I was like a kid on Christmas morning. Giddy with excitement and unsure if the day could live up to my expectations. A Saturday morning invitation to tour Get Back Inc was not only an opportunity to experience the 5,000 sq ft showroom of lovingly restored vintage American industrial furniture, but a chance to go behind the scenes in this 40,000 sq ft wonderland of salvage.

We drove along the Naugatuck River Valley to a former Scovill factory about 30 miles north of the shoreline. In this part of the state, Connecticut’s industrial legacy is unavoidable. Abandoned or rehabilitated, I simply love old factories. I can’t help but marvel at the architectural/industrial remnants of 19th-century Waterbury, the “Brass Capital of the World.” Once we found our way inside the Old Pin Shop factory (a sizable property, with a mix of other small businesses down other hallways and stairwells), we were welcomed by owner/designer Tim Byrne. Originally from Ireland and a cabinetmaker by trade, Tim is also a gregarious tour guide and passionate lover of American ingenuity, design and craftsmanship.  Here he and his team keep busy saving remnants of the Industrial Revolution, restoring vintage machinery and equipment into one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture.

And what of my expectations?
Apartment Therapy sums it up best with the declaration: died and gone to heaven. I could hardly contain my excitement exploring the finished showroom creations, but the real magic is in the warehouse. There, inspiration awaits around every corner.

To see more of these unique pieces, check out GetBackInc.com or schedule an appointment to visit the Connecticut showroom. For those citydwellers unable to drive out to Connecticut (this is not a region easily accessible by public transport), there is also a 1stdibs showroom in NYC.

I’ll leave you with this beautiful video by Ashka Wierzycka which gracefully captures the Get Back story: