I attended a wedding at Salvage One and was very impressed. As many reviewers have discussed, the venue is incredibly unique. Funky salvaged furniture in a warehouse can really make for a fun experience. You really don't need to spend much on decor. The food was good and I loved how there were plenty of little couch areas where people could hang out. Also loved that the reception seating was made of all different sized tables- what a nice way to group up guests and avoid people getting stuck with strangers or the weird family member. One of my favorite wedding venues, and I've seen a lot! read more

Like a million other people, I came here for a wedding. My wedding planning days are long past, but if I had the inclination, this would be a most excellent place for a shindig. We came in from the burbs so I appreciated that there is easy street parking as well as a lot that was designated for us (note that the lot may not always be available, if the sign on the door is any indication). I'd been to a wedding a couple years ago at Architectural Artifacts, so, kind of the same idea? But Salvage One seems to be more curated, and is definitely better laid out -- doesn't feel as cramped, the second floor was largely clear for dinner/dancing, and they had proper bars on the first and second floor. The ceremony area had a number of pews as well as some chairs for overflow. I loved all the random chandeliers that served as lighting, and beyond the seating for the ceremony there were tons of couch-and-coffee-table set ups for easy lounging while we enjoyed cocktails. Minor quibble, the first floor only seemed to have one (unisex) restroom. With around 200 people there, you might think that would be a problem. The good news is there were much larger restrooms on the second floor, which is where we had dinner etc. I don't know if they have designated vendors or if the bride and groom picked them out, but there were some small pacing issues, and some of us didn't get appetizers during the cocktail hour. Nature of large weddings, though, I guess. I can't really fault anyone for it. Overall, Salvage One is a beautiful space and I'd happily attend another event here. read more

We just had our wedding at Salvage One this past weekend and it was everything we had imagined. The venue itself is so unique and beautiful, and our guests really were impressed with the space and had so much fun taking photos throughout the evening. Days later, we continue to get compliments. The staff - Erin, Colleen and Kelly - were professional, responsive and very easy to work with. Our day went so smoothly, and we would not have changed a thing. read more

I cannot speak on making purchases at Salvage One, but I attended a wedding there last weekend and it was magical. From the moment I walked in the door, I knew it was going to be a special night. I just walked around for the first half hour, just looking at everything- lots of chandeliers, interesting furniture, bathtubs made into fountains..... So much to take in. This was an unconventional and artsy crowd, so this space was just divine. The outdoor area with the lighted gazebo created such an maxing backdrop for all of our photos and, the ceremony of course. There were so many places to wander off to and explore and dance. Little nooks and crannies were everywhere. What a fantastic event space! Loved it! read more

This place hands down gets 5 stars from me. Such a great raw space. Tons of character. Amazing place to host an event - the second floor is just awesome. I've been to various different events here and they're all unique in their own way. From low-key art openings to Friday night my fiance and I went to the Spooky Soiree for the CCAC -- what a fun party! We love it so much we're having our wedding ceremony/reception there in 2011. Woohoo. FYI. I believe it's $5500-$6000 to rent the space for a Saturday night, depending on the month. read more

I've been to two events here recently. One for Yelp, one through Yelp. This place is SOOOO awesome. It's huge. There's tons of nooks and crannies where elegant/funky/vintage decor is tucked away. The most recent time I was here, I got to peek around a bit more at all of the treasures downstairs. Lately, I've taken to the semi-hobby of refinishing junk furniture I've found. This place is like my muse! If only I could afford the stuff here. I'm definitely going to steal ideas from here. I'd also like to have my wedding here. Swoon-worthy. :D read more

/what an amazing space!! I went for a wedding and spent as much time looking at all the treasure as I did dance. When ever I had a question, staff were ready with a good & useful response. After being at other events in that area, I know how hard it is to get cabs at the end of the night and Salvage One's staff spent as much time as needed on the phone making sure we all were taken care of. read more

