Two huge 40ft trailer trucks stocked with urban chic furnishings for living rooms, dining rooms and offices, were dropped off at BIG!NYC this week. CB2, West Elm, Ralph Lauren and Crate & Barrel are well represented at BIG!NYC Gowanus! And office furniture is being unloaded now in Astoria. Thanks to Perry Finkelman of American Development Group LLC and Mark Engel of Langsam Property Services Corp. for the donations.
See below for some staff favorites in Gowanus:

"Two years ago this March I decided to ask my girlfriend to marry me. I don't have much of a history with big, romantic, flash-mob-involving gestures. And buying a really expensive diamond ring didn't seem like it would be very meaningful to us.

"But I love salvage and reuse, and for years we had lovingly carried from apartment to apartment a kitchen counter I had assembled from random parts found at Build It Green!NYC. But for this occasion I needed something a bit classier.

"So I bought my soon-to-be wife a beautiful salvaged two-tiered painted wood mantel. I brought it in and set it up in our apartment while she was out, and when she got home I surprised her with the mantel and marriage proposal. Now it is the centerpiece of our apartment and is covered with photos of us, our families, and friends."

Get inspired by Pinterest and check out our "Mantel Mania"

Valentines Mantle photo source: thediaryofdaveswife.com via Brenda on Pinterest.

Rustic white mantle photo source: rustyroostervintage.blogspot.com via Build It on Pinterest.