OCTOBER

LIVING
Why Trash When You Can
UPCYCLE?
BY MARK WEXLER
BUILDING COLUMNIST
W
hen it comes to
homebuilding or
renovating, the process often
begins with demolition. So, when I
hear the word ‘demolition,’ I have
visions of Ty Pennington, a team
of volunteers, and an excavator,
smashing through the roof of
a house, bringing with it, total
destruction. But, as a builder who
must demolish properties time
and time again, I choose to work
with Matthew Cromwell, owner
of M3C Demolition and The Art of
Demolition, a retail brick & mortar
store, located at 390 Keele Street,
in The Junction, that sells not only
vintage products, but artefacts
retrieved from demolitions, and
upcycled and repurposed items
from his demolition adventures.
That’s right, from salvage to the
shop floor! Matthew’s team, in
their own woodworking shop, will
repurpose wood beams, floors, even
lath from in the wall, into just about
anything that can be envisioned
from their foraged materials. I
agree with Matthew about how
great it feels to give back to the
homeowner, a beautiful wood table,
coffee table, or some other upcycled
product that we can deliver to them.
“Each item has a history and a
story” that’s worth preserving, says
Cromwell.
12 VILLAGE LIVING MIDTOWN
As a builder, I like going that extra
mile by having Cromwell carefully
demolish my projects, especially
as it allows me to ‘give back’ to the
new homeowners. As we sat and
talked shop, I had to ask him, “Why
do you do what you do?” Cromwell
replied, “it all started with my
mother, we’d be driving along the
road, and she’d stop and direct my
brother and I to get out and grab
that street-side dresser; it used to be
so embarrassing.” Today, Cromwell
states, “I wake up each day,
wondering what I’m going to find,
every day is an exciting adventure.”
Amongst all the great objects
found, I asked, “Is there one that
stands out from the rest?” He replied,
“We recently found a 14K gold
pocket watch, wedged behind an old
coat rack that must have been there
for a long time.” What a great rush
the homeowners must have felt, and
a great story for them to tell.
As a local builder, its not just
hammers and nails. Sometimes, we
have the opportunity to truly play a
role in preservation instead of just
replacement. Recycling, upcycling
and repurposing has never been
more exciting. Plus, you just never
know what you might find in them
walls.
MARK WEXLER is the founder of
Wexmark Homes, a one-stop Build-
Renovate-Design firm that brings
custom homes & renovations to fruition.
WEXMARK.COM
JESSICA HASTINGS KYLE MANNS MATTHEW CROMWELL