By Lily Osgan, GHS Class of 2022
A new company based in Greenwich is on the rise. Green Circle Architectural Auctions, created by Maria and Greg Stanton, is an architectural salvage business that prioritizes sustainability.
The couple created Green Circle Architectural Auctions only eight months ago, but have already developed a clientele and worked on large projects in Greenwich including the beloved Homestead Inn, which is being renovated by new owners.
The couple was well prepared for this journey, as Maria is also a Senior Move Manager and has been doing auctions for the past five years, while Greg has been a commercial real estate executive for over 35 years.
Greg described starting Green Circle Auctions as a “marriage of skills.”
“It was really a very natural progression for us,” Maria added.
The couple are also preservationists and are members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for over 30 years.
In turn, being able to save and re-purpose so many architectural details from homes means a lot to them.
As Greg said, “although we are not able to save the houses, it gives us immense satisfaction knowing that we are able to save so many parts and pieces.”
Maria and Greg Stanton of Green Circle Architectural Auctions. Photo: Lily Osgan
When asked about the process of selling, the Stantons explained that they sell items from houses or buildings that are going to be demolished or undergoing large scale renovations.
Maria explained the two use a platform called Clearing House Estate Sales. They will talk with a client who is planning on taking their house down or renovating, go in, assess the situation, and photograph everything.
“Then, we go home and catalog it online,” she added. “Then when it goes live, buyers are able to find the sale on the website, they register, then they can look through the whole sale.”
The buyer participates in an auction, receives an email of congratulations upon winning, and then proceeds to travel to the demolition site to collect their item. Items sold by Maria and Greg vary widely, from entire kitchens to light fixtures, furniture, flooring and landscaping.
They’ve even run a pre-demolition auction of a church that was being torn down in the Bronx.
Maria and Greg have a commitment to sustainability in their business, as what makes Green Circle Auctions unique is selling valuable items which would otherwise be thrown away.
Greg explained, “When you really see what we’re taking out of these hotels, houses, structures, it’s a crime.”
When asked why sustainability was so important, Maria said, “I think that we are very aware of how our planet is in crisis and climate change and that we’re running out of resources, and we need to reuse what we have. We have three kids, and we hope to have grandchildren someday and we want there to be a future.”
“If everyone does just a little bit, that accumulation of effort adds up,” Greg said.
In this spirit, Greg and Maria channel homeowners to allow them to salvage some of this trash in an environmentally friendly way that also brings unique pieces to the market, as well as rewards the homeowner compensation for items sold.
They have been successful thus far, as Greg shared, “We have like minded people who are our clients that we’ve established rapport with.”
“It’s really a community,” Maria added.
The Stantons can be contacted through the Green Circle Architectural Auctions website greencircleauctions.com