Check Out The Library Loft In Love With Salvaged Furniture

The Library Loft building in downtown Detroit is owned by Mindfield, the firm that purchased and is renovating downtown Detroit's castle building. A few weeks ago we stopped in to the third floor Library Loft apartment rented by real estate agent Matt O'Laughlin and Jillian Schmuhl, who is a sales rep by profession. Jillian, a self-admitted addict to design blogs like Apartment Therapy , worked with Lisa Milton of Redesign and Restoration to create a decor that was heavy on salvaged furniture finds from her family, estate sales, and Lisa's collection.

Jillian explains that she'll pull over for an estate sale and that some of her best finds came from Petoskey, like the funeral cart. She also brought in family antiques like her grandmother's sectional sofa and had Lisa recover it. She bought pieces from Lisa's collection like the dining room table which also underwent restoration. Even the table under the tv that they had built especially for this apartment has reclaimed wood. But perhaps one the the coolest salvaged details of this apartment are the doors that Mindfield brought from the David Whitney building.

Since Matt works in real estate, Jillian is pretty aware of listings too and if she sees items she likes in a home for sale (particularly in Indian Village or Boston Edison) she'll email the agent. Often the sellers are willing to sell her the items once the home has a new owner and the house needs to be cleared out.

Buying used furniture takes a little more elbow grease, but Jillian is pretty convinced that she is saving big bucks; restored antique chairs sell for as much as $2,700 in Chicago. She's purchased similar items for as little as $90 and had them re-upholstered for $500. Given this information, we're thinking that if blogging does not work out that our next career move is chairs.

· Michelle and Chris Gerard Photographers [Official]
· Library Street is a Short Block That Packs in the Awesomeness [Curbed Detroit]