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ROUND ABOUT ROUND TOP BRINGS THE WORLD TO THE COMPOUND SALVAGE A ussies James Ruig and Evan Shay, co-owners of reclaimed materials import company Salvage of Europe have embarked on a two-acre, $1.8 million retail and lodging project on Compound Lane. The development will bring a year-round showroom and European resort experience to Round Top, beginning summer 2024. An initial build-out phase that includes parking, landscaping, a single retail barn, and two villas will be completed by next summer. The full project will be finalized in 2026. Black Barns Compound Lane will be com- prised of two climate-controlled retail buildings totaling 7,000 square feet. The adjacent retreat will include six rental villas with a French-style bar, Argentine barbeque restaurant, pool, and lodge. All will be surrounded by formal gardens with antique stone water features and reclaimed stone fireplaces. The interior of the barns will be outfitted with reclaimed materials and architectural pieces, and the exteriors, with steep, sculptural gables, will be clad in a striking combination of iron and Shou Sugi Ban wood. Salvage of Europe will serve as the anchor retailer in one barn, showcasing its vast selection of reclaimed building materials such as French oak wood planks, beams, and mantels; Belgian bluestone and European limestone; and terracotta floor tiles, brick, pavers, and roof tiles. The compa- ny's line of French oak furniture and a collection of antique architectural elements will also be on display in the retail barn. Ruig and Shay plan to bring in a collective of sub-tenants for the Black Barns that specialize in architectural home-building materials in sync with what Salvage of Europe currently offers. Vendors offering French hardware, lime-wash paints, and joinery are on the list of potential future vendors. "Essentially, it will be a pair of showrooms where clients can look through all of the items available to build their homes," says Ruig, who has been salvaging materials all over the world for 35 years, while Shay runs the American side of the opera- tion. "It seems odd — two Australian guys selling French stuff in America," Ruig says. "But Australians tend to travel a lot. We are global nomads and facilitators by nature." The company will maintain a presence in the Round Top Antiques & Design Center in Henkel Square, where it has been testing the market for two years. Stay tuned for updates on the Black Barns on Instagram @salvage_europe. EUROPE of Black Barns Compound Lane James Ruig Evan Shay Reclaimed French oak flooring from Salvage of Europe at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego 110