Eco Relics at One Spark

It’s a time warp. The 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse is busting at the seams with items that span centuries. In addition to the age of the inventory, it’s a time warp in the sense that you can spend hours in Eco Relics without realizing it. The items are a recycled reservoir of Jacksonville history and a convergence of classic quality and new vision. It’s part hardware store, antique shop, building material supplier and thrift store with a knowledgeable, inventive staff.

Eco Relics took part in last year’s One Spark festival after having been open for only one week. The festival provided much needed awareness to Eco Relics and their mission to repurpose Jacksonville. As Nathaniel Price, Eco Relics’ Director of Marketing shared, “Whether it is a deconstruction to a simple material pickup, we are here to preserve the area’s rich history.” One Spark was a huge and important bullhorn for them in 2014, so they are continuing their presence at this year’s festival to keep on seeing their vision through as it evolves.

This year’s One Spark goal is to create a hands-on teaching studio that would instruct people of all ages and skill levels how to create uniquely repurposed designs from recycled materials. The space that Eco Relics plans on converting to the hands-on studio will have additional purposes. It will be available for the public to rent for events, and they hope to host lectures regarding energy efficiency. Be sure to find Eco Relics at One Spark where they will have a special setup in Hemming Park. To learn more about their One Spark project or to vote for them, you can visit onespark.com and search for project 21879.

Eco Relics is first and foremost a business, but they have an ethos that is community driven. “We are passionate about investing in the community by salvaging building materials from diverse sources and selling them to our patrons at a fraction of the retail cost,” Price says, “You would be surprised to hear the items that contractors discard, from claw-foot tubs to mosaic flooring.” Trying to preserve the 30% to 40% of reusable materials which wind up in landfills isn’t straightforward, and there is an ongoing effort to partner with more local contractors to make even more of an impact.

From what is sure to be an amazing display, to a fantastic project that continues to make Jacksonville more inventive and green, Eco Relics is a must stop at this year’s One Spark.

Eco Relics in Ortega

Eco Relics has many items from Ortega homes, but none quite as ornate as their pick of the Winn-Dixie Davis family mansion. They were able to salvage a number of Sherle Wagner pieces. Sherle Wagner, founded in 1945 has been considered the premier source for luxury hardware and bath accessories and is celebrated internationally. The pick yielded a gold-plated sink bowl, gold-plated sink knobs, gold-plated drawer handles, gold-plated faucets and much more. It’s the chance for that unique, opulent touch you’ve been wanting.