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.

The Olde Watermill Barton le Clay

250-year old Water Mill

We met up with the Proprietor to finalise the space we will be taking at The Olde Watermill, Barton le Clay where a new Antiques and Collectables Emporium will be opening on 28th July 2012.

We will be selling antique and shabby chic furniture and, as we get a feel of the market in that area, will adapt accordingly.

Being at the start of such a project is particularly exciting. We feel this beautiful Dickensian style shopping village offering restaurant and coffee shop in the old mill, as well as independent shops, garden centre and Christmas village from October will be the perfect setting for our products.

Couple this with competitive introductory prices, this is going to  be a hot spot for Christmas shopping for all lovers of antiques, vintage and collectables.

Olde Curiosity Shop style frontage

Entrance to the Emporium

The Ducks take a stroll

Just as we were about to leave, the ducks from the mill pond wandered in for a quick browse. Delightful!

In the meantime, please visit our Ebay store by clicking on the following link, where we can offer Nationwide Delivery from £55 for England & Wales Mainland

Owl Cottage Collectables and Furniture

Meeting our Buyers

Its always nice to meet buyers who come to collect. Frequently they ask if this is our full-time business and we confirm it is. They then say, "I would love to do what you do instead of working 9-5pm.

This always makes us smile because, in fact, we work 24-7 and are available 7 days a week. While we love what we do and wouldnt go back to our former careers - even if we could -it takes total commitment to do what we do to ensure we maintain our 100% positive feedback score.

There is never a dull moment and very little time to relax. Painting and restoration of furniture is, in itself, therapeutic, but there's also the tedious times and today produced one of those annually recurring ones - the tax return. Relevant documents to be produced, annual accounts checked and re-checked. The accountant's bill to be settled. Not fun, but necessary so we can run a legitimate business and make our small contribution to society.

However, there was still time for me to start painting a marble top French Victorian  cupboard in Farrow & Ball's Lime White. I picked out the carvings and mouldings in  dark wax and the whole piece was finished in clear wax and polished to produce a soft sheen. No photos yet but watch this space.

Met a lovely lady today who called to collect a blanket box. It met her requirements perfectly, she said, as she wanted a coffer with drawers and had even asked her husband to make her one! With their first baby on the way as well as a new puppy, they were both delighted to find their ideal and she drove over from Essex to pick it up the day after purchase. That is what makes our efforts all worth while.

You are welcome to browse our Ebay Store by clicking on this link

First Entry - 4th July 2012

I'm taking my very first baby step into the world of blogging, motivated by some of the fine blogs Ive stumbled across on my world wide web travels.

Described by some as a silver surfer, though I prefer to think of myself as a savvy surfer, I embraced the internet about 10 years ago and soon went from making the odd purchase on Ebay to becoming a full-time seller with the invaluable help of my husband, Mike.

Our Ebay Store

Now with over 3,700 positive feedbacks, accumulated over the past few years - with not one negative, I'm rather proud to claim,  I have found that, for all its faults, Ebay has provided our business, Owl Cottage Collectables,  with a worldwide clientele from all walks of life and cultures.

What they, and we, share in common is a love of all things vintage.  

Whether it be a high end antique or an upcycled preloved piece of furniture, it is not only far more environmentally friendly than something bought new on the high street, but has an individuality and charm that simply cant be replicated - offering the new owner something which is unique to them.

From our cottage in Cambridgeshire, we enjoy foraging at antique fairs, auction houses and sometimes the odd car boot sale in order to rescue and restore vintage finds to their resplendent best.

I love transforming the odd piece thanks to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and am fast discovering my favourite shades and effects, though would never dream of painting anything which would be devalued as a result.  Here are a few of my past projects and, with the aid of this blog, will add future finds and restorations as and when, as well as a daily journal.