It’s easy to spot the entrance to FolkArt Interiors: just look for the life-size or larger carved wooden Mounties standing at the front door. Inside, the space is full of an eclectic mixture of antique furniture, folk art decorations, custom handmade furniture, and collectibles. Century-old cabinets and cupboards with “alligator” finishes sit next to a 1930s hand-pumped vacuum cleaner, old school maps in rolls, and a 1950s wooden table hockey game.
The owner, David Johnson, got into the antiques business from his previous work as a furniture mover and woodworker. The store’s previous owner hired him to repair furniture. One day, David had to fill in for an absent employee. “I ended up selling so much that he decided to put me in sales. Eventually, I took over the whole place.” After four years, the owner sold him the business, and he’s run it every since.
“I love the treasure hunting,” David says. “People bring me stuff every day. It’s exciting. You never know what’s going to come through the door. Antiques are like recycling. But it’s the best form of recycling, because you’re restoring furniture and saving it from the landfill, and an antique will hold its value.”
