Todmorden Antique Centre has opened!

**UPDATE: Todmorden Antique Centre is unfortunately now closed**

Todmorden Antique Centre has just opened – and we’ve moved into our new space on the first floor.

It’s situated at Hollins Mill, Rochdale Road, Walsden, Todmorden (OL14 6SA if you’re Sat-naving).

The fabulous listed building always had great antique centre potential. It boasts large, open spaces that are full of character – with exposed stone walls, fabulous beams and big windows. Lots of time and hard work have gone into making it more habitable.

Along with other dealers, we started moving our stuff in last week. It’s quite a big job transporting all the items, arranging, hanging, pricing up etc.

It’s quite enjoyable, though, so we’ve all been doing it steadily to avoid any unnecessary stress.

We’re upstairs, at the far end of one of the rooms. We have plenty of floor and wall space which is gradually being filled… and there are two big windows that allow plenty of daylight to pour in.

We have our usual mix of mid 20^th century loveliness, along with much older country antiques and vintage industrial style pieces.

The space seems to lend itself well to the various styles.

Online shops have their place, of course – ours is in its 12^th year. However, it’s also great to have a physical space where people can have a mooch round, handling and assessing pieces on offer. (Almost everyone that we’ve seen enter our area has stroked or patted this lovely old baker’s table!).

Things are ever-changing with items coming and going, but here are a few more images that capture the feel of the place as we continue to add more stock.

The centre opens Wednesday to Sunday. They don’t currently have a website.

Showing a little bit of leg

We picked up this fabulous piece of treen last week. A letter opener, paper knife or page turner was the first question. We can thoroughly recommend a read of this article, which delves deeper into these vintage stationery tools. The most interesting fact is that there’s no evidence that ‘page turners’ ever actually existed!

Having read the article, we’re definitely going for paper knife. It dates from a time when books were sold with uncut pages – and this tool did the job. It’s made of mahogany and carved into the form of a shapely ladies leg with lace up boot. It probably dates from the Victorian era – by the end of the nineteenth century most publishers had equipment that trimmed the uncut pages. It must have been a bit risqué for the time. We love the saucy stocking supporter!

We can’t find another example anywhere of a letter knife in this form, so we think it’s quite rare. Consequently, the best place to sell this unusual item is eBay – allow it to be seen by a wide audience of specialist collectors. It’s going to be listed shortly if your interested.

How to incorporate antiques in your living room

Antiques can make a fantastic addition to anyone’s living room, or anywhere in the home. Even if you have more modern tastes in furniture and fittings, a few antiques can add some character and depth to a room.

Incorporating antiques into your living spaces can be challenging, however. You need to approach the task with some creativity in order to make the look work for you. Here are a few tips and tricks to get some antiques into your home and make them fit in with your living room’s look.

Start small

When you first begin bringing antique items into your rooms, you should start with something small. Vases or table top antiques can give your space the wow factor without crowding your room with too many unique pieces. Start with something small and build your collection from there. With furniture, start with a small coffee or end table to add a little antique class to a modern room.

Mix it up

Antiques can provide a nice contrast to modern items and furniture. Getting the right balance of looks when using antiques in a modern home can be difficult for an amateur home designer. You should consider enlisting the help of a professional such as Shalini Misra who specialises in luxury interior design and can help you create a space that looks and feels balanced while also incorporating antiques.

Try an antique rug

Though you may have some antique items that you are already considering using in your space, using an antique rug can be a great way to start off and give your antique look a base to build from. Rugs offer a lot of versatility, and can bring colour and design to a space. They are also a great choice if you want to give a room an antique look without adding more furniture. Rugs are also quick and easy to clean, and you can remove them if you need to for parties.

Antique lights can give you the look you want

Many modern lights are given an antique ‘reproduction’ look. You can give your spaces something more authentic by using antique lights and lamps in your home. Wall and floor lamps are fantastic accessories that will help fill your room with an antique look without overwhelming the space. You can even use antique styled modern bulbs to give your living room the amber glow of yesteryear.

Repair and renovate antiques

Many antique items are best left in their original condition, but with a little repair and renovation they may suit your space better. Damaged or broken antiques can be brought back to life by experts that can give an aged classic a new lease on life. This also gives you an opportunity to tweak them to suit your space. If you have an old chair or sofa, by reupholstering them with a more modern fabric or design, you can bring them up to date while retaining the classic look of their structure.

Conclusion

Fitting antiques into a home with modern designs may feel like an uphill struggle, but when done correctly, it can give your space a signature look that you won’t find elsewhere. Hopefully these tips have given you the inspiration you need to get started and incorporate some antiques into your home.

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Tuesday Huesday: Japanese peach blossom

'Tuesday Huesday' blog post banner

orchard of peach trees in blossom in Japan _{image credit: JARL Ohashi}

Spring is finally springing so we’re looking forward to the ornamental cherry tree in our garden to begin flowering in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, have a look at the fantastic colour range of the peach blossom on the trees in this orchard in Japan.

H is for Home Harbinger

Category: antiques