West End Salvage - Episode Guide

For the last six years, Don Short and his team at West End Salvage have been taking reclaimed architectural items and repurposing them into decor that could pass for works of art. Now they're turning their attention to making over an entire bedroom for homeowners Lauren and Stu Steenhoek. Using old barn wood, a reclaimed pocket door and some old tin ceiling tiles, Don and the guys turn a boring suburban bedroom into a one-of-a-kind space with a real sense of history.

Mark and Amy are at a loss on how to turn their boring basement into a comfortable and stylish entertaining space so they turn to West End Salvage for help. The West End team wastes no time in ripping out their drop ceiling, installing a new focal wall made from salvaged tin and retrofitting old oak tables into a sleek media center. While the team works on Mark and Amy's basement, they're also commissioned to create memory vignettes for a nursing home franchise. Using vintage items and collectibles they've bought from various pickers they assemble a wide variety of one of a kind art pieces. It's a busy week at West End Salvage as they put the final touches on Mark and Amy's room. The young couple love their newly designed entertainment space and are looking forward to the many parties they'll be throwing.

Tasked with redecorating a large family room in suburban Des Moines, Don Short and the team at West End Salvage pull out all the stops, including reclaiming one hundred and ten year old chalk boards from a rural school house. With salvaged slate in hand, they set out to resurface an outdated fireplace, then turn their attention to the rest of the room. Meanwhile, back at the shop, master builder Brian attempts to outdo Rex with a one of a kind wine station for a charity auction.

Divided by different styles, homeowners Dan and Shannon ask the West End Salvage team to intervene and update their boring master bedroom. With a mix of cool tones, rich fabics, and a new star-burst ceiling treatment, the team creates a one of a kind rustic luxe style bedroom that blows away both Dan and Shannon. Adding some competitive fun into the work day, the guys set up a friendly challenge to see who can come closest to mimicking owner Don's eclectic art projects. Honored that his employees want to emulate him, and fueled by his competitive nature, Don joins in the fun but changes the rules. Whoever's project sells first is the winner. Game on.

Like many modern homeowners, Angie and Brett don't use their formal dining room one bit. Now, these two are ready to wipe the slate clean. They want an adult entertaining space and they're turning to Don Short and his band of misfits for a complete makeover. Using a copper cupola, some salvaged shutters, and drawers off a vintage card catalog, the West End team turns this hum-drum dining room into a swank lounge filled with bold colors and one of a kind creations.

Awkward room layouts do not scare the men at West End Salvage. They embrace new challenges, which is why they accepted the job to redo Brandon and Sarah's L-shaped living room and adjacent dining room. Their fearless attitude leads them to flipping the function of the two rooms, making the dining room the living room and vice versa. Making a bold design statement, they create a textured focal wall, build decorative shoji screen room dividers out of salvaged doors, and install new ambient lighting. The busy West End Salvage design team also finds time to bring an old Victorian chair into the 21st century with a gold and silver foiling technique.

The West End Salvage team meet their toughest challenge to date when they take on two adjoining rooms in a house overun by toddlers. With four little boys, all under the age of seven, Nicole and Phil have no clue on how to design a room that functions for all their needs. Building upon the Mid-Century bones of the living room and dining area, designer Hal Davis rearranges the space for better flow, but butts heads with owner Don Short on the materials for the room divider. Don insists the structure has to be kid-friendly, which forces Hal to come up with a clever idea. Using large, recycled metal letters, Hal's new plan serves two purposes. One, it's a great design element and two, it teaches the young boys the alphabet. To make family dinners more harmonious, the team turns an old optical wooden spool into a dynamic dining table, complete with a built-in Lazy Susan. In addition to all these projects, the team also takes on another client who gives Hal a run for his money when he changes his design request multiple times. What first started as an elegant wine cabinet made from a vintage English sideboard morphs into a stunning vanity for the client's girlfriend. West End Salvage comes through again with repurposing discarded items into stellar custom-made pieces and designing a gorgeous family-friendly space.

