much more!

Hope to see you there!

Save the Dates! Wine Down the Music Trail & Floyd Fest

'Tis the season for great festivals! Mark your calendar for two of our favorites:

Wine Down the Music Trail - July 5th & 6th

** New this year!Ride the ‘no worries’ shuttle bus from Roanoke or Blacksburg, and don’t even think about who’s going to drive! The bus will depart from both Blacksburg and Roanoke at 9 a.m. and will make a one hour stop for brunch and shopping in downtown Floyd, arriving at the wine festival at 11 a.m. Abbott busses will depart at 9am from Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke, and from University Mall in Blacksburg. Shuttles will arrive in downtown Floyd at 10am, and will let passengers off for shopping and dining, departing at 11am for the festival site. Shuttle tickets are $22.

Floyd Fest - July 24th - 27th

While there, check out the Black Dog finds onsite including the Old World Wrought Iron surrounding the beer & wine garden and Garden Statuary. We're planning on setting up booths for both events - more to come on that!

Delayed Container Shipment

Hello to all you out there in the Blog world. You have to help me get use to this new media at black dog. I haven't written in some time and now I have a new way to get it out there. Oh this is Mike Whiteside head sled dog here at BDS. I look forward to making new entry's to the blog as time marches on. The reason for today's entry is to let all that are interested in the container of Indo garden goodies that is en route to us has been delayed. Our borders are secure at the port of Norfolk Customs is making sure our cargo is worthy to enter the US and make sure we are safe. You guys are doing a wonderful job.It will be here next week I hope

Stayu tuned

Mike @ The Dog

The Great American Derby Duck Race - Sat May 3rd 11am-2pm

Save the Date for the 1st Annual Duck Race!
May 3rd from 11am-2pm
The Duck Race begins @ 12:15pm
Smith Park, Roanoke, VA
Raindate is Saturday, May 10th

If you've never been to a duck race before, definitely check this out - it is a fun, spirited event for folks of ALL AGES!

The Junior League of Roanoke Valley is sponsoring a family fun Adopt-a-Duck Race. They will 'flood' the Roanoke River at Smith Park (directly across from the playground) with the ducks. With the help of some lane ropes, moving river water and a special trap to catch the winning ducks, the race will be an event you won't want to miss.

How can you win?
Adopt-a-Duck for $5, or increase the fun and your chances of winning by adopting a flock of ducks. On the day of the race, watch your lucky duck race toward the finish line for your chance to win a great prize. You do not have to be present to win; but you will definitely want to be there to cheer your duck or flock of ducks on!

Prizes:

GRAND PRIZE: a bike from Cardinal Bicycle with a water bottle, helment and a membership to the YMCA
donated by: Rick Woodson Honda, Cardinal Bicycle & the YMCA

Second lucky duck prize: A 16" sterling silver John Hardy necklace
donated by: Fink's Jewlers

Third lucky duck prize: Roanoke Basket full of Science Museum Membership, Roanoke Art Museum Membership, Lee Hi Lanes, Maggie Moo's scoop of the week and meal preps at Foodies
donated by: Mill Mountain Zoo, Roanoke Art Museum, Lee Hi Lanes, Maggie Moo's and Foodies

Fourth lucky duck prize: The Next Generation Wooden Play Tower and Swing
donated by: Cheeburger Cheeburger and Lowe's
assembly by: our own Blue Ridge Residential (Robert's other full time job!)

Who else wins?
Funds raised will go directly to The Project Development Grants for 2008-2009; including Southwest VA Second Harvest Food Bank, ReBuilding Together, Junior Achievement and the Pediatric Wing in Carilion Memorial Hospital.

*** DUCK ADOPTION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE HERE @ BLACK DOG or call the Junior League Office @ 540-343-3663

Architectural Salvage Directory

While it would be great to solve everyone's architectural needs here @ Black Dog - we know that's nearly impossible. Locating that perfect door, mantle, flooring, hardware, plumbing fixture (the list goes on & on...) often has its challenges. If we can't find it for you, we're happy to help you find other salvage sources.

Some of our favorite salvage dealers are listed on the links page of our website.

But the most comprehensive list is the new 2007-2008 Guide to Architectural Antiques and Antique Lumber Companies published by our friend, Rich Ellis @ Architectural Salvage News.

I realize we are naturally biased since we like Rich a whole lot and his first salvage job happened to be with Mike & Robert - but I can tell you we use the directory here @ the shop & think it's a terrific resourse. Check it out! http://www.architecturalsalvagedirectory.com/

New Rugs for the Marketplace

Our warehouse is growing! With over 40,000 square feet ~ we have room for a little of everything.

In addition to Architectural Salvage, we also have a Marketplace
located inside which is home to a growing number of vendors & artisans. There's a great mix of antique, new & reclaimed home & garden accessories.

Susie Whiteside (Mike's better half) has her interior design studio here and offers a wide range of services and products. She's a fun, energetic designer with a creative eye and is always searching for new finds.

She has a great rug selection and just added Dash & Albert to the lineup. For anyone that has dogs, these are especially terrific! They offer really fun indestructible indoor / outdoor rugs . The catalog lists them as "Made from superheroic polypropylene. Machine washable, scrubbable, bleachable (really!)". I just bought one for my bedroom & love it. Stop in to see samples or browse their online catalog.

Another fun rug company is Company C - check out their unique designs and stop in for some great deals!

To contact Susie, call (540) 343-1626 to set up an appointment or email: whiteside@cox.net.

We'll keep you updated on the Marketplace developments. We're always looking for new vendors - if you have a unique product line you'd like to share with us, please email: info@blackdogsalvage.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Thanks!
Christa

Our First Blog!

Welcome to Black Dog Salvage! For those of you that don't know us, we're an Architectural Salvage warehouse located in Roanoke, VA (4 hrs from DC, 3 hrs from Charlotte, NC). There's a lot going on here @ The Dog - new architectural finds, custom designs and a growing marketplace full of home & garden accessories - it's hard to keep up with it all but with this blog, we'll try! Please check back to see the new finds & creations. Thank you!