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We love vintage because it is the ultimate sustainable purchase and it doesn’t get much better than vintage shop fit. Shop fits of the 20th century were made in a different era, with a quality that we just don’t see any more and using materials that are either too expensive to use or just not available. Haberdashery cabinets by the famous maker Pollards are the pinnacle and little wonder they have survived, they were just built to last. Retailers of the 20th Century invested heavily in their shop fits because their shop was their window on the world, their showcase, and now we can repurpose and save so many superb pieces, the ultimate sustainable purchase.
Read MoreWe recently divided up our website categories to make it easier to shop:
As retailers these pieces just have an fascination for us and we usually carry a large selection. Often the classic glass cabinets and taller drawer units are referred to as haberdashery cabinets, but they were also widely used by tailors and clothing merchants. Beautifully made and often carrying a makers mark they are incredibly practical and unique pieces of history. The iconic maker is Pollards but there are so many more.
Most of the really large-scale banks of drawers either come from old shop fittings or workshops and often the most sought after are the smaller drawer apothecary cabinets that were used to store herbs and ingredients for chemists. Banks of drawers from shop fits tend to be higher quality in their construction, slightly more refined, and usually made by professional cabinetmakers. Workshop drawers in contrast were usually made by the owners or workshop staff and although they are often less polished, they are often made with beautiful timbers simply because the workshop often had timber more readily available. We love the scale of these pieces, the history that they carry and often the amazing handles and drawer name tags that give a historical clue about their use.
The holy grail is the French maker Strafor, the brand of the Forges de Strasbourg. Strafor was one of the largest makers of sheet metal lockers, their heyday was in the 20’s and 30’s. Lockers were an essential item in all workshops, factories and even offices as they were used to securely store workers personal belongings.
Whilst we have a weakness for larger scale storage, we usually carry a good selection of mid century smaller scale cabinets and shelving.
As champion of the forgotten maker our chairs come with a history and provenance and many of the makers have rich stories of their industrial past. Storage has to be practical so our workshop makes sure that all drawers run smoothly and that all of our pieces are practical.
We love to hear from fellow vintage fans. Telephone +44 (0)1256 760 044, or paul@merchantandfound.com.
We travel far and wide to source each & every unique piece
Every item is restored by hand in our Hampshire workshop
We photograph and measure everything with precision
We believe sustainability starts with lasting craftsmanship
We offer worldwide delivery, carefully packed to arrive safely