Salvage One was an amazing place to get married. Sara Barg was so cheerful and helpful along the way and was a pleasure to work with the entire time. We also hired their recommended event coordinator, Amy Stockbridge, and she was awesome as well. Both Sara and Amy were extremely helpful at the final meeting. And, on the day of, they both did a grand slam job executing my vision. Hiring Amy was the best decision we could've made. She answered all my dumb questions and coordinated at the vendor scheduling, including drop off and set up times. She also put out the favors and place cards, and set up gift table and cake table. She totally set up and ran everything just as I would have, am I'm OCD and a perfectionist! I would highly recommend getting married and/or having your reception at Salvage One. I would especially recommend it for people who are looking for something a little different. Sara Barg and Amy Stockbridge are stellar at putting on weddings there! Everything on their end was flawless! read more

We held our wedding here (9/2/11) and we have nothing but great things to say about the venue and Sara, the event coordinator. It's a beautiful space that has plenty of versatility (we had ceremony in patio, cocktails on 1st floor & dinner on second.) All of our guest loved exploring the store and was the perfect backdrop for an unique wedding. Sara went above and beyond to make sure that what we needed for Salvage One, and even helped us design some of the sweets tables and decorations when we were stumped. She is a event pro and is willing to think outside of the box to make your night enjoyable. We'll always hold fond memories of this place and will continue to explore it's lovely store for many more years to come. read more

I'll never go to a wedding in a cooler venue than Salvage One. This truly is as good as it gets! The downstairs space was perfect. One one side of the building, a chapel has been created out of mismatched sets of old pews, and overhead are dozens of varingly ornate chandeliers . On the other side, a bartender served cocktails from behind a vintage bar while guests chatted while sitting in furniture displays. The courtyard was perfect for congregating with family and friends before the wedding and during cocktail hour. There are several great places to pose for photos or just to sit and chat. The second floor featured an exquisite dressing room and a large, open floor plan with a host of mismatched tables. Stained glass windows lined the walls, illuminated from behind by the building's actual windows. The best place for a reception that I've ever seen. Everything here is for sale, and during the day Salvage One is a regular antique store. Don't miss an opportunity to go to an event here! It is seriously the best! read more

Very unique venue. I attended a fundraiser event, after having missed a yelp event here a few months back. After seeing reviews, I looked forward to checking out this antique shop gone party space - an idea which frankly sounded weird to me. Rather than weird, now, I'm going with exceptionally cool. Just checking out the place makes an experience out of the evening. While I fell in love with the decor and size of the space - two floors and quite a few rooms (I probably missed some of it, actually!) - I didn't love that the location was somewhat inconvenient. I drove and free parking was aplenty, though other friends had to cab it for lack of nearby El station. But perhaps that off the beaten track is part of the appeal of the place. Also, I didn't think that there were enough bathrooms for the size of space, meaning lots of people around. That said, I just sat on an old, beautiful chair looking at a painting I could buy (if I had the money!) while waiting for my turn. read more

Geeze, has this place has gone downhill! This once used to be a great source. It is a big space but folks there really ain't much there! Including staff - for a place open only 3 days a week you think they could at least say "hello"? I arrived prepared to find some great items for a current project, I brought in a full set of architectural plans my tape measure & project bag, I never even was greeted with a "hello" or "thanks for coming". Also, I emailed a photo of an item I was looking for, they sent a generic "we have some items that are similar, but you need to come in and take a look" this was not the case at all. If you are looking for 50's modern items they had some OK things but I do not think of that as salvage or architectural items. The garden collection was OK. I left really bummed by how much this place has changed, and also wondering if anyone else tired of bad customer service? Are Chicagoans becoming too cool to be friendly, happy or enjoy their jobs? Is it cool to be uninspired, unprofessional and rude? read more

Stopped by today to pick up some drawer pulls for a project and the door was open, so we went in. The women approached us like we just walked in on her in the shower, with a very shrill "can I help you?" and told us they were closed. We were 10 minutes late and she couldn't even muster up a little politeness in delivering the news they were not as open as their door implied...sorry lady, we weren't the ones that left the door unlocked! We won't be heading back. read more

