Sarasota Architectural Salvage opens second location in Sarasota Design District

A little bit of rust and the occasional speck of dust are just part of the charm at Sarasota Architectural Salvage (SAS), where antique hardware and salvage from historic structures get a second lease on life in the form of quirky, upcycled home decor. 

Established in 2003, the SAS warehouse has been a favorite haunt for urbanites and design junkies for over a decade. Though no one has complained about the dust and rust to date, SAS is cleaning up its act as it carves out a home in its second location.

“I’m basically splitting my business into two divisions. The original warehouse space is where we have all of our parts and pieces -- the real architecutral elements, lumber, and raw materials. We’ve moved our home decor, our upcycled furniture, our collectibles, and our ‘wow’ pieces into the new location at SAS Mercantile,” says SAS owner, Jesse White.

In October, SAS began its move beyond the warehouse with the addition of the sleek, new SAS Mercantile gallery in the historic Old Ice House building, also located in the industrial outskirts of downtown Sarasota. Built in 1946, the Old Ice House has a colorful past as a ice and beer distributor, a motorcycle chop shop, and most recently, a contemporary art gallery owned by Sarasota resident and Businessman Ross Mercier.

White says that when he learned the art gallery closed, he seized the opportunity to rent the Ice House space for an undisclosed sum over the summer. 

“One of the things that most attracted us to this spot is that there are two air-conditioning spaces in the building--for products we might want to display in a more finished environment than the warehouse. We were able to basically step into a finished, workable space. The roof was done and the walls were all prepared, so we had a clear canvas to work with,” White says.

The fully stocked SAS Mercantile space opened its doors on Oct. 10, 2014. 

“In the warehouse location, someone might come in looking for a door they could take home and work on themselves to ‘D.I.Y.’ into a new existence. The new location is geared toward a customer who thinks, ‘OK, I want a headboard that’s got a cool history with a story and craftsmanship to it. I’m going to go to SAS Mercantile for a piece that’s ready to go,’” White says.

“Our aim is to really become a part of the Sarasota Design District,” he adds. “Through SAS Mercantile, we’re connecting ourselves with Home Resource, Sarasota Collection, Cabinet Scapes and the other businesses in this neighborhood that are helping to define this design-centric district.” 

SAS Mercantile will celebrate is grand opening in December, to coincide with the yearly holiday charity event hosted by Sarasota Architectural Salvage.