The West End Salvage team goes full throttle as they put their unique stamp of reclaimed design on an industrial loft located in the heart of downtown Des Moines. Working with a large, open floor plan they pack a design wallop by blending the rural roots of homeowner Rodney with his new fast-paced city life as a bar owner. Designer Hal Davis creates a signature Industrial-Americana style with his use of bold, primary colors. Painting wide red and white horizontal stripes on the main wall creates a dramatic focal point. Next, the open floor plan gets sectioned off into several intimate groupings. A cozy entertainment area with hanging seats made from vintage wooden sleds is not the only conversation piece in the area. They'll also be a lot of discussion about the custom-made hideaway bed, which is topped with a modern fire pit made from an old hog grate. Adjacent to the cozy seating area is a one-of-a-kind bar made from rare red elm. And rather than getting stumped when Rodney asks that a bear trap given to him by his Dad be included in the room design, the team comes up with a cool coffee table. This remarkable makeover has to be seen to be believed.

Newlyweds Jason and Kati have a special place in their hearts for West End Salvage. With help from shop owner Don Short, the couple recently got married in the shop and held their wedding reception on the first floor. Now that they're ready to upgrade the family room in their 1920s Victorian home, there's no one else they trust. Following the couple's lead of wanting a hotel lobby feel with a speakeasy vibe, designer Hal Davis comes up with a Roaring '20s plan. Hal gets the nod to paint the walls a peacock blue, along with red and gold accents, but there's hesitation when he pitches his idea for painting the ceiling and woodwork black. Playing up the speakeasy theme, they pick out a 1920s Art Deco bar which has sentimental value to Kati. Kati and her bridemaids used the bar as a staging area on her wedding day. The West End team rework the bar, customizing the lighting features and shortening it to fit into the family room. The biggest challenge the team runs into is the fireplace. Since the tile is original and is in great shape, they don't want to mess with it, but the orange tone doesn't work with the new color scheme. To minimize the color, Hal designs a stylish Art Deco grate to cover the front of the fireplace. Searching for the perfect side table, Hal and Don pick up a 1920s operating table from one of their most valued pickers. After getting a gold foil treament, this table fits perfectly into the design plan. In between juggling all these projects, Don lays a guilt trip on his team. He threatens to get rid of the oldest piece of inventory they have in the shop, a vintage mint green stove. The stove has been around so long that the guys have nicknamed her "Bessie/" Inspired to give her a repurposed life, the guys convert her into a fully functioning desk.

Buying an 1888 Queen Anne Victorian fixer-upper sounded like a good idea at first, but after a year of rennovating it themselves, Luke and Marissa are running out of steam. They want their living room and dining area to be unconventional, and to spark conversations, but they're not sure how to pull that off. Well, a design plan that revolves around setting a table on fire is bound to get everbody talking. The West End Salvage team comes up with a dramatic design plan that includes transforming a large hay hook into a hanging light fixture, building a coffee table out of a decorative widow's walk from a torn down Victorian home, and installing church corbels to divide the two rooms. They'll be plenty of discussion over the beautifully framed shadowbox containing vintage hair art that's hung on the wall. While incorporating hair from loved ones was a common practice in the Victorian era, it's not something we see a lot of in the 21st century. But the hottest project in the room has got to be their new sleek, black, fire-charred dining room table. Unlike any table they've ever seen, this stunning design was created by setting the table on fire, then applying multiple coats of Danish Oil. Luke and Marissa asked for something out of the ordinary, and the West End team delivered with high marks.

Scott and Kenny have an awkwardly laid out living and dining room combo with a small kitchen that they'd like the West End team to restructure. Designer Hal Davis' plan includes knocking down a wall to create one, harmonious room with better flow. Once that's done, the West End Salavage team takes on replacing the dated 1980s bannister with a hipper version made from salvaged, bullet-riddled windmill tails. The rough but modern look of the new railing makes a bold statement when you first enter the home. Owner Don Short buys an eight foot piece of rare walnut in its raw form to use as a dining table in Scott and Kenny's home. Designer Hal is on board with the idea, but not with Don's plan of repurposing aerated tubes from the bottom of a grain bin into a table base. They find themselves at odds with each other, but a compromise is found, and Hal adds criss cross rebar as a decorative element. The walnut table is clearly the showcase piece in the new space. Hanging above the table is a custom-made, two-tier chandelier upcycled from a variety of stained glass pieces. Scott and Kenny couldn't be happier with their new space.

