Claire Langley antiques and furniture shop opens at Hallidays Yard in Radcliffe Road, Stamford
A furniture restorer and antiques dealer has returned to bricks and mortar after nearly a decade of trading online.
Claire Langley previously owned two antiques shops in Stamford, located in High Street St Martin’s and St Mary’s Hill.
The rise of online shopping prompted her to close the second shop in 2016, allowing her to focus solely on her internet business The One Off Chair Company.
But the desire to meet customers face to face was never far away, and when she heard Stamford Animal and Pet Supplies was closing last summer, Claire was keen to take on the premises.
She said: “We had already moved into the warehouse at Hallidays Yard but the yearning for another shop was there so when the SAPs building became available we thought it would be the perfect opportunity.”
Following an extensive refurbishment and a launch party on Saturday evening, the shop opened for business on Monday. It is a treasure trove of antiques alongside new home and garden items, with prices from £10 to suit all shoppers and stock replenished weekly so there is always something new to see.
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Claire said: “We want to offer interesting and individual pieces for everyone.”
The new shop allows Claire to bring her antiques and upholstery interests under one roof.
She grew up in Stamford and lived near to Robin Cox, whose family owned a furniture shop and whose son now runs the Matthew Cox business in town. Claire used to help out Robin in the school holidays which set her on the path to becoming a fully qualified furniture restorer.
She trained in Brighton and worked in London before moving to Stamford in 1993.
Claire has contacts all over the country and in France to source her products, which include lighting, furniture, mirrors, artwork, soft furnishings and plants. Once the shop becomes established she hopes to stock locally-made items including pottery.
Claire Langley is open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am until 5pm.
