Whanganui couple opens antique store from their home

Lyndon Brew and Lisa Sullivan run "Antiques and Collectables on the Hill" from their Great North Rd residence. Photo / Lewis Gardner

A local couple have turned their passion of antiques and collectables into a small shop run out of their St Johns Hill home.

Lisa Sullivan and Lyndon Brew run "Antiques and Collectables on the Hill" from their Great North Rd residence.

"We are just open on the weekends because we work full-time during the week," Lisa said.

She is a systems engineer at Whanganui Hospital with Lyndon running his own painting and decorating business.

The pair began collecting around four years ago. As their collection grew over the years, they found they had too much and wanted to sell some pieces as they were collecting.

"We enjoy the chase trying to find new pieces," Lyndon said.

Lisa said; "We only buy stuff we like. We are learning heaps and we are just starting out. We have extended into another room because the main room was getting a bit full."

While they like to buy items in Whanganui, they like to travel out of town to collect and find new items to add to their growing inventory.

"Auctions, clearance sales, people downsizing. That's how we get a lot of new stuff.

"We are learning heaps of stuff, we are just starting out," Lisa said.

"We like to get different things too. By the time we buy it here and sell it, someone has already had it and have seen it so it is good to go out of town."

With a range of silverware, glassworks, lamps, art works, perfume bottles, chests and more, the couple have a wide range of pieces from a number of different time periods.

"It started with perfume bottles for me and barometers with Lyndon," Lisa said.

"I've got about 50 of them. I just like the way they work, I always have. The only problem is they have started getting dearer. I started buying $20 ones, now we are up to $400 ones," said Lindon.

The couple loves their collection of uranium glass, a special glass that glows in the dark.

"It's getting harder and harder to find.

"It's just so unique. At night you can see them through the window from the street. We have quite a good collection. It's quite exciting, people come in and don't know about it because it is quite different," said Lisa.

The pair enjoy running it out of their home for the time being, but Lisa hopes one of them retires and begins running the store full-time.

"It's good here because we have no rent. We can open and their is no cost," said Lyndon.

"It's not costing us money, but it would be good to be in a shop one day," added Lisa.

Lisa wanted to thank all the locals that have shown interest so far and invite anyone who hasn't visited to pop in.

"We really appreciate their support, they have been so supportive."

Antiques and Collectables on the Hill is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm at 9 Great North Rd.