Discovery Architectural Antiques & Tiny Texas Houses

Last weekend, on my way to Boerne, Texas, I took a detour off Interstate 10 towards the town of Gonzales.  Located two hours west of Houston and one hour east of San Antonio or Austin, Discovery Architectural Antiques is worth the diversion.  The business has grown to over 140,000 square feet of inventory in 13 buildings around the town.

The starting point is this storefront in downtown Gonzales, which showcases only a fraction of their inventory in four adjoining buildings.

The real excitement for me came when I visited their largest warehouse just six blocks away.

Here, over 5000 doors, 3000 windows, and thousands and thousands of tubs, sinks, brick, clay roofing tile, wood flooring, barn wood, siding, trim, beams, dimensional lumber, beaded wood, ship lap and other construction material quietly await new homes on the 2 1/2 acre site.

I am assuming that these headstones came from a bankrupt monument company or had typos, rather than an actual cemetery.  I plan to use these on a project by turning them face down and stacking them for steps up to a porch... Shh, don't tell my client!

As far as the eye can see in any direction is salvage material.

Floor material.

Trim material.

Industrial carts... and a kitten following me around.

Sign material.

Wood beams.

Entire gables.

A nice vent hood or canopy.

Stuff.

The workshop.

These windows are great for headboards.

Nicely colored shutters.  Maybe I'll do a ceiling or wall like this restaurant.

I don't know what this is, but I think it is upside down.

After walking the entire 140,000 square feet of inventory, I fell in love with this piece.  It is a trolley for a hay lifter and belongs in my home.  Unfortunately, I was told that it is not for sale... probably the only thing NOT for sale there.  If Discovery Architectural Antiques is reading this and would like to reconsider, please CONTACT me!

Well, the two-year drought in central Texas ended the day of my visit and the storms prevented me from visiting Discovery's other venture down the road in Luling called Tiny Texas Houses.  These photos came from their website and Sarah Wilson.

What material isn't purchased may end up in one of these houses in someone's backyard.

I lived in a cabin in my parent's backyard in high school and college, so I can relate to the allure of small spaces as an architecture of relevance versus an architecture of excess.

The Rustic Ranch House.

The Victorian Farm House.

Rustic Farm House on Bear Creek.

Carpenter Victorian Bed and Breakfast in Austin.

Living room.

Bathroom with sleeping loft above.

Rustic Ranch Styled Cabin and the Victorian.

Once in Boerne, I met up with family to support my dad's recently completed 1923 Ford T-Bucket in the Key to the Hills Rod Run.  Best in Show, IMO!

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Check out Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday!