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Vintage industrial designs are well-suited to heritage and contemporary homes alike. Here, we speak with the founders of Home Barn to learn about the interiors emporium and the vintage sourcing process.
How did Home Barn begin?
We’re Sarah and Sally Wilkie, sisters-in-law and founders of vintage furniture and interiors shop, Home Barn. We created Home Barn together in 2010 as an outlet for our combined creative talents. We both had an eye for vintage and antiques and were always being asked by friends to find them things similar to those we had in our own homes. We also both had a desire to work for ourselves, to do something rewarding and inspiring whilst at the same time enjoying life with our families. We realised that between us we had the skills and experience to turn our passion for vintage into a business and Home Barn was born! Our shop is situated in an amazing 17th century tithe barn in the beautiful village of Little Marlow.
What do you specialise in?
We sell beautiful and unique vintage, reclaimed, industrial, antique and retro furniture and accessories. As we’re both locals (Sally is currently renovating a house directly opposite the barn!), supporting and promoting local businesses is really important to us. So as well as the vintage finds, we work with local craftspeople and artists to create our own line of bespoke products. Our reclaimed dining tables in particular have become our speciality.
What are your best-selling items?
Our best sellers are our salvaged dining tables. They’re all made locally using reclaimed materials and are perfect for informal dining in a family home. Sarah has one in her dining room and it’s the heart of the home. The whole family congregates around it, and as the salvaged wooden top has a pre-loved look it’s perfect for homework and painting with no need to worry about the mess!
We love turning old industrial and maritime windows into mirrors which are a big seller for us, and coffee tables always do well too. At the moment we have some fantastic industrial coffee tables which were 1950’s vegetable carts used at a Dutch market. They're just full of character and make a real talking point.
Can you please tell us more about the vintage furniture sourcing process?
We visit a lot of markets, antique fairs and design shows across the UK and Europe all year round and always keep an eye out for pieces wherever we travel. We have built up great relationships with our favourite antique dealers. They know what we like so they often pop by to give us first choice ahead of any trading shows. We also do our fair share of very early starts buying in fields before the sun comes up and camping out in our van! Our rule for buying has always been that if we’re going to stock an item we have to love it and want it for ourselves. It’s a very thorough vetting process!
“Our rule for buying has always been that if we’re going to stock an item we have to love it and want it for ourselves. It’s a very thorough vetting process!”
Do you have any tips for our readers to keep in mind when they're shopping for vintage furniture?
Try not to be restricted by a piece’s original use. It might have been a butchers block before or a bedside table, but that doesn’t mean it has to continue being used that way or be restricted to the kitchen or bedroom. A bedside table makes a great bathroom unit and a butchers block can make a great side table. If you find a piece you love, think outside the box and you’ll be surprised to see how many rooms and spots in your home it will fit into perfectly.
Whether you’re shopping to fill a house or just have a few gaps crying out for something, always carry a tape measure with you and keep a note of the measurements of all your rooms. When shopping for our homes, we always keep notes on our phones with all of our room measurements listed, just in case we stumble across something we love. There’s nothing more disappointing than taking something home to find it doesn’t fit, or even worse passing over something wonderful because you thought it wouldn’t fit only to find it would’ve been perfect!
Finally, when shopping for any finishing touches it’s important to think about balance. We wouldn’t recommend overloading a space with antiques and vintage finds. Instead, select standout pieces that really call to you and mix them into your home with pieces that contrast, not just in terms of age but also in texture, material and colour. A reclaimed, rustic sideboard that has a story and character would work well with a modern accessory on top, such as an angular colourful vase or pot. Then add a final touch of texture with a linen runner or a fern.
You've just launched a new line of freestanding furniture. Can you tell us more about this?
We found that our customers kept asking us for freestanding furniture that could sit neatly alongside our vintage pieces. Having been in the industry for as many years as we have, we know what works with vintage and saw the opportunity to work with local Buckinghamshire craftsmen to create the new line which includes a kitchen larder cupboard and shaker cupboard with a salvaged top. We've used a mix of new and reclaimed materials with traditional techniques and think we’ve got the balance just right. All the pieces we've created would work well in both modern and vintage homes.
We would like to thank Sarah and Sally for taking the time to talk to Warehouse Home. For more information about Home Barn, visit the website.
The North American solid timber Mill dining table is a striking centrepiece for a modern rustic dining scheme. From £1,100, Home Barn
