Widow at Windsor antiques to savor
Last night during the holiday walk in downtown Springfield, we wondered into the lovely Widow at Windsor Antiques where each piece whether you are talking furniture, paintings, jewelry or unique items fits into the term “statement piece”. Walking around, my husband, brother-in-law and sister-in-law were all oohing and aahing thinking just where an item may look good in our homes.
The website for the shop gives a peek into how their name may have come about. “The Widow at Windsor is not just a wonderful poem from Rudyard Kipling, who was one of the most popular writers in England, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries- it is also the name of one of the finest collection of antiques and collectibles in central Illinois.”
The store is unique with architectural pieces and items from all over the world and varied times. Pamela Kruger shared information about some lovely “trench art” that came from a personal collection. “These were made from spent shells in France”, Pamela told us.
One of these beautifully crafted pieces may find their way into my house yet. The store had also just received an amazing collection of European pieces which included a wood confessional. Pamela showed us the pieces and on our way out we were saying it would be a wonderful item for a restaurant or bar and for the owner to call their place, “The Confessional”.
It is no wonder that the items are so different because the owners peruse the famous French antique markets in Paris to seldom found antique warehouses in Belgium, to private estates in hidden corners of Europe and their website shares, “…even remote provinces of China” for the treasures they bring back to this one of a kind shopping place.
Pamela said that the Widow is a stop shop for travelers between Chicago and St. Louis and all over that are looking for special items for their homes and shops. There are many items that would suit a mansion converted to a B&B or a business clientele as well as residential.
The jewelry always catches my attention and there were a few pieces crafted from broken pottery that was found when the coffee house near Obed & Isaacs was completed. Using items from the past to create new is such a great way to bring life to old pieces. My husband, a farmer was taken with the industrial items and my sister-in-law loved the old beer signs and marble furniture. My brother-in-law who is a carpenter just enjoyed it all taking in the craftsmanship of many of the wood items.
Whether looking for elegant furniture, art work, vintage jewelry, stained & leaded glass, sterling, chandeliers, urns, iron gates, antique time pieces, old books, or one-of-a-kind pieces if you like antiques and different collectibles, it is worth stopping in for a visit. Window at Windsor Antiques is located at 625 E Monroe Street at the northwest corner of 7th and Monroe in the heart of downtown Springfield. Call 217-744-3735 or log onto www.windsorantiques.com for details.