Daniel doesn't know what to do with his tiny eight hundred square foot downtown loft. He wants his place to function as living room, dining room and home office to boot, so he's hired Don Short and the team at West End Salvage to completely change the space from top to bottom. After flipping the floorplan to improve the flow, the guys install a focal wall made from salvaged lumber with some hidden storage. A playground tunnel, purchased from their favorite pickers, inspires an idea for a new dining table. Using the tunnel as a base, Hal then designs a fold out table with seating for up to ten guests. With everything headed in the right direction, Hal heads off to a concert. That's when Don steps in and flex's his design skills, creating a side table out of oversized wooden spools and a chandelier out of a teeter-totter. Is it the right touch for this playful space, or will Hal have to wrestle back creative control upon his return? Tune into West End Salvage to find out.

Joe and Rachel are looking for a big change in their master bedroom. They love the high ceilings and the large footprint the space offers, but are stumped as far as decorating goes. Just so happens that their neighbor is Brian, one of West End's carpenters, so they've come to the shop looking for answers. Based on their wants and some photos the couple presents, Hal and Don draw up a Bohemian design filled with upcycled elements. Brian isn't one hundred percent behind the idea, and rides Hal at every turn. He's especially freaked out by a collection of birdcages he's tasked to turn into a chandelier. When it's all said and done, will Brian's worst fears come true, or are Hal's instincts right on the mark? Tune in to the next episode of West End Salvage to see the reveal and what comes after.

Don and the crew at West End Salvage are approached by clients who recently relocated from nearby Nebraska. The wife is in the middle of giving her football loving husband the ultimate Corn Husker haven in their basement. They task the team with finishing off the space with a perfect bar. Inspired by their story, Don gets the Basement Boys to build a custom piece with two acutal vintage corn huskers as the foundation. Meanwhile, Don takes the difficult job of turning a heavy glove mold press into a lamp and pawns it off on Joe.

The West End Salvage team is asked to create tables for a local brewery. Inspired by the nearby bike trail, they deconstruct vintage bikes to incorporate handlebars, wheels and more into moveable tables. Don is surprised with the extra effort Rex and Brian are putting in to the project after they are promised some beer from the brewery. Hal and Joe purchase an old Jon Boat from some pickers and are determined to transform it in to something that's never been seen before. While sawing the boat in half, they make a surprising discovery, a treasure more than a century old.

No space, no problem! This could be the new motto for the men at West End Salvage. When Audrey and Dylan bring the boys their most compact project to date, the guys rise to the challenge. Using some ingenuity from the early twentieth century, some salvage from their favorite spot, Iowa farms, and some old fashioned elbow grease, the guys come up with a fantastic solution to Audrey and Dylan's kitchen seating needs. The busy team even has time to build an elegant wine glass chandelier made of old farm wheels for Don's friend Kristi. But Rex has the icing on the cake, he takes an old, non-selling jukebox from the fourth floor and makes something supremely one of a kind. Then to top it all off, Hal buys a monkey sprinkler from a picker that you're going to have to see to believe.

When clients come to the shop with a vintage trunk, Don suggests turning the family heirloom into a six-foot high shelving unit. Although they are hesitant at first, the owners agree and the guys get busy slicing the unit into four pieces while preserving as much history as possible. Meanwhile, a picker brings by three old, oversized carts that were once used by The Des Moines Register to move piles of papers around their facilities. Don re-imagines the carts as dumbbell storage for a local gym and adds lightning rods and punched metal as decorative pieces. At the same time, the guys take an early 1900's icebox and convert it into album storage for the hipster set that may or may not live in Des Moines.

After meeting with two clients who run a yoga studio out of their downtown loft, Don and Hal draw up plans to create a multi-functional dividing screen and desk made of church organ pipes they often have at the shop. The problem is that they currently only have a few pipes in stock, so the duo head off to a closed down church to harvest enough to make the piece. There, Hal and Don have to make their way through a dark, dusty crawlspace to reach the pipes, then wiggle their way back out to salvage each and everyone. Meanwhile, back at the shop, Brian has made up his mind to turn a vintage gas canister into a vanity light by cutting into it with a grinder. Don thinks the vanity could look amazing as long as Brian doesn't blow himself up in the process.

After salvaging a round window from a one-hundred year old home, Don tasks Rex with turning it into a coffee table that will make him at least $600. The guys also source some turn-of-the-century chicken coops to use as the foundation for a clients sewing desk. At the same time, the whole team pitches in to convert a vintage wooden phone booth into wine display and storage for a new restaurant. When the client suggests flipping the accordion-styled door so it opens out instead of in, the simple build gets a lot harder to complete.

