Design Blocks: Touchwood Antiques

Tucked between Neal's Deli and Open Eye Cafe in Carrboro sits an impossibly small antique store (500 square feet) with no running water, heating or cooling... what is going on? In spite of the most basic retail design rules, Touchwood antiques proves to us all that going against the grain can keep you in business for 15 years! Owners Emily Long and Christine Watt come across as witty and delightful as they chat about the eccentric side of retail and the curious nature of antiques and the people who collect them. Emily is a seasoned antique dealer and Christine has gone from landscape design to visual merchandising and branding for a high end home and garden shop. The result is a pairing that defies the odds with a strong sense of composition and a conviction to sell the items that Emily and Christine truly appreciate and love. Touchwood's displays are dynamic arrangements of unique furniture (original surfaces only), bizarre farm implements and delicate china. In the true marche au puce fashion, there is a conscientious jumbling here that wets that appetite for hunting those much coveted "objets". A warm gray coats the brick walls where doors are hung to provide a convenient backdrop for the various prints and paintings, which keep customers gazing upwards in the narrow space. Diverse textures in a similar palette bring intrigue and continuity to the shop and soft lighting from the various lamps and chandeliers prevents glare in close confines. When asked to describe Touchwood's concept, the Emily and Christine ponder for a moment (speaking about shops with shop owners is a bit like talking to parents about their children). And then they let me know that Touchwood is an approachable antique store, which celebrates the intrinsic qualities and unique character that can be found in the Americana pieces throughout. Having stated this, the owners still seem to be in awe of the fact that their lovely store has survived this long. Against the odds indeed-- and with so much charm.