My husband and I got married 8/24/13 at Salvage One and we couldn't have picked a better place. We knew when we had attended a friends wedding a few years prior that this venue was perfect for us. Sara and Brandi were amazing to work with and were super awesome at communicating with us. They really went out of their way to be helpful. The vendor list they have is great, we went with Food for Thought and got so many compliments. The only suggestion I have is DON'T HIRE AMY STOCKBRIDGE. She was great prior to the wedding but day of seemed frazzled, was wearing leggings and flip flops (honestly I am like the least fancy person ever but, c'mon, through some flats on) and then disappeared for long amounts of time. Our DJ basically did her job 10x over (Dustin from Toast and Jam, amazing!!!!!). My mom and sister were looking for her throughout the night and couldn't find her. We were waiting to the hora and she disappeared and then I found her and asked for chairs and in the middle of texting told me she couldn't find any. If you've been here, the PLACE IS FILLED WITH CHAIRS AND WE JUST NEEDED ONES WITH ARMS. Otherwise, the day was perfect. read more

We had our wedding at Salvage One on 6/17/11 and it was perfect! We fell in love with the space a few years ago after going to an art event there. From our first contacts with Sara to having Amy Stockbridge as our day of coordinator, every conversation was prompt and detail executed effortlessly. They do 2-3 weddings every weekend but still treated our event like it was their top priority. Hiring Amy as your day of coordinator is a must especially is you are a diy bride. She assembled all our our arrangements and complicated decorations flawlessly and provided great support throughout the planning process and throughout the day. If you want to have your event at the most unique venue in Chicago, with tons of eclectic antiques and kind, organized people, have it at Salvage One. read more

Salvage One is FABULOUS! We were looking for a unique wedding venue where we could have our own caterer and do our own thing and this was IT! My husband and I had checked out a few diffferent venues, and the second we walked into Salvage One it was love at first sight for both of us. It seemed a little more expensive than other venues in the area, but when you add up the furniture and decorations the other places required (which is provided at Salvage One), it ended up being the same price (or possibly cheaper). We got some incredible photos before and during the wedding because of the unique and interesting space. Sara, the event coordinator, was amazing. She was fun and so easy to work with. She was laid back about us coming in a few hours before the wedding to set up and take pictures (some other places were strict on that), and since she's so experienced with events there, she was able to give us some great suggestions on what worked with the space. Her suggestions on the candles and table runners tied everything together perfectly. I was concerned some of the older or more conservative guests might not appreciate the space as much as they would a more traditional venue, but we received sincere complements from a wide range of guests. Many told us it was the best wedding they'd ever been to, and I attribute much of the success to this amazing and unique venue. read more

We went here on the Wedding event crawl. This was such a cool venue! Would be such a great place to host a wedding. The downstairs is perfect for the event itself. Love how you can go around and add whatever is available in the shop. The upstairs makes for a perfect reception hall. Very open, and just super cool space. read more

Great space. I attended a Time Out Chicago event here. I never knew this place existed. It was perfect!! I guess people have weddings here, etc. Easy, easy street parking. read more

Seriously one of the coolest event spaces in the city. This building is totally unassuming for the outside but once you get inside you're met with beautiful architectural artifacts, funky art pieces and furniture. Everything is for sale so if you see something you like at your event..you can buy it! Turn a corner and there is another space to hang out in. I was impressed that there were so many different spaces within the venue. My one complaint about this massive space is the lack of bathrooms. I guess you can't have everything but it is definitely something to consider for your guests. read more

Antique haute couture. My guess is 98% of the people that walk in here never buy a thing. After all, who has the space or money to buy a 30ft long, $10,000 bar? BUT, it is a great place to spend the day exploring. The space is huge with 3 or 4 floors. The inventory includes fireplace mantels, giant columns, clawfoot tubs, card catalogs, fountains, telephone booths...you name it. I like to pretend I own a giant loft and have a place and use for some of these quirky pieces. They rent out the space for events either inside or out in the garden. No idea how expensive it is, but if any of you ever throw a party there, please please invite me! read more

I came here for a charity event with a group of my friends and we were completely blown away by how UNIQUE this venue is. For most of the night, we were up on the second floor, where the space was very open. There were lots of salvaged pieces of furniture & art scattered around the room and by the bathrooms. The upstairs of Salvage One definitely had an antique-y vibe that made it quirky and interesting...not in a garage-sale-flea-market-junkyard-clutter kind of way. I just wish I had more time to look around the downstairs too! read more

