TEXT Jasmine Bible + PHOTOGRAPHY Susan Kalergis
In our “Meet the Makers” series, we’ll introduce you to local personalities from each of the towns where Nest offices are located. In our technology driven world, it’s nice to meet people who are still physically making tactile things by hand…these makers enrich our communities and color the landscape of our towns. For this installment, we visit an artisan in Staunton, VA.
+ JIM MORGAN, Artist
In a cavernous old warehouse in Staunton, VA, sits rows upon rows of beautiful reclaimed wood planks, dusty tiles, and old window panes. It’s here that we meet Jim Morgan of Tall Cotton Supply. This treasure trove of salvaged goods belongs to Jim and his wife, Chloe, who co-own the company.
Morgan’s vibe is effortlessly cool— reminiscent of a bygone era. His style is in sync with the trade he’s chosen. He’s preserving a bit of history and honoring simpler times when meticulous care and attention were evident in the construction of structures. A time when true craftsmanship reigned supreme.
While Morgan is modest about giving himself a specific title, we’re calling him a salvager, reclaimer, designer, craftsman, and above all, an artist. His passion for creating things by hand began early in life. Morgan’s grandfather had a tidy woodworking shop that was attached to his garage where he showed Morgan how to create wooden toys, and his father sparked his interest in antique furniture and restoration. By the time Morgan was 17, he was buying vintage pieces, restoring them, and selling them locally. He eventually went on to work for an antique shop and salvage company in Brooklyn, New York. After four years, he was ready to go out on his own, and in 2008 Tall Cotton Supply was formed.
The company quickly developed a niche for salvaging finishes from city buildings. “We salvage refined goods,” explains Morgan, “It’s more than just hardwood floors, but paneling, tile, mirrors, windows, marble, glass, wallpaper—anything on the surface.” Morgan and his crew will travel to New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, even as far as California. He fondly recalls a particularly cool salvage job in Zanesville, Ohio, for The American Encaustic Tile Company. The corporate offices were essentially a showroom, each office highlighting a different tile, and Tall Cotton Supply was able to salvage thousands of square feet of tile.
So what happens to all this salvaged goodness? In the case of The American Encaustic Tile Company, the tiles made their way into dozens of projects: a restaurant in Brooklyn, a residential bathroom in upstate New York, and even Morgan’s own bathroom in Staunton. VA. Other items have become the floors in bars, residential front doors, pool decking, tiled bathrooms and entryways, mantles, and sunrooms.
If you can imagine it, Morgan can supply the goods. Beyond the straight salvage and resale of these elements, Tall Cotton Supply offers full design-build services. From concept to design to complete execution, Morgan can aid clients through the entire process. This can be small scale projects like a custom table to a complete renovation of a bathroom, kitchen, or even an entire home.
To learn more about Tall Cotton Supply, visit tallcottonsupply.com.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
We ask each of our makers to share what’s in their toolbox—the five things they can’t live without:
1. Orbital Sander
2. Chainsaw
3. Hammer
4. Crowbar
5. Vintage Nail Puller
We shared this story with you in our Fall/Winter 2017 Issue of NEST Magazine. To view the full issue, click here.