The Opening

So, all the preparation, planning and painting finally came to fruition. I'm not referring to the splendiferous Olympics Opening Ceremony held in London last night, but the opening of the new Emporium at The Olde Watermill Dickensian Village, Barton le Clay, Bedordshire where we have taken space to display some of our pieces.

We are offering an eclectic mix of period, shabby chic and stripped pine furniture selected to compliment each other, and accessorised with vintage kitchenalia and accessories.

While this is an Emporium accommodating a variety of dealers selling antiques, upholstered chairs, chaises etc and vintage clothing, we are delighted with our little corner which is fronted by a Curiosity Shop type window, affording our area character and a useful display shelf.

This, coupled with dark timber horizontal and vertical beams, gives it a lovely cottage feel, perfect for the image we aim to create for Owl Cottage Collectables & Furniture.

The first item of the day to sell was a French night stand which had been painted and distressed - sold to a lady who fell in love with it and bought it for herself as a 40th birthday treat.

We hope this will be the first of many sales and that we will appeal to potential buyers looking for affordable eco-friendly vintage pieces for their home.

While we will continue to offer items on Ebay, we welcome the opportunity of displaying some of our favourite pieces in such a lovely setting and hope many of our past customers as well as our Facebook Friends will visit the Emporium over the next few weeks.

There will be a variety of exciting events being held also as well as a weekly Sunday carvery in the Victorian style restaurant. The Mill, itself, houses a coffee shop for those who want a lighter snack or just a refreshing drink - and there is a children's playground to keep the kids happy while you shop at your leisure.