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J ason and Christa Butler hate to see the beautifully crafted parts of an old home go to waste, so they decided to switch gears from building and renovating homes to salvaging the best pieces from them. "We have been in the building business since 1999, and it was my love for old homes that drew me into the preservation business," Jason says. "The nostalgia would just take me back to a time when people really cared about what they created." Two years prior to opening Preservation Co. in 2018, the couple journeyed around the country, gathering their first collection of salvaged architectural pieces from homes too dilapidated to resurrect — but Jason confesses he'd been hoarding any usable salvaged house part he could find for at least 10 years before that. "I had pieces stored in our barn, office, warehouses … anywhere I could find the space," he says. Their flagship store in Huntsville, Alabama, echoes their passion for preservation. Located in a renovated 1927 building that was once used as a mill store for one of the first five cotton mills in Madison County, today it houses an enormous array of salvaged architectural pieces, all waiting to infuse old-home charm and character into a new-construction or renovation project. No strangers to Round Top, the Butlers had been sourcing the antique shows for their build projects for years — but their introduction as a vendor tested their resolve. They had just pulled two full containers into town when the spring show was canceled due to COVID. So, after taking a few deep breaths, they drove back home and returned in the fall. Today you can find architecturals, industrial pieces, and antiques in their permanent Cisco Village location in Round Top, but their signature salvaged doors get the most love. As former builders, the Butlers are the go-to experts for designers and homeowners seeking the right salvaged stunners for their new construction homes. Jason sources the doors personally, taking biannual trips to Alexandria, Egypt, to fill containers with all manners of antique doors, molding, trim, and salvage. Oversized hand-carved sets, arched doors, and doors with transoms always find their way onto the truck. Each one is unique, featuring bespoke French and British design elements — traces of colonization commonly found in Egyptian architecture. The craftsmanship, history, and attention to detail given to each piece explain the recent demand for architectural salvage as a luxury building material. "Finding a signature on the back of a piece of trim or mason's mark on a mantel, for example, shows that the craftsman took pride in his work," Jason says. "You rarely find that anymore." Preservation Co. doors are often used for front entryways, primary bedrooms, bathrooms, pantries, home office and en suites — wherever inspiration leads a homeowner — and Jason's team (mostly family) is in awe when he receives photos of completed projects from clients. "We're driven to find and save these beautiful pieces of building history, and then someone visits our store and is inspired to use them," he says. "After their project is complete, they send us photos, and we get inspired all over again. It's a fun circle of being inspired by something that you inspired someone else with." If you're building a new home and want to use salvaged doors instead of modern ones, Jason recommends shopping their warehouse prior to framing or during the framing stage, because European sizes aren't standard American sizes. A copy of your blueprints (digital versions work, too) can help speed up the shopping process. Melinda Ortley To shop the Preservation Co. collection of salvaged doors and antiques, visit their permanent location in Cisco Village during the Fall and Winter Round Top Antiques & Design Shows. 1214 Meridian St., N., Suite A Huntsville, AL 35801 Cisco Village 1350 N. State Highway 237 Round Top ROUND TOP SHOW GUIDE ADVERTORIAL Preservation Co. 57