The Warehouse Finale!

Excellent news - our new warehouse is going to open TOMORROW! It will be open from 10 - 4pm tomorrow and on sunday from 11am - 4pm.

Just to remind you of the location, here's the map and address ...

Click the map to enlarge

Ronnie the decorator is hard at work painting each of the four room settings to be ready for tomorrow, take a look at the progress ...

Each of these mock up 'room settings' are designed to help customers see how furniture will fit into real life spaces and work with different colour schemes. There are four room settings in total, each decorated differently.

We are looking forward to welcoming customers from tomorrow onwards and if you would like to speak to us directly at the warehouse the number is (0191) 2189563

Don't forget that our Jesmond shop is still open and the warehouse is an expansion not us moving!

www.grahamsmithantiques.com

Warehouse Progress

The warehouse is progressing well, with the estimated timescale of opening being one week. The joiners, carpet fitters, electricians are hard at work putting the finishing touches to the interior in time for customers to come flooding through the doors next week!

The Signage is up and we are really pleased with how visible it is!

The carpet is 'Rose' colour and warms up the look and feel of the space really well. We are hoping that people will be able to imagine the furniture in their own homes by creating a warm environment rather than the dark, dull and plain warehouses you often come accross for antiques.

 This picture doesn't do the carpet justice so you'll have to take our word for it that it looks lovely!

An impressively large square frame has been fitted by our master electricians who have placed it to hang just above the room settings (yet to arrive). This will create four well lit mock rooms for customers to browse furniture in a realistic sized setting, a great idea devised by Graham himself! (He has been known to have the odd good idea!!)

The Square Frame will accommodate spot lights as well as 

light fittings to complete the look of each room setting

You can be sure that we'll keep you posted with any more details and no doubt we'll be organising a swinging official launch party for our customers, to introduce them to the new site.

www.grahamsmithantiques.com

Thanks for reading the Graham Smith Antiques Blog

The Joy of Bureau's

An item that has peaks and troughs of popularity is the topic in the spotlight this week - the Bureau. Antique bureaus rise and fall in price each year, with a seemingly undecided and fickle fanbase. 

Some facts and interesting insights into the Bureau should help you make up your mind - hopefully for good!

• The word Bureau is the French word for an office and the furnishing now known as a bureau is pretty much that - an office!
• The antique bureau is one of the earliest forms of a desk and has been around since the 1600's
• Originally, the upper writing or 'Bureau' section was not attached to the chest as it was used by resting it on top of a chest. The two components were not joined until later in the 17th Century to create the piece of furniture we now know as a Bureau
• A Bureau is simply a cross between a chest of drawers and a desk, with a mixture of storage and practicality you would think they'd be in huge demand - considering space is at a premium in England!

This is a fine example of an 18th century Chippendale mahogany bureau.

The bureau comprises of four graduated drawers with excellent quality oak drawer linings, original brass swan neck handles and working steel locking mechanisms. The bureau flap folds down to rest on two pull out bars either side of the top drawer and the surface is covered in an old baize writing surface.

Inside the top section are eight pigeon holes, six drawers with ring pull handles and a mirrored central door which houses two further pigeon holes and two small drawers. All of the interior drawers have the same high quality oak drawer linings and figured mahogany drawers fronts affixed with intricate dove tail joints. The bureau stands on four shaped bracket feet, which have a thumb mould edge where they join the base of the desk.

This bureau is in very good original condition and has a very good colour to the timber, a very practical furnishing and a good investment item.

Now your enthusiasm for the humble Bureau is at an all time high - take a look through the selection we currently have in stock. Antique Bureau's

Thank you for reading the Graham Smith Antiques Blog - if you like the insights we've given, why not take a look at our facebook page for regular updates, information and offers? FACEBOOK

www.grahamsmithantiques.com

Antiques Internet Warehouse

The imminent 2011 opening of our 'Internet Warehouse' is the latest expansion at Graham Smith Antiques. Increasingly busy internet sales have brought an increased need for space and later this month we will be opening our new warehouse in Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne.

This new site will complement our long established Jesmond shop by providing an extra  2,800 Square feet of space to display and store antique furniture. With exciting additions including a fully furnished four room display, to give customers a visual representation about how they can use antiques in different rooms of their homes. This new addition will allow customers to imagine how different furnishings will look 'in situ' rather than trying to guess how a chest of drawers for example, would work in their 3metres of wall space.

As you can see, the warehouse is currently a shell, although we will be posting updates on its progress both on our blog and facebook page. We are hoping to open the warehouse at the end of February, once the lighting, flooring and room partitioning is complete so 'watch this space', as they say!

Here's a map to the warehouse  - We are unit 5A (Opposite Chic Antiques)

Internet images will also be taken at the warehouse from now on, meaning more new arrivals appearing every week - sign up for our monthly email updates for regular news, offers and new stock.


Thank you for reading the Graham Smith Antiques blog.
www.grahamsmithantiques.com