Some of the things I enjoy most about being in “the field” taking pictures for our websites, are the stories behind each picture, or the stories we come away with from each field adventure.   The stories behind a scene or object give life and depth to our work.  

For the same reason, I also enjoy spending time with my husband, Chad, finding items in barns, at yard sales, and even at the dump recycle center!   Some people call it picking…some call it finding.   We don’t care what you call it, we just like looking for unique items and uncovering their stories.   For example, we just brought back from our recent road trip to Minnesota, some lightning rods (unusual in California), old farm equipment, taxi cab lights, and slides of animal brains and blood samples from the Mayo Clinic.  Okay, that list may end on a weird note, but they are conversation, statement pieces.   We may keep some, or we may sell it all.  If we sell it, we will include the story for the future owners and hope they appreciate it as much as we do.  Again, the stories add depth and life to the items. 

West End parking- We Made It!!!

West End Warehouse

Yes, I’m getting to my point- West End Salvage.   West End Salvage in Des Moines, Iowa marries the adventure of photos, textures and stories.  This past winter we discovered this gem while watching HGTV, when it aired this series which follows the store, its owners and designers.   We were so impressed that we made sure to stop at West End Salvage on our way to Minnesota… and it was worth every minute.  We became completely enchanted as we wound our way through each of the four floors of this 50,000-square-foot warehouse.   Pleasant surprises and unique treasures live on each floor.  As we checked out, ordered amazing coffee from their café and chatted with owner, Don Short, we left inspired by the items, the designs and the stories. 

If you haven’t heard of West End Salvage, discover it at HGTV’s website for episodes by visiting HGTV-West End Salvage Otherwise, you can browse and explore the floors of fantastic finds at their home website West End Salvage.