Meet LUMBER+Salt
John Mazur and Brooke Cantone, the design duo behind LUMBER+Salt, an architectural and design salvage treasure trove, are best known for their Jamestown, New York outpost.
The pair have built a reputation as tastemakers with a 'raw and refined' aesthetic, and their shop is a honeypot for collectors and designers alike, filled with oversized doors, industrial factory lights, piles of reclaimed floorboards, vintage glass bottles, and quirky one-off paraphernalia that can transform a room. Alongside the antiques and salvage sits a café, where coffee, pastries, and seasonal florals reinforce the brand’s ethos: design as an everyday, lived-in experience.
Setting the scene
On a golden evening on New York’s North Fork, a harvest table is set for forty inside a centuries-old barn. Guests drift in from the vineyard, settling into vintage Chesterfield sofas, leaning on a historic bar, or gathering around candlelit flowers arranged by local caterer Laura Lombardi.
When the bell – once used to call farmhands in from the fields – rings across the rafters, everyone takes their seats for a celebratory lunch. The barn itself is the star of the show: a historic structure newly reimagined as 'Hidden Jem,' a venue for gatherings that feels both timeless and utterly of the moment.
Here's how the journey of creating North Fork's most elegant entertaining barn unfolded.
Uncovering 'Hidden Jem'
Hidden Jem is the latest project from LUMBER+Salt. 'We are creatives at the heart of who we are, Cantone says. 'The way the two of us see spaces is through one lens, and to have that effortless synergy with someone is not only rare, it’s magic.'
The project began when Justin and Elizabeth Mirro, the new owners of the estate, brought Mazur and Cantone into the weathered barn on a cold January day. 'We knew right away it had good bones,” Mazur recalls. 'The whole beam framework was intact, with very little renovation over the years. It felt like it had been standing in time.'
Adding drama with doorways and lighting
Rather than simply clean it up, the duo sought to create something layered, atmospheric, and unexpected. They opened new doorways to frame vineyard views, engineered a black metal entry inspired by the Ace Hotel in New York, and installed theatrical uplighting to highlight the barn’s original timbers. 'We gravitate to pieces that feel modern in unexpected ways,' Cantone explains. 'A threshold, a lighting detail –it all adds a sense of drama and transition.
Creating flow
From the start, the design was about flow: how guests would move from a sun-drenched outdoor patio into the Chesterfield-sofa nook, the historic bar, or onto the dance floor. Each zone was given its own 'heartbeat,' anchored by a lighting feature and layered with salvage finds. The bar, for instance is a piece of history – a Brooklyn mercantile counter paired with 1950s barber-shop mirrors and original parlour stools. Overhead, a neon duck salvaged from a Hamptons storefront lends a playful glow.
Re-imagining materials
The dance floor, a request of the client, was laid with sandblasted brickmaker pallets, reimagined as durable planks with a patina of history. 'We take materials that wouldn’t typically be used for something and use them in just that way,' says Mazur. 'It’s part of our sustainability philosophy. Nothing is new.'
Vintage Chesterfields upholstered in navy leather, paired with bronze-studded chairs, create intimate capsules for conversation. Pub doors from England, a salvaged farm bell, and reclaimed harvest tables continue the narrative. 'Every piece has a story,' Cantone says. 'That’s what makes a space feel soulful rather than staged.'
Continuing the story
What delighted Mazur and Cantone most at Hidden Jem’s celebratory farm dinner was hearing owner Justin Mirro tell stories of the salvaged pieces, from the neon duck to the antique pub doors. 'That’s when we knew the story was complete,' says Cantone. 'Every project is a story within a story. When people are in the space, they’re loving it –even if they don’t quite know why. And that’s a win for us.'
Shop the LUMBER+Salt look
LUMBER+Salt curate their unique style by bringing together their eclectic salvaged pieces, but if you're not able to get to a reclamation yard, these pieces will help you to re-create their rustic, yet refined look.
Finished with a clear lacquer to keep it protected from spills, this serving tray will bring a practical yet rustic look to your event.
Each one of these boards is unique, due to being handcrafted from antique solid wood in Hungary. They are decorative pieces and will look beautiful hung as a collection on a kitchen or dining room wall.
These boho-style hurricane lanterns mirror the oversized pendant lights used by LUMBER+Salt at Hidden Jem barn, so you can re-create the look on a smaller scale.
Perfect for creating a natural display of dried or faux foliage, these decorative planters are made from galvanized steel for that industrial salvaged look. Use them as table center pieces, on mantels or open shelves.
If you can't find a genuine retro sign, a neon piece like this is the next best thing. It's made from flexible LED strips attached to an acrylic background on a hanging chain so you can display it on the wall of a kitchen or dining room for some retro fun.
Bring some industrial chic to your homes with this vintage-style stool. Line three or four up along a bar area or high table or kitchen island to create your own home bar area that feels effortlessly styled.