This place is absolutely amazing, and I will be forever grateful to Craigslist and a gigs ad that I replied to for putting me on to this little junk house on Hubbard. It is full of salvaged curiosities, art, and metal. Like a place you'd find Edward Scissorhands hanging out in. I first came here for a wedding, and the reception was held upstairs. Beautiful and creative space transformed into a beautiful wedding venue. I kept my eye out for events after this, and then Yelp had their Yelp Helps event here, which I made sure to attend. Such an amazing venue for all kinds of cool events. On an aside, my boyfriend gets very sad when we go here, and it is all out of complete jealousy. It is like a dream junk house, and he wants to own this place. I think he is mad that the owner thought of this place first. I have a picture capturing his sad face. :-) read more

I attended a wedding, this past June, for a family member at Salvage One. I had never been to the venue. I quickly became a fan. It was one of the most unique and beautiful places that I have been to for a wedding. The facility was large and spacious, even for a reception of 200 - 250 guests. My only wish is that my family member didn't find this facility first! I would highly recommend Salvage One for wedding or any other type of event. read more

This place is really neat! I have been to salvage one a many of times and the staff is always so friendly and helpful. If you didn't know, they are about to start opening the space up for private parties! Weddings, Etc. (they have been doing it for a while but I think they may want to push that a bit more) Brian is always so helpful and nice. I have always liked everyone there. I found a bench there today I almost walked out with . price was reasonable too. Check it out if you are doing any type of vintage decor in your home. It's a great way to recycle!!!!!!!!!! xoxo read more

What a venue! We had visited a few places trying to pick out a wedding venue before we got to Salvage One. Some had been nice but a bit small ... lots of white space or empty space for you to bring in furnishings. Nice backdrops to whatever you chose as your decor but basically blank canvases. And then we went to Salvage One ... This place is amazing as soon as you walk in. Lots of unique and eclectic pieces everywhere you look. From spectacular bars and great table and chairs sets to amazing chandaliers and vintage games... they have it all. The best part is you get to use all of their furniture for your event. Then there was the outside which was amazing for a ceremony space and cocktails. There is also a great ceremony space inside with pews and stain glass in case the weather does not behave (very often in Chicago). This place was already larger than anywhere we had seen and then there was the upstairs. Another wow area. It had been set up for a wedding and it looked amazing. The mix of chairs and tables were unlike anything we had seen and the bar space, dance floor area etc. just added to the unique set up. There is also a great place for the bridal party to get ready upstairs and the bathrooms are well placed and ample (other places we looked at had one or two only). Then there is Sara. She is just phenomenal. She was very helpful from the get-go, assisting us with all of the questions that we had and allaying any of our concerns. When it was time to do table plans and vendor meets she was very hands on and able to give us lots of suggestions for the set up. It was just great to have someone take over that part and know that they were going to make the place look beautiful (probably based on her having done probably a zillion setups). Overall, I could not have imagined a better venue for our wedding. It was so unique and great for photographs. I'd like to tell you that I would use this place for my next wedding, but I am hoping that won't be necessary ;-) read more

Fantastic event space and great staff. We had a company event held here and everything went seamlessly and was completely taken care of. Note for those who are handicapped or not on friendly terms with stairs- I assume there has to be an elevator on the premises but none were made available to us/we were not made aware of one. Our event was on the second? or maybe third floor and we were given directions to enter and use the stairs to get to our designated space. That is honestly my only complaint. read more

Aside from the recent yelp elite event I've never been to this venue but it is seriously unique, huge, and beautiful. Final Verdict: I could see myself booking this place for a party for sure! Awesome furniture, big space upstairs, and a great stage for a band with great acoustics for the kind of space - all and all awesome. read more

We just recently had our wedding here at the end of June, and we could have not had a better experience. The planning with Colleen was seamless and she was so quick and responsive to our questions. All of the staff was so friendly and helpful and it looked incredible for our reception (and the garden was in full bloom outside for our ceremony). We had so many friends and family from the city and out of town who had never been in the space, and they could not stop gushing about how cool the space was. We cannot recommend Salvage One enough for anyone looking for a non-traditional event space (or even just shopping for some cool antiques). read more

