Charles Nevinson is the rare businessman who can say with confidence that there “is really no one who does what we do.” He is president and owner of Architectural Accents—a one-stop shop for antique architectural pieces, restorations, reproductions and design.

Nevinson and his tenured, highly trained artisans are known nationally for their ability to tackle any project—no matter how intricate or thorny it might be. “We can handle any and all repairs and restorations. Architectural Accents will go as far as people want us to go with an 18th-century piece,” says Nevinson.

Founded by Nevinson in 1981, Atlanta-based Architectural Accents represents all the major hardware and hinge companies in the United States and Europe. The company specializes in 18th- to 20th-century British and French mantels, doors, lighting fixtures, ironwork and mirrors but also includes columns, finials, door fixtures and plumbing equipment.

“People come to us for advice, and we share a great deal of knowledge in the process of what we do,” says Nevinson. “I really love working out problems, and I have loved this business since the beginning. It never gets old.”

Most of the team working at Architectural Accents have been with the company for years, and all are experts in what they do. There is a joinery shop that restores the inventory but also prepares, pre-hangs and installs hardware in the antique doors. There is a glass shop that restores stained glass, hand-painted and fired glass and can shape, fuse and lead important pieces both old and new. In addition, all the hardware patination and polishing is done in a separate area, as are the keying and lock repairs; the lighting restoration is UL approved. The marble and stonework are also in-house.

With a team of between 12 and 14 employees at any given time, Nevinson works on projects from the West Coast to New York and Massachusetts on the East Coast, as well as projects in the Midwest and all parts of the South.

Architectural Accents features a 30,000-square-foot showroom in the Buckhead area, where visitors can get lost among the English, French and American architectural antiques. The company is broadly recognized nationally for a vast range of salvage services. “For people in the know, there really is no other place to go,” says Nevinson.

Not surprisingly, since day one, many country music artists and film and television series have come to Architectural Accents when searching for the right pieces to fit their projects. Most notably: My Cousin Vinny, Driving Miss Daisy, The Hunger Games franchise, Marvel’s Avengers, and many more. Nevinson has also helped with several big-name TV shows, including The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, Stranger Things, and Sleepy Hollow.

But it’s not only architects, designers and their clients who look to Nevinson—he’s also at the top of the list when a historic home is ready to be salvaged, stripped or updated; word almost always gets back to Nevinson, allowing him and his crew to be first on the scene.

“When I started the business, I knew the biggest problem was going to be finding the materials because it can be very time consuming, and everyone in America can be in a bit of a hurry. So it occurred to me that the easiest way to be successful was to have all the materials on hand,” he says. “So, when I finished a project, all the excess material could be made available to buy. After I started building a wide network of people to source from, that’s when our trajectory really changed. We went from being small to really big once we had all the raw materials here.”

One of the services Architectural Accents offers is glass restoration. “We do in-house glass restoration for our pieces. Our hand-painted, leaded stained glass windows come from England, France and the Midwest in various states of disrepair. Our glass technician returns these pieces to their original glory so that they can celebrate the artistry of their original design and the ageless brilliance of the sun,” he says.

All inventory is processed through the company’s on-site workshops before it is exhibited in the showroom.

Nevinson worked in England before coming to America to work on the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston. “When I first started in the business, I had an extraordinary director and managing director,” says Nevinson. “They actually let me run wild and do what I wanted to do. We did primarily pubs and wine bars all over Central London. When I left the company to come to America, they were sorry to see me go, but I will forever be grateful.”

Nevinson notes that when he was beginning his career, he worked long hours so that he was totally immersed in a project, and burning the midnight oil afforded him the opportunity to learn everything he could from the highly skilled, veteran craftsmen in England.

Nevinson credits one of his first board directors—Harry Hedberg—with coming up with the catchy “Architectural Accents” name for the business. “Harry was the former marketing director for Federated Department Stores (now Macy’s, Inc.) when he came down to Atlanta after his retirement,” says Nevinson. “He had a marketing company, and he gave me incredible advice when I was putting all the pieces in place for starting my business.”

The scope and breadth of Architectural Accents is immense. “As experts in the construction and installation of these antique pieces, we also help with residential and commercial design projects that incorporate them. We’ve designed houses, offices, gardens, hotels and restaurants,” he says.

When asked to do a restoration or construction on a new home, Nevinson will say yes if he thinks he will enjoy working with the client. “There is a certain amount of creativity when starting on a new home,” he says. “I basically do one house a year somewhere in America. I do it because I like doing it, and only if I think I will enjoy working with the people involved.”

Aside from working with architectural antiques, Nevinson’s company also designs and distributes reproductions inspired by classic European styles. “We can produce our own wrought-iron light fixtures, statuary and mantels,” he says. “We also represent the leading international lighting and hardware brands in our showrooms.”

With his track record of building Architectural Accents one restoration, one salvage rescue, one reproduction at a time, Nevinson is steeped in a business that has afforded him satisfaction as well as the security that comes from knowing there’s no need to worry about the competition—because there isn’t any.

Ellen Uribe is an award-winning journalist and a communications expert. She is a sought-after speaker, participating as a moderator and panelist at numerous industry events, conferences and broadcast outlets. She has contributed to Vanity Fair, Palm Beach Life, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and Time Magazine.