Tomlinsons Antiques – the solution to all your furnishing needs as well as a great day out
A social history lesson with a difference
Until now, Tomlinsons Antiques near Wetherby has been one of the area’s best-kept secrets, largely because of its rural location. But all that is about to change as this week, Tomlinsons Antiques was officially launched as the region’s newest quality assured visitor attraction by Yorkshire Tourist Board Chairman, Judith Donovan CBE. The enormous warehouse near Wetherby is home to Europe’s largest antiques company, with thousands of fascinating items displayed in a stunning environment.
Tomlinsons has been awarded the prestigious quality rose by the English Tourist Board following a successful assessment on its status as a tourist destination, based on its ability to provide a fascinating day out as well as excellent customer care and facilities.
Antiques are brought to life through room sets allowing visitors to walk through a Georgian bedroom, Edwardian parlour or Art Deco living room. But unlike a museum, the furniture on show can be bought and taken home.
For those keen to learn more about furniture design through the ages, the company’s experts are on hand to guide you through the eras and explain how Edwardian furniture design evolved into the Arts and Crafts movement. Tomlinsons craftsmen who are permanently on site to restore furniture can also help you glean behind the scenes knowledge about furniture restoration, giving you unique insights into the likes of French polishing, spraying, desk leathering and the art of gilding.
And if so much history makes you thirsty, delicious refreshments are available Friday to Monday in Tomlinsons’ organic café!
A ‘One-stop-shop’ for all your home style needs
For those more interested in recreating the period look at home, Tomlinsons is the ideal home furnishings shopping destination, offering everything under one roof. The choice of furniture on offer is genuinely staggering, ranging from bookcases and sideboards to dining tables and cabinets, to beds and wardrobes.
Harder to find antique items are also available such as pianos or chandeliers. The huge variety of furniture means you can create whatever look you want in your home - be it period or simply ‘country’.
Tomlinsons’ stocks both restored and unrestored antiques, meaning all budgets and tastes are catered for. The restored antique furniture on offer is of the finest quality. The pieces are bought primarily from country house estate clearances, however, 95% of all furniture is rejected by Tomlinsons’ buyers. As a result, customers know that they are being offered only the very top 5% of restored antiques from any period.
The antiques on offer range from Georgian right through to art deco, which is particularly popular with city-loft dwellers. The streamlined furniture of this period complements contemporary interiors and is sought after by those who wish to create a distinctive, individual look.
More than 2,000 items are brought into the warehouse each month and 5,000 pieces are in stock at any one time. The high volume of antiques passing through Tomlinsons means that prices are reasonable and you can be guaranteed to find what you’re looking for.
However, Tomlinsons is not just about antiques. It also offers a comprehensive range of fine quality reproduction furniture at very competitive prices, offering you the period look at a price that won’t break the bank.
An exciting addition to the range of reproduction furniture to be launched soon in June is a series of traditional beds made from high quality wood. The beds have been chosen by Tomlinsons specifically for their ability to sit comfortably alongside antique furniture.
The range will feature beds from around Europe including an Italian sleigh bed in cherry wood, handmade brass and iron beds from Cornwall and a French upholstered bed from Paris. Tomlinsons have also produced their own bed, a Georgian style mahogany four-poster with finely reeded posts.
In addition to the range of beds, Tomlinsons also manufactures a series of beautiful handcrafted sofas and chairs produced in line with traditional craftsmanship. Each bespoke sofa is made from the very finest natural materials from base to cover and all are guaranteed for 15 years. According to Sarah such quality of upholstery is rarely available through retail outlets on the high street as it requires minute attention to detail, and is highly labour intensive.
Tomlinsons At Home
With so many different styles and so much choice on offer, it is possible to furnish your entire house with furniture from Tomlinsons!
“More and more of our customers are coming to us for help in their search for items with which to furnish their houses,” says Sarah. “We can help identify the best pieces to suit you and if you don’t see what you want, we will go out and source it for you.”
Tomlinsons is currently extending its expertise through a professional advisory service, Tomlinsons At Home, which will offer bespoke interior advice to customers. The personal service will include home visits from a member of Tomlinsons staff to help choose what pieces of furniture would be suited to a particular room or even a whole house. Once the desired design and style has been decided, Tomlinsons will put together a personal file with furniture suited to personal needs. The service will extend to the delivery of the furniture as well as their restoration if need be, through to their installation in a client’s home.
“Tomlinsons At Home will be invaluable both to those who need guidance and professional advice, as well as to those who are short of time to furnish their house,” says Sarah.
For further details on the professional advisory service or antiques and traditional furniture visit www.antique-furniture.co.uk or call 01423 358833.
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