San Francisco-based salvage expert Michael “Bug” Deakin and his team of craftsmen hunt for history-rich materials to repurpose into timeless pieces for clients’ homes in the new DIY Network series Heritage Hunters. Premiering on Sunday, November 4, at 10PM ET/PT, Bug transforms reclaimed wood from forgotten centuries-old structures. He finds valuable materials such as redwood board-and-batten walls, oak wine staves from a local winery and fragments of hand-hewn Amish barns. From these fragments, he creates beautiful kitchen islands, dining tables, porch spindles and exposed beams for ceilings.
“Giving old materials new life is my passion,” said Bug. “I’ve assembled a team of experts, craftsmen, and designers to help me pry off, pull down and repurpose our country’s aging wooden structures. Everything has a story and we rewrite it when we make it into something new.”
The action-packed premiere episode showcases Bug and his crew as they salvage historic bleacher boards from the famous Polo Fields in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and craft them into rustic kitchen shelves. The team also revamps an outbuilding on a client’s property into a relaxing retreat by adding a bar built with scrap from a shuttered local restaurant that was a favorite of the family. He also adds character and function to the new space with retractable glass doors, shiplap walls and heart pine floors that were saved from an abandoned factory.
To learn more about Heritage Hunters, visit www.diynetwork.com/HeritageHunters for photos and exclusive video from the show. Viewers also can interact via social media using #HeritageHuntersDIY.
