Judy, it sounds like your recycled doors were a great find!

I don't quite know what to think about your recycled sidewalk idea, however. Maybe it could work? You could have a fabricator polish them a bit and put an edge on them I guess.

Do you have any pictures of them? Soemone might be able to identify the stone for you.

It's good to be thinking outside the box! Maybe something exciting will come out of it and we will all be using landscape stone in the kitchen! : )

Sandy

I just love architectural salvage! We tried to repurpose as much as possible in our remodel. One thing I discovered...It can cost quite a bit more to refurbish/repurpose/re-install a material you already own than it is to buy new. In some cases, we went with reusing the old anyway as the material was unique enough to merit the cost. In other cases we had to just let go :(
I actually still have a 15-light door (ca. 1939) that I can't use anywhere that I'm trying to find a good home for ...

I love nice old doors! Congratulations!

Sandy,
I think you may live in my part of the country. There are some antique salvage shops in Indianapolis, but I don't have a big car to get anything home, so I've not looked. I may need to now :)

Pictures of the sidewalk may help. I'll try in the daylight, but it is raining all weekend.

Judy

berf,

I can never remember one kitchen from another, so forgive me---are your kitchen pics in FKB? How old is your house? Ours was built in 1892. Hopefully, the doors will work without too much difficulty. I tried to call the architect today just to safe before buying the doors, but no one was in the office.

I've seen some very creative uses for old doors. One was a coat rack with hooks, crown molding and a tray at the bottom for boots. The primitive shop used an old door as the back of a hutch. They hung shelves and added a counter and legs to the bottom.

Hi again-I only wish I was in the FKB--I'm at the 98% done stage...although I've been joking this week that I got off the "construction train" and straight on to the "working kitchen train" without a tranfer at the "finished kitchen station." :) I've been so excited to be cooking again--
In anyh case, hopefully I'll have some 99% finished pics up in the next few days.

My house was built in 1939--so certainly new by your home's standards! But we're only the second owners so inherited pretty much all the original details, the good and the bad. We took a fairly typical compartmentalized cape and openend it up quite a bit. We recycled all the wood trim, moldings, doors, flooring, and some fabulous built-in cabinets from my original dining room. The contractor was a champ about saving, preserving and re-using everything we ripped out to the greatest extent we could...and matching the old when we couldn't.
Here's a picture of my built-ins moved from the old dining room, along with most of the original trim from the walls we removed:
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Your pics are gorgeous. Looks like a new house with character or a very well loved and well taken care of old house (or in your case, well-rehabbed)!! Love those built ins and your light colors.

berf, Your house is 90 years old! It's not new by any standard! I remember seeing your beautiful built-in cabinets. They look perfect in the corners and are in great shape. I admire your commitment and determination to reuse original materials.

I am still cooking in the old kitchen, but I imagine any working new appliance is quickly put to use! Just in time for the holidays :) I'll be looking for your 99% done debut.

Judy, I am so excited to hear that someone lives in my neck of the woods! I am outside of Noblesville. I wonder if any other Hoosiers hang around here?

I have quite a few antique shops near me but don't know where there are any architectural salvage yards. If you know of any, we could meet and scavenge together! : )

Sandy

I have used so much salvage. I love the way the doors sound !! Does that make sense ?? Anyway on to the sidewalks. You say that one was used for a patio. It seems to me that the easiest and best use would be more patio. Keep them outside. Don't get rid of even the cracked ones as they can be reshaped and still used. I know folks use concrete for countertops but it sounds like these slabs are even heavier. I really would use them in a garden sense. If you post on the Cottage Garden and the Landscape Design forums and the Stone forum you will get tons of help. How exciting for you !! c

Sandy, I could drive down SR 37 with my eyes closed! We live south of Marion. A quick Google check for architectural salvage in Indy lists several. The prices are out of our budget, but the pieces are beautiful. One door (French door set) was $250. It's much like the french doors I got :)

At least one GWer lives nearby. Tom lives within driving distance of Indianapolis. He put Kline cabinets in his kitchen last fall. He posted his kitchen pics and gave Kline Cabinetmakers a rave recommendation. I admired a display at Clarks in Castleton and contacted Kline after seeing Tom's cabinets. Kline will be making our cabinets, too!