Don gets the deal of a lifetime when a loyal customer drops by with an old, broken piano. The customer wants Don to create a coffee table from the top of the instrument, and in return, Don gets to keep the rest of the piece to do with as he pleases. With nothing to lose, Don and Hal turn around and saw the shell in half to create shelving designed to flank a fireplace. At the same time, Rex buys a vintage Murphy bed off some pickers and uses it create a shoe storage that hides away. The project drives a wedge between Don and Rex who both want to claim the piece as their own.

The West End Salvage team is hired to build a dining room table for a family of six using 300-year-old windows and shutters. When Rex realizes the windows are much larger than expected, the only solution is to trim down the shutters and cut the glass to size. Don is nervous about cutting the glass since it's 300 year old, irreplaceable glass! If Rex messes this up, the project will be over. At the same time, Hal and Don visit an old Model T wrecking company that hasn't been open to the public for over 50 years. The building is like a time capsule, housing tons of interesting old car parts. Hal purchases 20 different headlamps that he plans to make a cluster chandelier out of. Meanwhile, Brian and Joe have been tasked with building a bookshelf out of old plane parts for a client but they don't like Don's drawing. They make big changes to Don's design and he's not happy when he finds out.

After meeting with the president of the Iowa Speedway, Don and the guys are hired to create three different tailgating games for the track's 25,000 fans to use on race days. Each game needs to tie into automobile history but the shop is short on vintage car parts. To find enough pieces to work with, Don and Hal gain access to an auto graveyard which features hundreds of rusting cars just parked in a forest. Once back at the shop, Don has trouble getting Rex and Brian to complete the custom builds in the tight, two-week timeframe the track has requested. Something that's not helping his cause is Hal, who wants a new, mid-century modern mailbox for his own home and has secretly moved his pet project up to the front of the line.

Having gained access to a local foundry that is liquidating some of its out-of-date stock, Don puts himself on a strict $10,000 maximum budget for the pick. But he's soon regretting his decision as the massive facility is packed with vintage carts, wheelbarrows and foundry molds for as far as the eye can see. Joe takes a liking to one of the metal carts and decides to reinvent it as an industrial chair. Don does not share his vision but Joe takes it down to the shop to have it ripped apart and put back together. Meanwhile, Rex brings in an old friend who is shopping for a custom desk. Taking cues from the exposed wood ceiling beams in the client's office building, Don proposes constructing a desk that looks like a stack of wood on a pallet. The client is hesitant at first, but decides to trust Don and hires West End on to create the one-of-a kind item.

The West End team is up to their eyeballs in doors! Don has piles of doors stashed away on the fourth floor and Hal is determined to thin the collection out. When they are hired to build a headboard, Hal suggests using several of the doors they have upstairs to create a gigantic showpiece. The client loves the idea but wants it done in just a week. With the pressure on to finish this massive project, Rex makes a big mistake that puts delivering the project on time in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Brian's project also involves doors. Don wants to make a steam punk coffee table out of a fire door he just purchased from a picker. Problem is, the steel-wrapped door weighs about 200 pounds! Don gives Brian cart blanche on the project but when Don sees what Brian's up to, he reconsiders.

Although West End Salvage isn't often asked to create outdoor pieces, after meeting clients looking for some yard furniture, Hal and Don accept the challenge. As a weather resistant material, Hal proposes using fire hose made from vinyl. It's easy to work with but hard to find and Hal ends up overpaying some pickers for the product. Meanwhile, Brian is spending the store's money just as easily, buying a vintage washtub he plans to turn into a pedestal sink. With so much money flying around, Don decides to keep it frugal and work with what he has in shop, upcycling the remnants of a 9-foot tall church screen into a one-of-a-kind headboard.

Instead of waiting for the good finds to come to them, Don and Hal head out to go picking at a bat-infested barn north of town. There, they manage to grab a vintage tire rack and some Victorian roof cresting before Hal gets too freaked out by wild critters and vacates the premises in a hurry. Back at the shop, Don has a client looking for a custom bike rack and room divider, and he assigns Brian the task of upcycling the tire rack in the piece. Meanwhile, the guys create a unique display case for an avid baseball collector. Hal also buys a salvaged rug and much to Don's disbelief, attempts to create a one-of-a-kind chair that mimics the look of a flying carpet. Yes, a flying carpet.