DeSoto Magazine May 2016

something new to the next owner.

“Those things tell a story and add character to a home,” said LoChiatto, “and it’s important to us to maintain the integrity of what these pieces once were.”

Reality TV shows like “American Pickers” began bringing these artisans and dealers to the mainstream just as flipping faded with the housing market. While the trend shares some devotees with the coiffedmustache hipster set, the authenticity in repurposing a piece that has real life behind it is something a pair of new-old dungarees or period window dressings from Pottery Barn can’t replicate.

Preservation Station in Nashville, which has established itself as a source of architectural pieces dating to the 18801930s industrial era, is riding the next wave of picking shows with appearances taped for the forthcoming seasons of “Masters of Flip,” which chronicles the adventures of a husband-and-wife team in the Music City for DIY, as well as “Nashville Flipped” on HGTV. Many of their clients are private homeowners, said manager Natalie Villarreal.

“Nashville has had this huge influx of people moving here, and I would say it’s pretty evenly divided between people restoring and people building new,” she said. “I think people are trying to add a bit of character to these newer, more sterile spaces, and those little details can make a space more special. It’s nice to have a new house with a new air conditioning system, but you lose the character in return.”

The collection at Preservation Station includes hardware such as authentic glass doorknobs and door plates to antique iron chandeliers sourced from a network that stretches from the south to cities like Philadelphia, St. Louis and Detroit. One of its most prized pieces—a rare 11-foot, gilded pier mirror with a woman’s bust at the top—originated from Nashville’s Belmont Mansion.

Placing a monetary value on history isn’t always easy, though. Back in Memphis, Nielsen recalled hearing papers crinkle and rustle under his feet as he was busy pulling out that stained glass window.

He shined his light at the floor, picked up a set of the papers and scanned the columns— then realized another major discovery. At his feet lay scattered a century’s worth of burial ledgers.

Nielsen called his sister, a DeSoto 55