Salvage Garden is getting a storefront!

When Lise told me about taking Salvage Garden to the next level, I wanted to help write the fundraising story. I know Lise and Sean to be humble and modest, and because they are two of the kindest, most creative, community-focused people I know, it was important to me that their whole story was told!

Lise and Sean have created a partnership rooted in the care and support of others. When they aren’t rehoming, caring for, and taking in stray dogs and cats, promoting mutual aid, or setting up communal tables of free clothes and home goods, they’re probably hunting for architectural salvage. It’s a meld of their passion for sustainability, design, and filling a need for homeowners on a budget. “Detroit, like a lot of cities, has a flipping epidemic where old houses are being stripped of their character and being replaced with the cheapest mass-produced materials,” Lise shared. “We decided we could save those items from the dump and curb (very literally) to offer to people fixing up a vacant house on a budget.”

For the past couple of years, they’ve been finding architectural salvage and storing it in their garage and a friends' garage. Their time is stretched thin so when they can, they’ve offered the items on Instagram on a pay-what-you-can basis. This last summer, they held a one-night Salvage Garden event/sale in their backyard. No surprise, it was a huge success! People were able to come and look at the inventory in person. And people loved the pay-what-you-can-concept!

Now, other folks in Detroit have started donating items to Lise and Sean (amazing!) but they’ve run out of space for storage. They’re also excited about the volume of DM's they’re getting with asks to come to see their inventory, but it's too difficult to be able to show them what’s available with a jam-packed garage.

They’re ready to share their joy and make it more accessible to anyone restoring an old home. Lise and Sean are looking to make Salvage Garden an ethical busness, prioritizing people (and old homes!) over profit. The funds raised through this campaign will allow Salvage Garden to open a storefront (more space!) with regular open hours multiple times a week, and actively post inventory online. This campaign will allow them to open by the end of 2023. Salvage Garden consists of Lise Saint James as Founder, Sean Saint James as Co-Founder, with an honorable mention to Zoë Masterpole for helping with state and federal paperwork.

Any donations will be put toward the organization and ensure Salvage Garden can continue growing and serving the community! In a world where we’re constantly being bombarded with messages to buy more, buy new, Salvage Garden meets you where you’re at financially with finite relics full of beauty and character.

–Toni Oberto, Friend & Supporter

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FUNDRAISING: DEPOSIT — $5,000 + GoFundMe fees

The money we are raising here will go toward a deposit for a commercial space.