Ahead of our visit to the Antiques Village with mightaswell tomorrow (thanks to everyone who suggested this, but - ssh - don't tell her, I want it to be a surprise) I thought it would be nice to profile one of my favourite businesses in the complex.
Actually, Agapanthus isn't in the building at all, but in one of the nice ramshackle outhouses in the yard behind (where you can also find a joiner who restores G-Plan and vintage Ercol furniture that I have to be practically winched away from every time I visit). This means that to get into the shop the visitor has to open a pretty pink door which rings a bell when you go in, just like shops should have. And, since there's no traditional shop front and no window to the wonders contained within, I always have a little flutter of excitement as I push the door, and step inside.
And, oh, what wonders! Their site seems to indicate that the main focus of the business is sourcing and restoring vintage and antique chandeliers and the ceiling is covered in them, from all eras, corner to corner, all glinting happily away. Below them you can find an amazing array of vintage and antique homewares, mostly 20th century, including a beautiful (but woefully impractical) selection of enameled steel saucepans, radios of all eras (again with the winching away for me) and toys and board games. The range seems to be expanding too - last time I was in there was a selection of seasonal bulbs (of the garden variety, not light bulbs - they're not seasonal, silly!), some nice tea towels and other linens made from vintage fabrics and a small collection of vintage clothing.
It's a great little shop, and a really enjoyable shopping experience - I could happily spend a few hours pouring over what's on offer, were it not for the pressing matter of all the other places I could do the same in the Antiques Village.
3 comments:
Agapanthus is a great shop - Tom (the owner) has a really interesting collection of stuff in there and he presents it really well. He's also a gardener which accounts for the bulbs...
oo, haven't been to the antiques village for a while, I don't think this was there last time I went. To be honest, it 's probably as well as I would be struggling to show restraint!
Hello...we have now moved to Stockport, although we have enjoyed our little shop in the court yard of the Antiques Village we just needed a bigger place. We now have a 4 storey Victorian shop in Stockport. We have changed our name to Agapanthus Interiors as this represents us better. The new shop allows us to show off our lights and restored furniture much better....We opened on the 14th July, although still have another floor to finish. Follow us on Twitter Agapanthusint or join us on Facebook Agapanthus Interiors. Come and see us, open Wednesday-Sunday.
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