I cannot remember her name, but there is a couple living in southern Indiana who remodeled their kitchen in a few weeks. She posted day-by-day pics. It came out fabulous! It may have been over Thanksgiving last year.

Caroline,
Your house is wonderful. If ours turns out anywhere close to yours I will be thrilled.

On the stone-You are right, it can always be used for something outside. The one piece was relocated under a tree. There is a chair and little table. It's a wonderful place to read. The kitchen plan has ~36'' cupboards flanking the refrigerator; I need small countertops. One slab for each counter would do it. No need to piece a long run together. One side has a countertop convection oven (it must sit on a non-flammable surface). The other side is for breakfast prep-coffee & tea, toaster, etc. It would be so wonderful to touch that every morning and think of the thousands of people who passed our house over the years. I get emotional just thinking about it!

I picked up a chipped piece this morning and tried to figure out what kind of stone it is. It is a brownish gray, (more gray much less brown than these pics) feels grainy-like sand, and has lots of tiny sparkly bits. The rock is compact rather than layered. It must be porous because there are some green (moss stain?) areas. The scraped bits soaked with lime cleaner didn't bubble or dissolve. The large slabs feel very smooth, not flaky like the small piece. Maybe it is sandstone, but I thought that was soft-it would have lots of wear after 100 years.

I am hoping one of the stone experts will take a peak and weigh-in with an opinion. If not I'll try a stone forum.

Judy

I have door pictures!

Oak Door:

Close-up of wood:

Divided-light doors
Trim:

Lever:

French Doors are upside down:

The single divided-light door has 21 lights. It is behind the oak door, which was too heavy for two weaklings to move :P The shop will keep the doors until I can move them to the building next door that is owned by a preservation group I belong to.

Cheers!!!!
Judy

I'm not an expert on stones, but I'd guess sandstone. You can Google sandstone countertops and find info on it. I was surprised by this because I would think it would not be a good material for tops. If you decide not to use for tops, I bet you could have a fireplace surround made from them...or use them as a backsplash to your range/cooktop. Bathroom countertop?

Here's something that I cut/pasted from the internet:

"Sandstone kitchen countertops are considered to be some of the most beautiful countertops available. Because of their rich texture, grain and colors they a breathtaking addition to any kitchen design. They can require a little more maintenance and diligence than other stone countertops, however the aesthetic value of sandstone kitchen countertops is tough to beat.

Sandstone kitchen countertops can have their drawbacks however, so you need to know how to take care of and maintain your sandstone countertops. Because sandstone is more porous that other natural stones it can be more likely to stain. Also the porous nature of the stone allows for more moisture absorption that can lead to more staining and discoloration. Regular protection and proper cleaning of your sandstone kitchen countertops can reduce and eliminate these problems. It is also recommended that sandstone kitchen countertops should be sealed after installation. Sealing can protect the surface and lasts a number of years.

The best protection for sandstone kitchen countertops is be cautious, and immediately wipe spills. You should careful at all times not to let any spills set. For cleaning use pH balanced cleaners and mild, untinted, unscented detergents. A very mild dishwashing liquid works very well on sandstone surfaces. Do not use any acidic cleaners, especially those with citrus additives, since they can etch into and over time break down the polished and sealed surface."

Woooo-hooooo!! Thanks Kompy!

Pictures of sandstone counter tops are very hard to find. This is the only one. It is gorgeous, and it looks very much like our sidewalk slabs.

cotehele - Do you need a pantry door? Could the QS oak be used there or is it too big? Maybe instead of a glass window in it, put a chalk board where the glass should go.

lyno, good idea, but I don't have a pantry per se. I may use the French doors between the glass porch and laundry room, the QS oak for kitchen-porch and the single 21-light door kitchen-hall. Not sure, just thinking at this point.
Judy