"Vintage industrial" preserves our past

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), July, 2008

As U.S. industrial strength slowly creeps across the Pacific Ocean and bleeds south of the border, one couple is salvaging the proud legacy of America's past. Dennis and Denise Blankemeyer, the husband-and-wife duo of American Furnishings, are turning found objects from old industrial plants and steel foundries into prized "high design" pieces called "Vintage Industrial." The couple, who reside in Columbus, Ohio, scour for treasure from the bones of the Midwestern Rust Belt. "We feel it is vital that we preserve the tools that made America the greatest nation on Earth? Dennis remarks.

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Work benches from a decrepit Packard Motor Car plant become kitchen islands. Steel parts carts from a General Motors plant in Detroit become rolling liquor cabinets. Long forgotten wooden foundry objects become "high art" when placed on metal stands or hung on a wall. Large metal shoe racks from a foreclosed Cleveland factory become bookshelves.

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"All of the pieces have this delightful patina that seems to be appropriate for any interior design style," Dennis comments. "It's a wonderful connection to our past and we are so proud to be able to recycle the pieces for new uses instead of filling our landfills."