Nowadays it’s easy to step into a space for the first time and feel a strange sense of déjà vu. It seems like every other room is just a rearrangement of the same mass-produced furniture and art. Who can blame them? It’s so much easier and more economical to pick up a chair from Ikea even though you know your neighbor down the street has the exact same one. So how do we create a space that is uniquely our own?

When we designed Ballard Pizza Company, it was important that the space stood out from the rest of the pizza shops out there. The pizza is unlike any other pizza you’ll find in Seattle, so why should it look like all the other pizzerias?

While we custom designed and built our chairs and bar tables to bring Ballard Pizza Company its unique look, another way we created the distinctive character was by salvaging pieces from stores like Second Use in SoDo. It’s amazing how much history and character is added to a room by adding small details like this vintage doorknob.

The great salvaged pieces hanging on the walls of Ballard Pizza Company are reminiscent of the art gallery that used to occupy the space previously, making the space richer in history.

To incorporate charismatic pieces into your own home, check out Second Use’s online inventory. It is updated once a day so you’re bound to found items to fall in love with!

What are some of your favorite ways to display your personality in your space?