An Afternoon of Antiquing
When my friend Vivian said she wanted to go antiquing, the first place I thought of was Old World Antieks in LaGrange. I follow Old World Antieks on Instagram, and my sister says it’s “good.” I’ve seen it from afar but have never been inside.
I’m looking forward to this adventure as much as my friend is.
Leaving Bastrop and lunch behind, Vivian steers her new ride down Highway 71 toward LaGrange. I explain to her that Old World Antieks is on the highway, and it is enormous. We can’t miss it. And we don’t.
Old World Antieks
Requisite Covid-19 masks in place, we leave the car and walk toward a giant barn of a building. All we have to do is step inside, and we are overwhelmed. My sister’s “good” is an understatement. We hardly know where to begin.
With over 55,000 square feet of space to explore, we realize we should not have had wine with lunch! What we want is a nap; what we have in front of us is an opportunity. We landed in the middle of a treasure chest. There are imports from thirteen different countries, including Europe, India, Egypt, and Turkey.
Wants and Wishes
Vivian sees an antique French chest of drawers she loves and laments the fact that she forgot to bring a tape measure. I see an antique stone?– cement?–cows head, battered and torn covered with moss, and I think of Michael’s back yard. Unfortunately, a $2,800 ornament for the local wildlife to defile is more than the critters that roam our grounds at night deserve. So, I wish.
We wander from one vignette to the next, charmed. Full of wishes. And wants. Some items I see are not antique, and many things are below reasonably priced. I almost wish I were a professional decorator, so I would have an excuse to buy—everything—but I’m just a wannabe.
An old rusted bicycle used as a base for a sleek bar or casual dining space draws my attention, and I yearn for a downtown loft to decorate. There are copper and old bottles and rustic wooden wheels displayed as sculpted art and giant hollow pieces of wood from ancient tree trunks waiting to be rescued and turned into prized possessions. Chairs and sofas and tables and carboys and wall hangings and statues—and bas-reliefs of the Stations of the Cross from some church from somewhere in Europe. There is too much to absorb.
A Decision
Luckily, or unluckily, my house and walls are full, and there is nothing I want or need to toss out or replace. But finally, after several hours of looks and wishes, I walk over to one of the first things I saw when we walked through the doors of this treasure trove. Sitting in the middle of a small antique table is a four-bottle wine carrier—a perfect outdoor centerpiece. It contains three empty wine bottles that I don’t want or need.
I begin taking the empty wine bottles out of the heavy metal carrier one by one, placing them on the table. When the wine carrier is empty, I am ready to pick it up and take it to the cashier for purchase. The moment the bottom of the metal container is a bare whisper from the table’s surface, disaster strikes. The table tilts, and green glass tumbles and shatters, forming sparkling emerald shards all over the floor. I am horrified, and embarrassed. I remember Spain and a ceramic shop in Toledo and a teapot at Harrod’s in London. And I am horrified. And mortified.
I can’t apologize enough as two individuals rush to my side and check out the damage. My friend, Vivian, mutters something along the lines of, “You just can’t take her anywhere.”
I know.
A Tilting Table from France
I learn that the carrier and wine bottles were sitting in the middle of a French-tilting wine-tasting table. If only I had set the bottles on the other side of the table, disaster could have been avoided.
While the talented woman who creates the beautiful vignettes sweeps up my mess, I assure the kind gentleman who also came to assist me that this is not a guilt purchase. I really want the heavy metal wine holder. Meanwhile, Vivian has a chance to ponder and think and decide.
Two Purchases
We leave the building with my wine carrier and Vivian’s beautiful carved bleached wooden antique table from France—it will be perfect between her two favorite chairs in the media room.
We both want to return, to wish again. Purchase again. I hope Old World Antieks will let me in.
For more information on Old World Antieks in La Grange, click on the link below.
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