Michael "Bug" Deakin, Founder

Michael “Bug” Deakin, a British Columbia native, built his first home out of reclaimed materials in 1970, and that was just the beginning. Along the way he has planted trees, designed, built and remodeled custom homes, boats, movie sets, rock walls, gardens, parade floats, tree forts, dog houses, ship models, furniture and a splendiferous array of art forms from repurposed materials.

As a member of Ivy Deakin’s story telling family of 10 children, everything was re-used and recycled, especially all the great stories. Bug takes to heart the story and origin of the buildings, people and materials that make their way in and out of the Petaluma yard. With relentless focus on sustainable enthusiasm and talking story, Heritage Salvage has become a center of creativity and sustainability.

As he waltzed his way through years of planetary wanders and events of wonder, he learned from many teachers and was affected by design without limits. From an Amazon Tree house to a Japanese Teahouse, a Balinese Birdhouse, a Driftwood Palace and the pleasing decay of a Western Barn, every nuance notched its niche.

Bug’s passion is the art and reward of re-purposing, re-using, and recycling as a part of a sustainable way of life.  Teaching others to see the beauty in what is here, sharing treasures and stories of the past, and sharing the joy of turning old, sometimes falling down, structures into beautiful new things fuels each day.

Just as in the Deakin family, there is always enough to share, and Heritage Salvage goes out of it’s way to help those that need it and those that help others.

Michael Bug has a sprawling enthusiastic family in British Columbia, including a fabulous Daughter Suzy and two grandsons in Salmo!

Chris Cheek, Head Craftsman
Chris Cheek is a veteran art teacher who has done everything from graphic art to ceramics to stagecraft. He also established and ran an art supply store for 9 years. He likes to find inanimate objects and make things out of them that speak loudly, profoundly and sometimes humorously. He sees that working with old wood is much like lapidary only bigger, as beautiful colors and textures are revealed beneath a weathered exterior. Chris is currently single…ladies?

Ron Estill, Head Craftsman
After leaving his career of twenty-five years as a professional chef Ron stepped into his other passion of wood working, and to pick up the craft that has been in his family for generations. As a child he was influenced by his father, uncle and great uncle who are both master carpenters. This eventually led him to Heritage Salvage where for the last several years he has been handcrafting tables, benches, bar and countertops and more from reclaimed wood. He has a love for all types of wood and appreciates the unique challenge and creativity in keeping the nature and spirit of the wood alive with patina, moss, saw marks as he crafts a piece into the client's dream. Ron lives with his wife Shannon in Santa Rosa. 

Dan Ford, Head Drummer
Dan has been handcrafting cabinets since 2001 when he first apprenticed in his uncles cabinet shop in Seattle, Washington. Going on to apprentice in several shops he discovered along the way both his joy and talent in cabinet making, as it evolved into his specialty. Dan enjoys the unique challenges and added dimensions of working with recycled materials. He is a fabulous drummer and performs locally in Petaluma with the Incubators and in San Francisco with Ocho. Dan lives in Petaluma.

Nate Taverna, Welding Artist
Nate is our resident welding artist extraordinaire. From a rusty bit to a piece of sheet metal Nate has an uncanny talent to transform metal and steel into works of inspiring art. When commissioned these pieces may also be functional as well as artistic as seen in his designs of windmills, fountains, garden trellises and flowers that last forever. 

Karen Helms, HS Office Manager
Karen Helms is our new office manager. She enjoys creating environments, putting things together, and helping others. She brings over fourteen years of experience with a custom furniture company and a love for salvaged wood to Heritage Salvage. Customer and design oriented, Karen can guide you to find or create what you need.  Have her draw your idea on a napkin, and our artists can build it for you.  Karen lives in Petaluma and can be found enjoying her world famous Mai Tais on weekends by the pool. 

Bridgit Lee, Our Bookkeeper
Bridgit has been part of our family for over a year helping us to keep our ducks in a row. For over twenty years, she has been providing her financial bookkeeping expertise to clients helping them problem solve and plan for success. You can find her at Heritage Salvage every Tuesday putting her Quick Books pro status to work for us with this big beautiful smile on her face.  Born and raised in Petaluma, you can stop by and talk Petaluma with her anytime. 

Heather Gallagher, Head Gardener and Beekeeper
Heather Gallagher created HS gardens in pots of all kinds from reclaimed beds to manure spreaders to old wheelbarrows. She care takes our bees for pollination which help our gardens grow. Heather pollinates all her love in everything she does at Heritage Salvage. Heather brought Athena Ellen James Gallagher into the world on July, 2009.

Lynn Wallace, Marketing & Business Development
Lynn weaves proven marketing skills with the new world of social media to position your business advantageously. With these skills and a network of connections Lynn has helped Heritage Salvage increase market awareness with a vigorous PR campaign. We are pleased she has moved her home and office to Petaluma, the Green Gateway to Sonoma County. Her spirit is contagious!

Mary Nova, Original Graphic Design and Webmaster
And in the beginning there was a supernova, and that Nova helped spawn Heritage Salvage, and we are grateful, and now her merry Mary Novaness is following her bliss in New Mexico!

Mouser
Our Zen mouser is our newest Heritage Salvage team member. Mouser also sends greetings to our Canadian Facebook Queen, the princess of rummage, our dear CXC!!!!!!! Showing one of many skills, Mouser can balance one on her head while thinking about????