June 16, 17, 18, 2020

After the cancellation of April Market and being cooped up at home for months, we were happy to get back to High Point for a few days to see each other along with some of our favorite buyers that made appointments to join us.  Everyone had their temperature checked, wore a mask and stayed a safe 6 feet away from each other.  It was a feel good event for everyone that attended.  Ready to get back to some kind of normal!

(thanks to Ronati and Kelli Ellis for this great video!)

May 28, 2020

Exhibitor Spotlight with Modern Antiquarian

Hi all,

We are going to start highlighting one of our dealers each week, here and on social media.  Be sure to watch out for our instagram live chats on Thursdays at noon!

Margaret Schwartz and Kelly Maguire of Modern Antiquarian bring a youthful yet refined elegance to Antique & Design Center family and we are excited to start with them.  We asked each of our dealers a set of questions that we thought would be fun to know about and here is what Margaret, the owner of Modern Antiquarian had to say....

ADC: This business is an adventure in discovery and we want to know how your adventure began!

Margaret Schwartz of Modern Antiquarian:  I fell into antiques through a very happy accident. I was interested in antiques, but I didn't have the background in it. I came from Martha Stewart so I had just sort of dipped my toe into collecting and antiques. I was headed to London on a family trip when I read a The English Room blog post about The Antiques Diva tours. I reached out to Toma Clark Haines, who was amazing, and I booked a one day tour with her UK Diva guide, Gail McLeod. In that one day tour around London and the English countryside I filled a 20' container and I knew instantly this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It took me a few years to be a full time dealer, but I can't imagine doing anything else. I am well and truly obsessed with antiques!

What made you fall in love with what you do?

Everything. I love the history, the beauty, the quality of the pieces. I love the people I meet, other dealers, wholesalers, and of course clients and collectors. I'm like every other dealer and I love the thrill of the hunt. Nothing thrills me more than finding a unique piece for a client and then seeing it fit perfectly in their home. I can't get enough of the antiques world. All I want to do is look at antiques, buy them, read about them, and find them a good home. It truly is an obsession for all of us.

What is your favorite find ever or the one that got away?  The one that got you hooked and keeps you on the constant search for treasures.

We love our Swedish pieces and somehow we became the go-to resource for pairs of chests of drawers. If you need a pair of commodes we are your girls! I always say I never met a commode I didn't like haha! Also, at the moment we are really loving a strong Boho look which we're achieving by using vibrant antique textiles to cover traditional chairs, ottomans, and sofas. We're using some wild colors!

For me, the one that got away was a console I saw in Belgium. It was used in an Axel Vervoordt project and was on the cover of The Houses Of Veranda: The Art of Living Well by Lisa Newsom. I loved it so much, but it was the last day of a two week buying tour and it was a budget buster. I had to leave it behind but will always think about it as the one that got away. I've been in the industry long enough to know it'll hit the market again, and when it does I'll be ready!

What else do you love to do when you aren't hunting and gathering and selling amazing things?

If I'm not on the hunt I'm reading about and thinking about antiques haha! You can also find me hanging out with my pair of rescue Shih Tzu dogs or volunteering at the local animal shelter. I'm also in the process of renovating my apartment with a new kitchen and bath. I certainly picked an interesting time for a renovation!

How have you been dealing with the craziness of COVID-19? What have you missed the most while staying home? What have you been cooking, reading, watching? :) 
We've been in lockdown for months in New York! Kelly is in Brooklyn and I'm an hour north of the city. We're both safe so we're grateful for that!

COVID-19 has definitely presented us with some unique challenges. Fortunately, we were already on Chairish, Incollect, and 1stdibs so we spent some time adding inventory to those platforms. Those sales have been keeping us very busy, knock on wood! We were able to adapt pretty quickly when High Point was canceled. Since we can't be together to put a display together, we ended up having an artist illustrate three vignettes for us that each included things we planned on selling at High Point. Then we were able to use those images to sell on Instagram and through other marketing channels. We've been keeping busy.

What we miss is the camaraderie of the industry and connecting with friends at shows and our showrooms at the New York Design Center and in Stamford, CT. One of the things we love most about HPADC is seeing friends and catching up with everyone. Discussing what the current state of events are and what we think the future of antiques holds. I love chatting with other dealers because they are all are so passionate about their work. And they always have wild stories to share!

As for what I'm watching, I'm about to start The Big Flower Fight on Netflix, which is supposed to be the floral version of The Great British Baking Show.

Thank you to Margaret and Kelly for being part of the Antique & Design Center family and thanks to Ronati for the wonderful video!

April 23, 2020 

Thank you to Designers Today for the wonderful article about missing market.   And thanks to Ronati for supporting our dealers and creating such wonderful videos of our dealers last Fall!

TRENDS FROM THE VINTAGE & ANTIQUES DEALERS OF HIGH POINT 

April 22, 2020

Thank you to Chairish.com for writing a great article about Antiques & Vintage at High Point Market and for hosting an online sale of the dealers of the Antique & Design Center and 214 Modern Vintage along with other dealers that show around town.  

~Amanda, Karen & Annadell

Photo montage courtesy of Chairish.com

A NOTE FROM KAREN

April 20, 2020

I think our opening was going to be the 23rd, closing the 29th of April. It is definitely surreal!  We were going to be in the thick of things this weekend with the majority of trucks loading in over the weekend.  It’s been so many Markets ago when we produced that first one in the Fall of 2010! I can feel the energy in the air, can’t you?

All the dealers bringing their best finds of the season to present to our ADC customers; everyone’s hugging and laughing; talking and sweating together as they pass each other in the halls.  Taking turns as the full carts roll through the walkways with piles of secret treasures eager to unload. Everyone has their focus, their job to do, but taking turns and caring about their neighbors is always part of the craziness. This is true theatre. True Family. It has become a well oiled machine!

Our finite space in Historic Market Square encompasses about 45-50k square feet, and within those parameters, we only have room for around 75 exhibitors, not too many more than the 54 we had at our first Show. The postponement and now the cancellation, I think, has hit all of our Antiques dealers hard, but it goes with out saying that this Covid19 Pandemic has hit everyone hard. So many of the dealers have been in the business for many, many years and have so much history and wisdom to share.  But along with this knowledge from years of experience and learning also brings in that age factor that makes some more vulnerable to this deadly virus. For the safety of our exhibitors and our customers, we almost feel a sense of relief that we will have some time to recover from the fear of the disease and be more prepared to present our Best Show possible with the emphasis being where it should be - Feathering our Nests - Creating beauty all around us - Making our homes into Havens - Nurturing each other - Reflecting the Soul.

Most dealers that we have spoken to are realistic about the possibilities of what might lie ahead. It may take a while for the country to get back up to speed, but needless to say, the collections that will be offered in October at the ADC will be second to none. This will be the Best of the Best! A Designer’s Dream come true! In the interim, we are all learning how to supplement our storefronts and show sales via the online venues available and this is where  Ronati is a welcome vehicle in the Antiques World for sellers and buyers alike.

Just like our first ADC show which we began planning in 2009 in the middle of a recession, this October, our 10 Year Anniversary, will be a new beginning in the midst of a new kind of craziness.  Our Dealers have such passion and talent for what they do and the strength and fortitude to overcome all odds, that we’re certain the show will go on with a magnificent bang!

Yours,

Karen Lu