Making a Grand House With Salvaged Materials

• August 17, 2012
• 2 Comments

by Shilpi Paul

The New York Times.

In a slight departure from all things DC-real estate related, UrbanTurf takes a look at a particularly cool Massachusetts home filled with restored architectural finds.

On Wednesday, the New York Times featured the home of John Archer, an avid salvager who has been expanding his home over the past 30 years to make room for all his finds. Once just a 3,000-square foot property, Archer’s home is now somewhere between 11,000 and 13,000-square feet.

Over time, old bed frames were incorporated into the walls, four-level glass windows from an old mansion expanded the boundaries of the home, and a turret from a mental hospital was plopped on top of the house. One room was built just to house an expensively restored piano.

Ed Carp’s Living Room

As soon as we happened upon this article, UrbanTurf was reminded of the article we wrote a few years ago about the home of Ed Carp. Though not as extravagant, Carp filled his living space — formerly a restaurant — with furniture from the Washington Hilton and hotel furniture warehouses.

For the full article on John Archer’s home and more photos, click here.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/making_a_grand_house_with_salvaged_materials/5922

2 Comments

1. jj said at 3:04 am on Saturday August 18, 2012:
   Cool house. I just went to a fundraiser at a place like that in Dupont and got to take a tour. The owners incorporated a ton of salvaged pieces from old French Chateau. Definitely didn't feel like I was in D.C. I like the idea of reusing old pieces in design, so I thought it was cool.

1. MaryJaneEsq said at 5:19 pm on Monday August 20, 2012:
   @jj, you're probably talking about 1824 R Street. I'm still waiting to win the lottery to buy it...lol http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-905-4355852/dupont-washington-dc-20009