Submitted by Alea DeNeau

“This project repurposes a backsplash that I bought last fall at Second Use as into part of a floor. I loved the unique pattern of the stone cross-sections, and this piece inspired me to get creative and figure out a way I could use it. 

I had recently added a bathroom in a space that had been unused due to the sloping roof-line. I was seeking a way to make this small bath interesting, and using this piece of stone as flooring was just the answer. The stone had two outlet cut-outs, but I had some black / gray granite tile which was cut and used to fill the holes, ‘disappearing’ in the busy pattern of the stone. 

This bathroom is made up of mostly Second Use materials. I had purchased some unfinished fir flooring a few years ago at Second Use, and now had only a small number of pieces left of this lot.  Using the stone to cover much of the floor enabled me to make use of the small amount of fir I had left. The unibody toilet was the perfect fit for the tight spot, the pedestal sink is from Second Use, (the shower base, not pictured, is also from Second Use), and the wall material is used T&G oak flooring from Second Use.  The light fixture is from Second Use as well, and – well, I guess I truly am a ‘salvager’, because I used a 3-panel door slab to the right of the sink, as visual interest, and as a mounting panel for 2 white ledger shelves that I have.  The uncut / undrilled door panel was in the ‘free’ bin at Second Use, and I used it to support a piece of fragile marble that I bought in the summer. It caught my attention in my garage as the wall material was going up, and I inserted it there, finding that it was just slightly wider than my shelves, so it will be a perfect ‘back-plate’ for them.”

Do you have a salvage project to share? Email [email protected] a few pictures and a description of the project and process. All submissions will be entered to win a monthly raffle for $10 Second Use store credit.