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Top antique stores for unique finds

11 July, 2022

antique stores
Image by @VisitMurwillumbah

If retro style and antique pieces are your thing, take a drive tour of the Tweed that’s designed for lovers of all things vintage. Journey through our hinterland villages to discover a treasure trove of antique stores packed with rare finds, restored wares and heritage collectables.

You’ll find an old bank brimming with mid-century pieces, an Art Deco town store filled with fashions from yesteryear (that are still in style!) and an iconic antique mecca that’s a regular haunt for collectors, home-makers and movie moguls alike!

From Burringbar to Murwillumbah, via Uki, we’ve curated the ultimate day out for die-hard retrophiles, here’s our top picks of vintage haunts and antique stores.

First stop – Heath’s antique store in Burringbar

On the map for every collector of anything antique is Heath’s Old Wares and Collectables, found on Broadway, the sweet main street of Burringbar.

Owners Ross and Eva have been connecting people with the vintage of their dreams for years, from industrial antiques, old ladders and depression era-glass to Australian pottery, cane baskets and art deco mirrors – just for starters! Their antique store is literally filled from corner to corner and floor to ceiling with more old wares than you could imagine.

As a nod to the authenticity of their pieces, Heath’s has also become a go-to for Hollywood movie producers needing time-worn pieces to evoke far-away places and moments in time – from Peter Pan to Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as Baz Luhrmann’s recent biopic, Elvis, shot on the nearby Gold Coast. When Warner Bros comes browsing you know it’s a sure-fire hit!

Unlock mid-century styling at The Vault

When you walk through the back rooms of Uki’s heritage listed bank building, standing here on the main street since 1914, you’ll feel transported to the 1950s and 60s, when design aesthetics were all about curved contours, elegant lines and abstract designs.

The Vault is a mecca for mid-century enthusiasts seeking original pieces that are impeccably restored – owners Louise and Gary source, repair and restore all the essentials to style your home from lounges and lamps to chairs, prints and plant stands.

There are also coffee tables, dining tables and timeless kitchen essentials like casserole dishes, fondue kits and weighing scales; plus vintage trinkets, framed prints, ceramic mugs and glass vases. And plenty more!

If you don’t have a big van to take your mid-century haul home, don’t fret – shipping can be arranged!

Retro fashion courtesy of Scarletts Wardobe

Now your home is retro styled, take time to remake yourself in some classic fashion from Scarletts Wardrobe, a Murwillumbah store that ‘breathes a love of vintage clothing and accessories.’

Owner Jenny Turner has long been a collector of timeless vintage fashion and design over the years and, when she decided to pop her sizeable collection on racks and shelves to sell, Scarletts Wardrobe had its beginning.

Step in to a wonderland of fashion through the decades, from 1940s matching bag and shoe sets to 1950s winter coats or 1960s bowl shirts to 1970s pant suits. Top it all off with original headwear from every era, including 1920s felt cloche hats to retro western hats, designer broches and clip-on earrings.

Everything old is new again at New Release Antiques

Also in the Art Deco town of Murwillumbah, you’ll find a small but jam-packed store – New Release Antiques – that’s sure to have all the old school touches you need for your home.

Housed in the original Austral Cafe building, the store’s art deco era window displays are sure to stop you in your tracks. Step in to meet the owner Patrick and discover an abundance of period furniture, recycled decor, collector items and antique pieces.

There are vintage clocks, record cabinets, green glass ware, hat racks and shoe racks, retro prints, Persian rugs and leadlight lamps, along with all manner of quirky collectables and pretty trinkets for that extra touch.

Need more than a day?

With these antique stores and more to discover on a vintage shopping trip to The Tweed, why not stay a night or two. Search here for some countryside and coastal stays to maximise your browsing and buying time.

We wish to acknowledge the Ngandowal and Minyungbal speaking people of the Bundjalung Country, in particular the Goodjinburra, Tul-gi-gin and Moorung – Moobah clans, as being the traditional owners and custodians of the land and waters within the Tweed Shire boundaries. We also acknowledge and respect the Tweed Aboriginal community’s right to speak for its Country and to care for its traditional Country in accordance with its lores, customs and traditions.