Two years ago, John and Jody Walter, the owners of Iron Eden and EdenHouse, bought an old church in Bloomfield and moved in their extensive cache of salvaged materials.
Next week, they will open the space as Salvation, an architectural salvage pop-up shop at 4700 Lorigan Street.
There is a wide range of old and interesting items such as paneled doors, stained glass windows, decorative corbels (pictured left), and iron railings as well as a massive collection of salvaged wood from buildings that were being demolished in Pittsburgh.
The collection is great for restorationists and Pinterest-project fans alike, says Jody.
John found many of the items through his work making custom wrought iron pieces and furniture. Some are left over from Jody’s former shop, Sunshine in the City, which featured architectural salvage and shabby chic items.
“The church is huge and packed with stuff,” says Jody. “I look around and go ‘how did this happen?’”
Starting October 15, thousands of the Walters’ special finds will be available for sale in the 3,000-square-foot nave of the Lorigan Street church as a pop-up shop that is expected to last through the winter and into next spring.
“We are going to see how it goes and how we like it,” says Jody. The couple has plans to renovate the church into a funky residence similar to EdenHouse and turn the nave into a showroom for John’s work.
Construction Junction in North Point Breeze also has a variety of architectural salvage that can be purchased for reuse but Salvation presents an opportunity to gain access to the special collection the Walters have gathered over the years.
Salvation opens Saturday, October 15 and 16 with a grand opening that will include food and drinks in an Oktoberfest theme. Normal business hours will be Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment. Call Jody at 412- 654-7057 or John at 412-656-4336 with questions or to schedule an appointment.
