About Us
Contact Us:
Julia Shantz
403-813-4342
E: info@uniquities.ca
Welcome to the new Uniquities!
Uniquities is a family business. It was created in 1992, purely from a personal need to renovate our 1912 home and unable to find the architectural antiques we wanted. If we were frustrated with the lack of availability of architectural salvage, then it seemed obvious to us that other people were feeling the frustration too.
I grew up in Wales, in an area of great historical importance with Roman amphitheatres, Norman castles, Georgian mews and Victorian shopping arcades. So of course, we began our venture there.
Since those early days, we have expanded our sourcing trips to many places in Europe and the United States.
We believe passionately in saving snippets of history from landfills. We have an insatiable love for the rusty crusty and dusty. We will climb fences, rummage in dirty barns, attend auctions in dreadful weather conditions, visit historic sites to gain a greater understanding, we obsess over the forgotten trades of times past, we listen, learn and absorb, so we can pass that knowledge on, and we are in awe of the fact that we will never stop searching and learning.
We are also 100% positive the world would be a greener and more enlightened place if we salvaged more and preserved our architectural history. When a Georgian stone chimneypiece or a length of Victorian hand carved cornice is thrown into the landfill, it is gone forever. The superior craftsmanship, authentic period detail and beautiful patina of old materials simply cannot be reproduced.
We travel to many countries in search of architectural, garden and decorative antiques. Follow us on our social media platforms; Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, to see the real truth behind us salvage twitchers. It’s not all Coq au vin and Château Margaux, more like a bacon butty and a mug of tea! However, we always make time to visit historic points of interest. It gives us a reference point with a deeper understanding of the pieces we curate.
We also offer you our years of experience in sourcing specific items. We have had the pleasure of finding beautiful pieces for clients, from ancient English barns to French marble fireplaces. Contact us for more information.
Uniquities is a business built on passion and the pursuit of knowledge.
Julia, Doug & Ben