In addition to our web site, Materials Unlimited maintains a 15,000 square foot, brick-and-mortar store located in downtown Ypsilanti, next door to Ann Arbor and only 20 minutes from the Detroit Metro Airport. We are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sundays from Noon to 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.   

Click Here to get directions and a map!

Materials Unlimited: A Brief History

Materials Unlimited evolved from a demolition company co-owned by our founder,
Reynold Lowe. Trained in the fine arts, Reynold earned his MFA from the University of Michigan in sculpture and photography. While a student, he also taught in the School of Fine Art and the School of Architecture.

His artistic sensibilities naturally include a passion for architectural details! His first salvage job was an old house in Ann Arbor slated for demolition. What began as a personal project quickly led to an entrepreneurial venture! In 1972, Reynold joined forces with the demolition contractor and saved countless architectural treasures from the bulldozer!

The need for a retail outlet quickly became evident and, in 1974, Materials Unlimited was born! Reynold’s treasures were originally housed in 3 pole barns on Morgan Road in the industrial outskirts of Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1979, an unfortunate fire began two doors down. It spread to our neighbor, Farmer’s Oil, causing an explosion of fuel oil that doused and engulfed our buildings. The inferno ravaged our collection! After the flames subsided, a lone potbelly stove stood in the ashes, misshapen by the heat.

A true Phoenix, in 1981 Materials Unlimited re-opened better than before. Our “new” home is an historic Art Deco building in downtown Ypsilanti dating to 1926. It was originally a Studebaker Packard dealership, but served as a USO Hall and then a Moose Lodge before we moved in. Our 15,000 square foot showroom is comprised of three floors brimming with antiques, restored fireplace mantels, leaded glass doors, stained and beveled glass windows, salvaged hardware, and other architectural items. We are especially known for our collection of restored period lighting.

Over the years, Materials Unlimited has evolved into a full service facility. Our production department works five days a week restoring antique furniture and architectural appointments. Our lighting restoration department is a UL listed shop. We rewire our antique light fixtures using UL approved replacement parts to ensure safety while preserving beauty. Creative new uses for salvaged antiques are our specialty. We love transforming salvaged doors into front bars, church altars into bathroom vanities or kitchen islands, and beveled glass into headboards.

Fortunately today, historic buildings are more often restored than destroyed, but this does make salvaged details harder to find. We pride ourselves on having one of the nation’s most impressive collections. It is exceptional and it is ever changing. Each visit to Materials Unlimited is different because Reynold is always seeking out beautiful and unusual items to offer our customers.

Our talented staff of Architectural Design Consultants can help customers with large projects or small. Collectively, we have years of experience with restoration, renovation, new construction, and, simply, decoration. We love helping people personalize their homes with beautiful antiques and architectural gems!

Reynold has an extensive background in fine art! In 1967, he graduated from Ohio State University with a BFA in Sculpture, Photography, and Visual Communications Design. Soon after he moved to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan. While he was earning his MFA in Sculpture, Reynold had teaching fellowships in both the School of Architecture, teaching Architectural Design, and the School of Art, teaching Sculpture. By chance, he discovered the businesses of architectural salvage and demolition when he learned a favorite building was being torn down. Reynold purchased the rights to salvage decorative architectural elements for use in his own home renovation project. While he was working, many people interested in buying building components approached him. The seeds that were to grow into Materials Unlimited were planted!

Our Staff

Scotty uses his degree in Historical Preservation of Architecture to help our customers decide on just the right pieces to use for their projects, whether they are restoring one of the wonderful Queen Anne or Craftsman houses in our area or building a new home with character. With two major home renovations under his belt, he's seen and heard all the horror stories. And, yes, he will be the first to tell you "never give up!".

James Wilson:Director of Advertising & Marketing

 James handles our advertising and marketing, helps customers, moves furniture, and any number of other tasks that keep things running smoothly around here.  James earned his BFA in Studio Art with a minor in Art History from Eastern Michigan University.  Initially, he worked for us as a freelance Graphic Designer, but it didn't take us long to realize we wanted him to become a permanent member of our staff.  He is committed to providing excellent customer service and comes up with creative ways to solve customers design problems.  James enjoys the many hats he wears here at Materials Unlimited, but you probably will never see him in a real hat…it’s a hair thing.

Hannah Manning: Shipping & Receiving

Hannah is our shipping and receiving expert.  She can pack even the most fragile items for a safe journey.  When she isn't knee deep in packing peanuts and bubble wrap, Hannah diligently adds pictures of our antiques to our website.  She uploads new pictures almost daily and, in her spare time, she helps us with store displays and customer service.

Bill Weber: Restoration Specialist

Bill is our lighting technician extraordinaire.  He meticulously restores each of our lighting fixtures to its former glory while following today's rigorous standards for safety.  Outside of work, he is an avid antique tractor collector and a thoroughly devoted grandpa.  Stop by and ask him about his tractors or his grandchildren; he always has new photos of both to show off!

Mission Statement

Our mission is to be the best source of quality antique products offered at fair and reasonable prices while providing excellent customer service.

Materials Unlimited guarantees the authenticity and quality of every piece of merchandise we sell. With over 30 years of experience, we bring a vast array of knowledge to this industry.

And while we try to maintain original finishes whenever possible, much of our inventory is in various stages of painstaking restoration (we prefer to offer items to our customers that are hassle-free and ready for installation and immediate use).

We are confident you will be more than satisfied with our quality and service, and we look forward to helping you with your restoration project!