When they first furnished their East Village loft, Alesch and Standefer couldn't afford custom built-ins, so they salvaged a massive pharmacy cabinet and made it their bar. &quot;Putting glassware and bottles in a cabinet allows people to use it,&quot; Standefer said. &quot;If you just have objects, it becomes too precious &amp;#8212; like a museum.&quot; They purchased the bison hide on the side of a highway for $1,000. &quot;We probably had 1,200 bucks to our name, and we looked at each other and we had to buy it,&quot; Alesch said. Standefer said she hopes such stories can inspire a sense of adventure in their clients. &quot;To really love an object &amp;#8212; enough to spend a decent amount on it, or enough to drag it off the beach,&quot; she said. &quot;Either one takes a lot of time, a lot of stamina, a lot of care, and that's the way we do our houses.&quot;