Antique Garden’s Local Allure - 405 Magazine

Antique Garden’s Local Allure

Find some new favorite merchandise at this local boutique selling more than antiques.

 

Don’t let the name fool you: Although Antique Garden’s focus was originally just that – antiques and garden items – there’s much more in store these days. The Norman boutique now offers a range of merchandise from clothes and shoes to candles, tea towels, glassware, jewelry, gift items, chandeliers and furniture, just to name a few … and yes, they still sell garden items and antiques.
 

With its unique aesthetic and the variety of merchandise, coupled with great customer service from co-owners Barbara Fite and Mariah Pinkerton, it’s easy to see why people keep coming back again and again to see what’s new.


(clockwise from top right) Oklahoma watercolor print, $8 Pinkerton says, “We love collaborating with local artists. Natalie Ann Spencer is an up-and-coming artist with her own line of stationery and prints.” // Feather handle pulls, $8 Pinkerton calls these adornments “a lovely accent for a desk or nightstand.” // Teacher mug, $18 “Because let’s admit,” says Pinkerton, “#teachersaresaints! Share the love.”
 



(clockwise from top) Raw wood bookends, $44 “At Antique Garden, we love the earthy bohemian look,” says Fite. “These wood bookends are practical and great for decoration.” //  Common Grounds candle, $28 Fite explains, “Common Grounds candles are made by local artists. Their yummy-smelling candles range from Double Espresso to Hazelnut Cappuccino to Caramel Macchiato.” // Silver pedestal bowl with plant, $142 Fite asks, “How lovely is this hammered silver bowl? At around 18 inches, it makes for a great focal centerpiece.” // Micro-lot coffee, $18.75 “This coffee comes from our favorite coffee shop: Elemental in OKC,” smiles Fite. “Fresh and delicious!”
 



(clockwise from top left) Necklace duo, $68 Pinkerton calls this her “favorite necklace pairing in the store right now,” saying she loves “the beautiful colors of the dainty beads, and the agate is everything.” // “I got it from my mama” framed art, $36 Fite calls this magnet board, “The perfect gift for mothers! Locally made right here in Norman by Nikki Harrington.” // Amethyst geode, $48 “We’re carrying more raw elements of nature, like chunks of amethyst and selenite,” explains Pinkerton. “Gorgeous on a coffee table or used as bookends.” // Kelsi Dagger Brooklyn suede wedges, $135 “These taupe wedges are one of our best sellers,” says Fite. “They are comfortable to wear and are totally versatile.” Pinkerton adds that they’re “thrilled to be carrying shoes now, although [I’m] going to need a bigger closet.”
 


 

► Local Love

Touring Antique Garden reveals a passion for items not only made in the good old U.S.A. but locally, as well. As owner Barbara Fite says, “We are making a conscious effort to bring in more local artists and locally sourced products. We have always done that a bit, but our decision to double down on that effort is based on emotion: We believe strongly in local shopping, supporting your local artists and staying away from mass-produced items made overseas.”

The store has good reason to appreciate awareness of place; it opened in 1997 in a strip mall off Interstate 35 before relocating to historic Campus Corner in 2003. It was a bold move, and some friends advised against it – but her daughter, and co-owner, Mariah Pinkerton talked her mom into it. It couldn’t have been a better decision, as Antique Garden is a solid fixture in the bustling Campus Corner area today. People passing the corner of Buchanan and Boyd can’t miss the store’s unique window displays and welcoming front patio.