I went to a fundraiser here. I thought it was a cool spot. The decor is definitely unique. The stage is nice and the lighting was nice. The only reason I give it 4 starts instead of 5 is because the bathroom was freezing. I shivered when I was in there and then I avoided using that restroom for the rest of the time and waited till we left and went to our next stop. read more

Such an amazing venue, words can't describe. Whether it's for a wedding, an art show or a gala, Salvage one is the ideal spot. Tucked away near west town off the beaten path there is plenty of street parking. The inside of this place is like a time warp wonderland. Old and antique furniture, art, and random items like you'd never expect to find. You could just wander this place playing with things, sitting on things and just generally being in awe. I've been to several events here and really just want to move in. There's also a really cool patio space to expand your party outdoors. read more

See all

We had our wedding in June 2019 for 200 people at Salvage One and it was great! Honestly, the venue was probably the hit of the wedding. People loved it. The store is open on Fri/Sat/Sun and depending on when your wedding starts you get to start setting up 3 hrs prior, so it overlaps with some of end shop hours. So I would often go about 1/2hr before closing time on one of those days to see how other people were setting up for their weddings. I went often. Even contacted Salvage One a couple of times to find out when weddings of a certain size similar to our wedding would be happening, that way I could specifically look at how those weddings were getting set up rather than risk going on a day when no wedding is happening or a significantly smaller wedding. Salvage One was quick to respond whenever had a question via email. I was for some reason under the impression we would get a little more say as in like where certain stain glass would go or where certain chandeliers would go for the wedding, but we didn't (which honestly wasn't a bad thing cause it all looked great). The staff there was good the day of the wedding. Main thing with a wedding there is it's a lot for you to do cause you're in charge of finding a caterer, liquor, dj, table decor and any other decorations you want along with decoration clean up at the end of the night. We didn't have a wedding planner tho and did all the decorations ourselves, so that would probably take off some of the load. However, I managed it and sort of liked that me and my family were so heavily involved. Only bad thing I'd say is, we had our wedding first week of June and it was probably like low 70's outside (so not bad temperature wise), but ended up getting a bit uncomfortably hot on the 2nd floor reception area which does have AC (1st floor doesn't but 2nd does). Their air was blowing but didn't really feel cool. However, we had 200 people and the main decorations for our tables and window sills were candles (I want to say we had over 400 some candles), so that may have been an additional cause of the heat. read more

This is a really cool place. Tons of mid-century modern furniture and an awesome venue to see it all. We bought a vintage bar cart here for $75, which was way less than we were planning on paying (like a quarter of our budget). We're really happy with it. We come here somewhat often to see what's new (unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a ton of product turnover). We've been eyeing a few credenzas and leather chairs, but they're just too expensive for our tastes. Nonetheless, we'll continue to come back. The guy at the desk always seems a little less than enthused when you ask a question. We've emailed before about an item's dimensions and instead of telling us the info we were looking for they just directed us to the site (the item wasn't initially on the site, and after they emailed back it was). Just seems lazy to me. read more

We just had our wedding at Salvage One on 3/17/2017. It was absolutely wonderful. Colleen and Erin were great to work with; very accommodating, quick to answer questions and provide feedback and offer suggestions. The Salvage One space is so great as it can transform itself into anything - I wanted to glam it up a bit with candles and soft décor and the end result was beautiful. We heard from everyone how awesome the space was all night long and people continue to talk about it how awesome it was. read more

See all

Had our wedding here. It was amazing. A truly unique site. All the staff was very helpful throughout all the planning. I'm only heard great things about our night. Everyone loved the venue. It's so unique. Still haven't been to a better place for an event. read more

Salvage One - Antiques Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had the pleasure of both being a vendor (I'm a florist) and guest for a wedding at Salvage One recently. Both experiences were great and I would highly recommend them to any brides in Chicagoland looking for an amazing venue. As a vendor, I was so pleased with how amazingly helpful the Salvage One staff is. Amy Stockbridge, the on site coordinator, was pleasant, eager to please and insanely organized. She was in constant e-mail contact with me prior to the event and was there to instantly greet me when I arrived the day of the wedding. Rarely to events run that smooth! She (or other staff members) were constantly available to the vendors, bridal party and other family members. Needs were met instantly. Everything was approached with a team mentality, which truly made for a flawless evening. I would be honored to have a chanced to work at such an amazing venue. As a guest, I couldn't get over what a beautiful, unusual space Salvage One is. You could spend hours combing over their unique inventory. All evening long I was hearing guests comment how beautiful the space was. Guests truly appreciated a space that wasn't a typical cookie cutter venue. I personally was in love with the garden space in the rear of the building. It was a lovely place to take a few minutes to enjoy the night air. So if you're looking for a venue that will wow your guest, give Salvage One a call. You won't be disappointed! read more

