Those of you that spend way too much time on the DIY Network or HGTV (who me?) may have come across a certain show called Salvage Dawgs, where two guys go around tearing out anything and everything you can imagine from old houses. Seriously–bathtubs, light fixtures, and even door handles are fair game for these guys, Robert Kulp and Mike Whiteside, who bring it back to their massive 40,000 square-foot shop in Roanoke, Virginia.
Black Dog Salvage is one of the coolest stores I’ve ever walked into. It’s the kind of place I would have especially loved as a kid, with plenty of nooks and crannies and unexpected treasures everwhere. Who am I kidding? I still love these types of places and and like to pretend that I’m the kind of person that really needs to serve tea on a rolling gold-plated tea cart to my guests sitting on a lovely cream settee.
Black Dog is named after Molly, the black lab. Though Molly passed away at 13, Sally the black lab has stepped up to the job of patrolling the store and wanders around the store and greets guests (or more often, dozes off amid the furniture).
After wandering the stores for not nearly enough time, we found out that Robert and Mike were actually in the store that day! I got to meet them, and they couldn’t be more friendly or personable, and have exactly the same type of joking personalities that they display on the show.
- The Salvage Dawgs in their native habitat.
My only regret is that I don’t live closer! But maybe it’s a good thing, or I’d end up with a lionclaw bathtub with nowhere to put it for sure. They do ship off their eBay store though! So if you absolutely must have that 40ft Eiffel Tower replica, order up here.
If you’re ever in the Roanoke or Blue Ridge Mountain region, take a drive over to this shop and get in touch with your inner restoration canine.