Reclaimed Home Hardware From Peoria Architectural Salvage

by Jackie Buddie

Apr 10, 2025

From antique knobs to ornate lighting, the rare finds in this well-stocked hardware shop will be the crowning jewel of your home improvement project.

Inside the Peoria Architectural Salvage warehouse, with rows of antique metal knobs, door plates, and rosettes with hanging light fixtures. — Photo by: Abby Kate Photography

In our Featured Shop series, we shine a light on a standout shop from Etsy’s talented seller community, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at their process and story. This month, it's all about antique hardware and restored light fixtures from Peoria Architectural Salvage.

Often, it’s the thoughtful final flourishes that make a house a home, like the hefty clank of a cast-iron doorknob, the smooth curve of a wooden staircase finial, or the warm flicker of a patinated fireplace sconce. Getting those details just right is a true labor of love—and nobody knows that better, perhaps, than renovation pros Jeanine and Tom Wester. After struggling to find period-appropriate finishes while restoring their own 1897 Victorian home, the handy husband-and-wife duo set their hearts on rescuing quality, time-tested hardware, light fixtures, doors, and windows from historic Illinois residences destined to be demolished. And so Peoria Architectural Salvage was born—a beautifully curated, one-stop shop for antique building materials, vintage home decor, and more.*

Today, their shop is a treasure trove for folks who want to preserve their home’s classic charm and keep rare, reusable materials from ending up in a landfill. Whether you’re tackling a top-to-bottom, turn-of-the-century renovation or infusing a dash of old-world charm into a brand new room, there’s a unique piece in their collection (think: distinctive bathtub claw feet, ornate vent covers, and rustic skeleton keys) to suit every decorative need. “Antique salvage is for everyone!” Jeanine says. “You don’t need a Victorian home to install an elegant clawfoot tub in your bathroom or the antique chandelier of your dreams.” The best part? You’re not only adding character and depth to your space, you’re giving new life to a priceless piece of history.

Read on to learn more about the many benefits of buying reclaimed home hardware and fixtures, and explore the treasures in the Peoria Architectural Salvage collection.

Shop restored antique light fixtures from Peoria Architectural Salvage

Shop antique brass doorknobs from Peoria Architectural Salvage

Shop newel posts from Peoria Architectural Salvage

Shop antique and vintage door hardware from Peoria Architectural Salvage

Shop antique tiles from Peoria Architectural Salvage

SHOP: Cast-iron vent cover from Peoria Architectural Salvage, $92

Why Peoria Architectural Salvage should be on your radar

If you love gorgeous, made-to-last antiques and find yourself dreaming up creative projects while wandering the aisles of hardware stores, you’ll find endless inspiration exploring this shop’s storied finds. Thanks to Jeanine and Tom’s heroic efforts (and lots of physically demanding site work), many fashionable, functional fixtures have escaped a fate in the landfill. Instead, after getting cleaned, repaired, and polished, these storied pieces get a second chance to shine. “Antique architecturals are going to outlast mass-produced materials,” Jeanine notes. “The solid bronze, brass, and iron used in vintage lights and antique hardware, for example, are far superior to most modern home goods, while wooden building supplies were made of old-growth lumber that’s less susceptible to rot, weathering, and insect damage.”

Expert home tip: Not sure how to fit salvaged pieces into your design? Whether you’re working on an 1800s farmhouse or a new construction, Jeanine has a few clever ideas. “Antique lighting can inject a space with instant glamour, and old woodwork lends warmth and richness to even the most basic rooms. Whether you have a functioning fireplace or not, antique mantels can be installed over a plain wall and outfitted to look just as good at the real thing—without the fire.”

SHOP: Art nouveau brass and glass light fixture ($1,585) and more restored antique light fixtures (from $160) from Peoria Architectural Salvage

Shop antique fireplace mantels from Peoria Architectural Salvage

Shop antique hardware from Peoria Architectural Salvage

The best Peoria Architectural Salvage pieces for eco-conscious home updates and restorations

Whether you’re treating yourself to a home upgrade or surprising a loved one with the ultimate housewarming gift, Jeanine has one piece of advice: “Don’t worry if your home doesn’t perfectly fit one category! Most homes are a blend. Go with what you love. If a piece is calling to you, it’s easy to find a way to make it work.”

Reclaimed antique hardware

Drawer pulls, switch plates, and rosettes make fantastic, affordable picks—and happen to be some of Jeanine’s favorites. “Old hardware is quite literally ‘house jewelry’,” she says. “I get super excited to find great antique doorknobs and door plates or ‘escutcheons,’ for fellow hardware nerds.” Take, for example, the Norwalk spiral-pattern hardware set—an incredible design made in heavy, cast bronze. “You can tell just by the feel that it’s an art piece.”

Restored antique light fixtures

Lighting is also a popular choice because, as Jeanine notes, “I think because customers recognize the incredible beauty and quality of these pieces.” In the market for a major statement? “It’s hard to go wrong with a gorgeous antique chandelier that will literally last a lifetime—and then some!”

SHOP: Pair of stained-glass pendant lights from Peoria Architectural Salvage, $473

Shop salvaged vintage wood doors from Peoria Architectural Salvage

SHOP: Porcelain faucet knobs and valves from Peoria Architectural Salvage, from $14

SHOP: Porcelain hot faucet buttons from Peoria Architectural Salvage, $14

SHOP: Pair of antique iron clawfoot tub feet from Peoria Architectural Salvage, $128

In their own words

“It’s incredibly satisfying and humbling to help customers find pieces they’ve been looking for for their homes,” Jeanine says. “I love being able to source the right pattern of hardware, size of door, or style of trim for a renovation. Being a part of a project that will benefit homeowners and future generations is what we love most about our job! Anytime someone purchases a piece for a restoration or just because they love it, we know that item will be cherished.”