Came here for a wedding and reception. It's definitely unique! I think it's a store in the daytime, but boy is this a great spot for a wedding. The rooms are spacious and there a lot of cute architectural artifacts from all over the city (I assume). Tip: make sure you make your way to the outside back area. A lot of cool installations and artwork. ProTip: don't sit on anything before you look. There's a sweet area outside with benches make from recovered wood. I sat down before I noticed that it's covered in sap. Yikes! read more

We just had our wedding at Salvage One and it was absolutely spectacular. The space is incredible, and they will do just about anything you want to set the space up to fit your party. There were some concerns about whether such a large space would be too much for a party of 100 people, but it was perfect. Sara Barg, the event coordinator, met with us and had suggestions as to how we could scale down the space so that our party would be more intimate. Everyone was blown away with how it looked, and it was a perfect expression of both of us. We also had a hard time not buying something every time we went there to look around. We did make one purchase there recently, and they delivered it for super cheap and did a great job setting it up. read more

The only reason I would not give this place 5 stars is the temperature. My company has had several events there and many of us are always leaving early b/c its sooooo hot! i wish they would understand gatherings generate heat. Other than that, its beautiful, clean, elegant. Great space! read more

My husband and I got married here last September and had a wonderful experience. This space is truly amazing and beautiful. We wanted an unconventional wedding, something that was more "us" than the traditional cookie cutter weddings that are at every hotel and country club. Hotel beige isn't really our color. ha! This was right up our alley. I can not say enough how amazing this place is. The architecture and the antiques are awesome, all you have to do is bring flowers and food, the decor is already there. From Historical and vintage pieces and mis-matched furniture, this is defiantly the place for a unique and most talked about wedding. We couldn't be happier with our wedding. We did work with Sara, and she very attentive and amazing. I love the fact that she was laid back. This helped ease any nervous tension that often follow weddings. I am by no means a bridezilla, but her attitude really put me at ease. Our night was complete with a band (yes the reception space was enormous!) and delicious food catered from J&L Catering...people still talking about those short ribs! Needless to say our wedding was simply amazing is STILL talked about to this day. I would recommend having a wedding here. It might cost a little more, but the memories are well worth it. read more

We got married at Salvage One on July 2nd 2022. It's an absolutely beautiful and unique venue, and we got lucky with weather that was good enough to have our ceremony in their outdoor courtyard. They were generally flexible with us throughout two covid postponements as we were supposed to get married in 2020, then 2021, and finally 2022. One thing to be aware of is there is a company directly next door to the venue that rents their parking lot out for outdoor events, and we found out one week before our wedding date that they were planning to host an EDM concert with up to 1,000 people in attendance. Not exactly the news you want to hear that close to the wedding date, but we understand it's not a normal occurrence for them, and typically their outdoor events are not that large or loud. In the end it wasn't as bad as it could have been - the outdoor courtyard was shielded enough for us to still have our ceremony outside, and other than some windows rattling during the father of the bride speech, and having to find a last minute valet (which was very costly) it could have been worse. While we were hoping the venue would have been more flexible in working with us a bit more on this, they did end up helping to cover a small portion of the valet fee. We had hoped with the last minute issue coming up and all that we had on our plate in the final week, they could have done more in helping us secure a valet. One last note, we found out after the wedding that the front door was locked for a time during the ceremony while the mother of the bride was running to her car, and she was unable to get back into the venue for about a half hour, causing her to miss the first dance. Highly suggest either ensuring that the door does not get locked, or that a sign gets put up so that late guests have a way to enter if the door is locked. Overall, we are still happy we chose Salvage One. We had a few things happen that were less than ideal, but in the end we had a great wedding and reception and have some great pictures in this unique venue. read more