License plates, crystal platters, picture frame samples-for Dan Phillips, these items are every bit as useful in the construction of a home as say, MDF or laminated I-beams. Phillips, 64, has created a niche market for himself, building homes with a variety of cast-off items and recycled building supplies.
The homes, which are built primarily for low-income families, generally cost homeowners anywhere from $99 to $300 a month . Although about half of them have been lost to foreclosure, more affluent buyers with a penchant for the quirky have begun to snatch them up. For them, Phillips’ homes are seen as artistic treasures buried amid a sea of cookie cutter homes with about as much personality as a salad fork.
For more information on Phillips and his work, be sure to have a look at this slideshow from the New York Times.
And be sure to check out these links on interesting recycled/repurposed products as seen in Fine Homebuilding:
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Random leftover shingles give this home's roof an odd striated look.
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The bottoms of wine bottles provide for an interesting visual element.
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Box-loads of picture frame samples were used to adorn the ceiling of this home.
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"buried amid a sea of cookie cutter homes with about as much personality as a salad fork." ROFLMAO!!! Who let Philip Marlowe write this description? hahahaha
Heh heh, thanks Huck.
I must admit, it's great to see folks pick up a skill like homebuilding - granted, this fellow isn't your typical homebuilder - late in life. It takes a lot of guts to confront something as daunting as the construction of a home. Especially when you're doing it on the fly, incorporating random items. Neat stuff.
-Ed