14 EU BUSINESS NEWS / Q3 2021 , Apr21234 Best Antique & Vintage Furniture Store – Belfast On The Square Emporium is Ireland’s biggest antique and interiors emporium, specialising in period design and antiques, with a vast sourcing network and a large range of stock. It is a true ‘emporium’, with over 14,000sqft of retail showrooms and further extensive storage. Fromfine Georgian furniture tomid-century chic to small collectables, On The Square has it all andmore! On The Square’s antique section has everything from a lovely Georgian duchess dressing table to a French 19th century bidet side table – similar to one that was sold to a local celebrity and is now being used as a wine cooler, making it the talk of the town. The vintage section has all your G Plan, Ercol, Mackintosh and Eames mid-century delights, and there is so much more with an extensive rug selection, and a pubs and restaurants section for commercial, as well as the “man cave”! Started by husband and wife team, Jill and Justin in 2010 selling upcycled furniture, their business soon outgrew two premises before settling in Heron Road. Jill’s passion is artist-lead, working with local craftsmen to upcycle and repurpose vintage items, while Justin has a passion for antiques and vintage. This makes for an eclectic mix and definitely one of the most interesting shops in Ireland! It is very much a treasure trove with items available for purchase outright and at auction, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for, On The Square can always source or create something bespoke for you. On The Square has been recognised and featured for its quirkiness and eco-friendliness by TV programmes, ‘Salvage Hunters’, ‘Make Me a Dealer’ and ‘Antiques Road Trip’, and the team has also worked on set design for countless TV programmes (‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Derry Girls’, ‘The Fall’) and movies (‘Dad’s Army’, ‘Dracula Untold’, ‘Agatha and the Truth of Murder’). Its prop-hire business is growing steadily, with a large range of antique, industrial and vintage items available for hire for events, movies, TV programmes and theatre. And due to the nature of the business, it has an extensive network of dealers, collectors, restorers, fabricators and hoarders, so it can source almost anything it doesn’t already have. Six years ago, On The Square welcomed upcycling specialists, ReFound with a space in its Waring Street shop, and then they moved together into its Heron Road premises. Now situated on the first floor of the Emporium, ReFound offers a range of upcycled, repurposed, redesigned pieces. Alongside the finished pieces, there are some items for the budding DIY upcycler; ReFound has a range of pin legs and a-frames to finish tables, stools and cabinets, and a range of vintage and designer electrical flexes to rewire lights along with fittings and specialist bulbs. But if you want to leave it to the professionals, then making bespoke items is what ReFound excels at; if you have an idea in your head for a new dining table or custom industrial light, or you may want to repurpose an old piece of furniture or get an old chair reupholstered, ReFound can make it happen. Times are truly exciting for On The Square with lots of changes coming. Firstly, it is launching a specialist auction division, with some exciting collections going under the hammer. Secondly, it is taking on some big projects this year and expanding into design consultation with architects on a number of large period design, restoration and fit-outs. It has a great project in the centre of Belfast, a 14,000sqft serviced office building which it is designing in a Georgian theme and decorating in antiques, along with a couple of hotels and a distillery it is helping to fit-out, as well as some residential projects. Thirdly, the retail shop will be expanding into new areas, with a variety of heritage brands, and a range of vintage and antique wallpapers and tiles to finish off those period projects. Company: On The Square Emporium Contact: Justin Lowry Email:
[email protected] Website: www.onthesquareemporium.com