New life for discarded decor

SANDUSKY — A new art gallery features unique art where vintage and modern intersect. Mantique Studio, located at 2434 W. Monroe St. next to Patina Creek Restaurant and Bar, restores once-dilapidated items into brand-new works of art. The studio opened in late April in the same space that Toft Dairy once occupied. Studio co-owners and friends Kimberly Go and Mark Bowman acquired the then-completely gutted building in November, a task the pair didn't mind completing. "Mark and I have always had a shared passion for salvaging long-neglected pieces and giving them a new life," Go said. "We both enjoy a challenge." Bowman specializes in automotive work and design, primarily building 1959 23-window buses from scratch. Some displayed pieces include salvaged driftwood preserved in resin on a marble base and a 1920s Franklin piano-turned bookshelf. Everything featured in the gallery is salvaged and upcycled. The pair finds most of its materials and pieces from salvage yards, leftover building materials, garage sales or donations. Benny Byington, owner of Sandusky Salvage and Design, has played a major role in restoring the building in which the art gallery is located. "We take all the materials we plan to use inside of our workshop, and then Kim and I begin coming up with ideas of what we should do with them," Bowman said. "It's always exciting to see the finished product." What's in a name? The name "Mantiques" is a combination of the words "modern" and "antiques," Go said. "Our passion is creating unique art where vintage and modern intersect," she said.