Antique Crawl

Another weekend is upon us & if you're in the Brisbane area & looking for something to do in the beautiful autumn weather, here's a little suggestion for you, based on a recent day out with my younger brother: an ANTIQUE CRAWL involving some of the River City's hidden gems.

With the cooler temperatures, I took the opportunity to dress up in one of my newest cold-weather sartorial acquisitions in the form of this heavy-weight blue tweed mini babydoll dress with white cotton Peter Pan collar from whimsical British label Sister Jane, styling it up with a pair of vintage inspired blue vegan leather deco heels from Kitten D'Amour, a 1950s/early 1960s white woven shoulder bag with cream bakelite/fakelite clasp from vintage boutique Pookie & Ness via Etsy, a sweet resin bluebird brooch from celebrated kitsch accessories designer Erstwilder, a brushed silver cuff from Wallace Bishop, thin silver hinged bangle from Oxfam's sadly-now-defunct retail arm & a gifted silver & blue shell ring to complete the look.

But I digress. Back to the antiquing...

If you're interested in trawling for forgotten treasures at antique shops like I am, you probably already know what I consider to be the "Big 4" places - Empire Antiques (formerly Paddington Antique Centre), Southside Antiques in Annerley, New Farm Antique Centre (formerly Commercial Road Antiques) at Teneriffe & Camp Hill Antique Centre but here are some you may not be so familiar with...

#1 RELOVE OXLEY

1d/6 Blunder Road, Oxley

Don't be put off by the industrial location & fact that it's housed in an old shed, Relove Oxley is a veritable "Aladdin's Cave" or treasure trove of vintage, antique & retro furniture, bric-a-brac, homewares & fashion with a quaint little coffee shop as you walk in the door & pop culture haven/record store upstairs. Sure, you have to rummage around & take whatever you purchase home for a good clean but with a myriad of price points, it's definitely worth it. Case in point: I scored some gorgeous, kitschy penguin salt & pepper shakers in great condition for a mere $5 that looked "a million bucks" (as they say) after a good clean... in addition to some 1960s Disney records & paraphernalia/toys & a "The Shining" tote bag (big fan of the Jack Nicholson cult film) upstairs. Better yet, there's off street parking down the back.

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#2 Sherwood Bazaar Antiques

526 Oxley Road, Sherwood

Established in 1980 in what was once an old corner store & residence, Sherwood Bazaar has been steadily built up into the celebrated destination it is today by owner Paul Thannhauser, who has a keen eye for all things old, obscure & collectible. This truly is the TARDIS of antique stores with surprisingly large internal rooms filled with all manner of furniture, statuary, kitsch & art at various price points, all impeccably cleaned & well presented. I was particularly taken with a series of 1960s children's books that I wish I had purchased on the day... but may use an excuse to go back & have another wander sometime in the near future. Parking is on the street but was surprisingly plentiful for a Saturday morning in a bustling suburb like Sherwood.

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#3 Turn O' The Century Antiques

377 Oxley Road, Sherwood

Brisbane's longest established antique business, Turn O' The Century has been operating in its current roadside premises since 1970 & the owners' long-time expertise in sourcing Australian colonial furniture, sublime pieces from the 18th & early 19th century made of English mahogany, oriental furniture & fine objects wrought from all manner of silver, glass & porcelain truly shows. The shop might be smaller than most & parking all on-street but the carefully curated selection certainly makes browsing a pleasure. As you can see from the few cheeky little snaps above, I was definitely surrounded by both beauty & quality & prices did reflect this.

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#4 Jubilee Antiques

21 Trafalgar Street, Woolloongabba

Although I didn't get any pictures INSIDE the store (a blogger fail, I know, but in my defense, I was too busy admiring everything & counting my pennies to see how much of it I could reasonably afford/fit in my house), I'm not afraid to admit that this particular destination - a little space in the industrial part of Woolloongabba is my absolute favourite. Sure, parking might be a nightmare at times & the current building works at The Gabba stadium are loud & dusty & they are only open on Saturdays & Sundays but all that fades into the background when looking at the stunning range of distinctive furniture, tribal, industrial & decorator items curated by owners Adrian & Patrick since 1997. Jubilee Antiques is truly my happy place & although it may seem deceptively small from the outset, I could honestly spend hours looking at all the unique pieces or just having a chat about all things esoteric & collectible. Better still, they also have a small store INSIDE the New Farm Antique Centre for those who may wish to check out their wares seven days a week.

In reference to the pictures above (& the sunflower pictures at the start of this post): these were taken in downtown Woolloongabba, which is absolutely covered in these beautiful painted murals commissioned by local artists, bringing life & colour to the bustling cityscape & making people smile as they pass by. 

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#5 La Trobe Antiques

420 Cavendish Road, Coorparoo

Part of the Tiny Tree Cafe complex in suburban Coorparoo, La Trobe Antiques is beautiful but pricey, with a carefully curated array of stunning items that are mostly offered for above "four figures." Despite this, it's definitely worth a look if you are after something unique & exceptional & even medieval (yes, really) & wish to take in the beautiful surrounds including the "Secret Garden" at the back & the cafe selling scrumptious looking snacks & savouries at the front. Also keep in mind the minimal off-street parking & plethora of on-street spaces available near the pharmacy & fashion boutique next door.

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After perusing all of these amazing places, it was time to find somewhere just as extraordinary for lunch, so we headed to The Old Seven Wine Bar on Old Cleveland Road (just down the street from the Camp Hill Antique Centre, which I just HAD to visit afterwards) for some delicious, piping hot, deli-style jaffles with a side of french-fry potato chips & pickles. The mouthwatering specimen above is called "The Reuben" & comprises of slow-cooked corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese & mustard mayo.

The perfect way to end the day...