This Week: Island Girl Salvage

Last summer I featured Island Girl Salvage owner Tabitha Long’s very cool bath sconces, which she manufactures using old faucets (the ultimate in green design) and distributes through Scout (owner Larry Vodak has an uncanny ability to find interesting artists, designers and products).  I promised to visit their Arlington Heights showroom soon but you know how that goes; one thing led to another and it was suddenly December.

When I finally stopped in last week and saw all the incredible (and inexpensive) products, I learned the true meaning of regret as a giant ache spread through my bones and made me rue every day I hadn’t stopped in.  Luckly you can learn from my mistakes.

Tabitha and her business partner Liz started Island Girl Salvage after exiting the corporate world.  Just a few years later she’s designing products, hob-knobbing with big retailers interested in working with her and sharing her salvage expertise on the Planet Green channel.  So like . . . don’t get in her way.

If you can’t make it over, do yourself a favor and check out their website, which is well-designed (unusual) and features the vast majority of products on the floor (most unusual).

Island Girl Salvage is located at 160 Kelly St. in Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 | 847.593.2433.

For more photos, enjoy this Flickr slide show.