TETBURY ANTIQUES: OUR FAVOURITE SHOPS

Travel

The Cotswolds is renowned for its small shops and hidden gems. In a guide to the Cotswolds written by Vogue, Tetbury was commended for its quality antique shops filled so for today’s blog post we have put together our list of our favourites.

How to find Tetbury

For those of you who may not be familiar with Tetbury here is a little context. Tetbury is a small town situated in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire most commonly known as home to Prince Charles and the Highgrove Estate. 

As with many of the other towns and villages in the Cotswolds, Tetbury is very picturesque and you will find yourself in love with many of the gorgeous picture perfect Cotswold cottages. Long Street (the main street) is adorned with independent shops and cafes making it the perfect spot for some weekend browsing. The town is also renowned for it’s architecture with many of the houses dating back to the 16th & 17th Century. You will be amazed by the sheer amount of antique shops dotted up the streets each full of a whole host of gems with a story to tell. Cotswold Life Magazine rate it as one of the best market towns to visit in Gloucestershire stating that the ‘town’s antiquity is echoed by its 25 antique shops’.

So there is plenty of browsing to be done! If you are planning a visit to the Cotswolds then you must read our guide of where to visit in the Cotswolds. If you are in the area I would also highly recommend visiting Westonbirt Arboretum which is just 10 minutes from Tetbury.

Why we love antiques

It’s always such a treat if a client has pieces in their home that are antique. Although some may think it can be a little bit more tricky to integrate them into a modern design, when done correctly the finished result is a home that tells stories through a blend of eclectic items. In our recent Cotswolds home project the clients had a beautiful mid-century dining table and chairs, they worked perfectly in the open plan kitchen adding personality to the space. I always think your home should be a reflection of you, rather than the shops you love to shop in. 

Mid-century modern mixing furniture styles antique and contemporary

Lorfords 

Lorfords is possibly the most well known of the antiques dealers in Tetbury with a wide wide range of beautiful antiques. As well as this, they have some bespoke pieces made here in the Cotswolds under their new range titled ‘created‘ which includes bespoke furniture and lighting. They are commended for their in house upholsterers and restorers allowing them to adapt items to suit the customer. As you can see from the images below the showroom alone is absolutely stunning showing their incredible eye for quality, design and detail. 

Antiques shops in the Cotswolds Lorfords

Lorfords Tetbury Cotswolds antique bespoke furniture

Long Street Antiques

Long Street Antiques is honestly any antique lovers dream. The shop is set over three floors of a Georgian house with endless rooms to explore bursting with beautiful pieces. Even if you’re not currently in the market for anything it’s just so fascinating to wonder around and uncover some of the many hidden gems tucked away here. I’m sure if you are anything like me, you won’t be able to resist leaving with a little something! 

Tetbury Antiques shops where to visit in the Cotswolds Long Street Antique

Brownrigg

Brownrigg is actually part of the same group as Long Street and it’s shop is filled with even more antique furniture and decorative accessories. 

Antiques shops in the Cotswolds

Amy Perry Antiques

Amy Perry has such an incredible eye for pieces and I always love the simplicity of her wonderful window displays, they always make me slow down as I walk down the street! 

Antiques shops to visit in the Cotswolds

How to integrate antiques into a contemporary home

I’m going to keep this quite brief as we actually have a really exciting blog post in the next few months featuring an interview with antiques experts Anton and K providing a really good insight into using antiques in your home as well as talking about how they created their beautiful home which has been featured in Elle Decor.  

Having an eclectic mix of furniture is now much more popular than matching furniture. By mixing different styles and eras of furniture you can create interesting contrasts within a space. Designers today seek to achieve this eclectic look within a room which tells a story and also reflects a much more interesting view of the homeowners style. Antique furniture can also be used as an nod to the period of the property. Although you may have modernised the interior, small glimpses of it’s original age work really well. 

We often have clients who have old pieces that have been passed down through their family that they want to use but perhaps don’t fit with the style of their more modern home. This is where re-upholstering comes in. The great thing about antiques is that they are often built with incredible durability and quality so the chances are they may outlive some modern furniture. My best bit of advice here would be to find a really good upholsterer who has experience with antiques and knows how to properly restore the item. Bold prints work really well when combined with a period style of furniture and create a great contrast between old and new. If the wood finish also doesn’t match your space then you can also repaint the wooden elements.  

Sources: Lorfords | Long Street | Brownrigg | Amy Perry 

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