Looking for hidden treasures? Local pros reveal the best antique shops in southwestern Ontario
Spring cleaning is over and summer decorating is in full swing. And what is trash for one person can be the newest decorative treasure for another.
Antique shopping experts, including interior designers and collectors, say southwestern Ontario has a bustling antiques scene. With a combination of brick-and-mortar stores and outdoor markets, there are plenty of opportunities to find the next talking point for your home, according to local experts.
Here are six antique shopping destinations to try this summer.
Memory Lane Antiques
Memory Lane Antiques in London, Ontario, is filled with furniture, tableware and collectibles. (Kendra Seguin/CBC)
Sabrina Barouei said she scours flea markets and estate sales, thrift stores and antique markets to find conversation-starting pieces that meet her clients’ needs at interior design studio INDZGN.
“In the past, many people were willing to spend money on new designs,” says Barouei, who is also an interior design instructor at Fanshawe. “Now, given the economic situation, many people want to recycle, reuse or buy secondhand items.”
She said her favourite antique shop in London was Memory Lane Antiques on Hyde Park Road.
Barouei describes the store as a “maze” filled from the front door to the back wall with furniture, wall decorations, tableware and figurines. She said she often visits Memory Lane Antiques when she’s looking for a piece that’s out of style in modern furniture stores.
The store is open seven days a week and often on holidays.
Pinery Market
At the Pinery Market in Grand Bend, shoppers will find a mix of vintage and new goods. (Marcia Swain)
Marie Douglas says she has been a collector since she was 16, a hobby she inherited from her grandparents and great-grandparents.
“My grandparents had their children when the Great Depression hit, so they didn’t throw anything away,” Douglas said. “They had all these things they could tell a story about, and that was really a connection between them and my past.”
Although Douglas has recently started selling some of her collectibles, she still buys her antiques at places like the Pinery Market in Grand Bend.
“It’s more like a flea market, a bit like a yard sale, but with better quality,” said Douglas, who added that the market also has an artisan section for handmade finds. “It’s great people watching and just a nice place.”
The Pinery Market is open every Sunday through Thanksgiving and admission is $2.
Land and Horse
Susan Jory said she likes the “eclectic” items she finds at Land and Ross in Shakespeare, Ontario. (Peter Land)
Shakespeare, Ontario, is a lesser-known antique shopping town that interior designer Susan Jory enjoys visiting.
Her favorite store is Land & Ross Antiques. Jory said the store has fine furniture and Canadian antiques from different eras.
“When you walk into the store, you are immediately greeted by a lot to look at, a feast for the eyes,” said Jory.
She called the store “eclectic” and said its target audience is people looking for more than just modern pieces.
“I believe the vintage and second-hand market is thriving because people understand that fast fashion and fast furniture are not sustainable,” Jory said.
Land and Ross is closed on Mondays but open the rest of the week.
Cobbletog Antiques Market
At the Cobbletog Antique Market in London, Ontario, you have to dig a little to find a treasure, said Mary Hinton. (Cobbletog Antique Market/Facebook)
According to Mary Hinton, owner of Back to the Fuchsia, antique dealers in London support each other.
“There are a lot of people out there who love vintage,” says Hinton, whose vintage furniture store shares space on Elias Street in the city with a vintage clothing store and an antique shop.
She said London’s close-knit second-hand community often calls or messages each other when they see antiques that would fit better in each other’s shop or collection.
Hinton said one of her favorite places for local antiques is the Cobbletog Antique Market in south London.
“Some people like to dig, and some people like everything perfectly presented, and [at Cobbletog] “It’s a perfect mix of both,” Hinton said. “Plus, I like the people.”
The market is open seven days a week.
Unique antique shopping center
At the One of a Kind Antique Mall in Woodstock, 600 different dealers sell antiques. (Bailey Grewal)
There are two reasons why Kristen Jeanveau likes to buy antiques: to protect the environment and to work on her research.
Jeanveau is a history PhD student at Western University and goes to antique stores to find things like books, maps and diaries from the World Wars. When it comes to buying clothes and decor in her everyday life, she looks for secondhand options to be sustainable, she said.
She often visits the One of a Kind Antique Mall in Woodstock, Ontario, a family-run store with three floors and over 600 dealers. Jeanveau recommends that shoppers plan their antiques trips in advance.
“It can be very overwhelming when you walk into a huge place and have no idea what you are looking for,” Jeanveau said. “But ultimately, when [you find something] that you think you will like, then do it.”
The shopping center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Aberfoyle Antiques Market
The Aberfoyle Antique Market in Puslinch, Ontario, is a seasonal outdoor shopping area. (Graeme Demarsh)
Bailey Grewal took over One of a Kind Antique Mall four years ago after growing up in a family of antique buyers.
When he moved to Guelph to study, he continued to pursue his passion for antiques at the Aberfoyle Antique Market in Puslinch, Ontario.
It is an open-air market where a variety of vendors set up their stalls on the lawn, Grewal said.
“I like variety, so I would say the best antique stores have a good selection,” Grewal said.
Visitors can visit the Aberfoyle Antique Market every Sunday through the end of October for $5, with occasional Saturday events.
