I am not at all surprised by the stellar opinions of my fellow yelpers. This place is a treasure…read moretrove. One that I, to be honest, wanted to keep a secret for as long as I could, but really, there are plenty of treasures to go around. There's movement in this store and as the owner is wont to say, "If it is not meant to be yours, then so be it. Something else will come along". And she's right.
We were out second-hand furniture shopping in and around the Lavapies neighborhood earlier this past summer when we came across this newly opened restoration and antique shop. There seemed to be a little party happening at the tiny bar close to the entry, yet we were welcomed in, and so we moved about like spies taking in all of the marvelous pieces that occupy this curious shop.
I knew from the moment we crossed the threshold that we had stumbled upon something special. And that's also the moment when you can witness my truly stupid look- -eyes bulging, mouth ajar, sweat beads forming on my forehead. Thrift stores, flea markets, antique stores, estate sales, second-hand, vintage stores, late night street troller, dumpsters-- (yes, I am admitting here on yelp that I've jumped into large trash recepticles once or twice to salvage unique "pieces" but I was wearing rubber gloves, mind you) are my cup of tea. I love the hunt, I love the unique finds and I love the restoration part, though, the work I've done is nothing near as professional and passionate as what Marantikk's admirable owner, Marta, does. What she has created is special because the pieces that she chooses for her store reflect her personal taste, which is timeless, charming, curious, fanciful, cool and artsy and in some cases somewhat expensive. If your taste is even a little in line with hers, you can see this right away. She has a great eye and she has a great deal of knowledge about her profession and it shows.
You might be decieved. I was the first time that I entered. The store is on the small side so if you go in with a particular piece in mind (I went in for a coffee table), something large, maybe, then you might miss all of the other smaller, good stuff. On our second visit, I did a real study of the joint and it's wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. I swear I wanted to rent a truck, burn up the credit card (yes, Marta accepts credit cards!) and load up half of the store and homeward. I fell in love with so many pieces. And it was fascinating talking to Marta about it and the potential restoration for various pieces (including my beloved 1960's French pine coffee table!!! Yes, I suffer from coffee-table love). She would not negotiate the price of the table, which I respected because it's a nice, nice piece (that had my name all over it) but she passionately, thoroughly, explained how to clean up the table and wax it appropriately. It was like taking a Restoration 101 class. She even gave us some of her Alex wax to get started!
This shop will always be one of my go-to places when I need or want something for my home. And, as one of my fellow yelpers mentions- it's great for finding a special gift, too.
