About Us
Welcome to Barn of. Rustique Vintage
My name is Natasha, and with a strong passion for all things Old World and Beautiful, it has energised and inspired me to fill spaces where ever I go, creating a Sanctuary of Antiques, a space I love to go and get lost in, a space that I love to invite others with the same passion. The Barn!
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This being my most recent venture after over 25 years' experience, restoring, buying and selling, unique age worn pieces. I invite you to explore and enjoy a unique Country Antiquing experience at my Boutique Barn in the Bush!, nestled in the lush mountains of Lowanna, NSW, Australia.
Where did it all start?
Having European blood, a mixture of Dutch, White Russian, English and a bit of French, as well as Australian, I feel as though I was born with a love of old things. As I think back it becomes clear that I was always drawn to things of the past. My interests included collecting old stamps. Going to old bottle dumps, digging up old bottles, broken blue and white China, old marbles, and beautiful little perfume bottles. I'd go treasure hunting with my brother, metal detecting for old irons, old coins, old keys, old buttons etc, at old house ruins where the old brick chimneys would still be proudly standing.
Whenever we visited people with old homes full of old furniture etc, I'd get lost amongst it all, wishing I could one day own a house like that with furniture like that. I also even set up a small shed on our property, like a shop, full of hanging flowers, paper daisies, statice and kangaroo paws, wheat and wild grasses, that I grew myself or picked in the wild. I pressed flowers and made cards with them. I hand sewed old-style bears and dolls. I made my own potpourri. While also having stalls at markets from a young age. I found so much excitement in op shops, trash and treasure markets and clearing sale Auctions. I'd love the thrill of the hunt even back then. I'd even be known to work with my dad on building sites, fitting out the whole house with architraves and skirtings myself, which introduced me to electrical saws and other tools, which later on helped me with the restoration side of things.
The First Shop
When I moved out at 18, everything in my home had to be old. There I started my regular garage sales, where I would hunt down whatever I could to re-sell. I'd re-store furniture adding more re-sale value. At the age of 22, I got some work restoring Antique furniture for an Antique Dealer in Maitland, (The Old Maitland Mill Antique Centre), which taught me a great deal. From there I moved to the country town of Stroud NSW, where I started my business, Natasha's Antique Furniture Restorations. Offering a service to the surrounding towns, stripping old paint, repairing and French Polishing Antiques. This kept me working 7 days a week, till I decided to open my first shop in Stroud, called Cramalotinn. The name speaks for itself. It was a full-time job trying to keep this shop full because everything kept walking out the doors. Here in Stroud, we also designed and built our first old style home, Federation style. We used Antique windows and doors throughout, and re-created an old-style timber kitchen from roughly sawn cedar, into a shield door Victorian style kitchen. Designing old style homes and interior design is also a great interest of mine.
The House Of Heavenly Vintage
After a few more ventures being part of Antique Centres etc, we then moved to a property in Wallalong near Morpeth NSW, purchasing an Old School Masters Residence which was 125 years old at the time. We renovated it, built a cute barn style shed, and re-created a huge French style home out the back, with 6 massive gables, and the most amazing detail, which took us 10 years to complete. This home has been featured in a 6 and a half page story in the Hunter and Coastal lifestyle magazine, Edition 103. Here I started my regular Barn sales, also including a pop-up high tea cafe in a big white marquee, with old teacups and saucers and teapots, with the most amazing cakes made by my talented Sister. These Events were very popular with over a hundred people waiting to get in. The old school house then became, the House Of Heavenly Vintage, my shop, till we then sold and bought this property up here at Lowanna, where we've had to start all over again.
The Barn At Lowanna
This property, where the red roofed little old Barn is situated on, is 112 acres.When I opened the Barn, I changed the Business name accordingly. It has a lovely old-style cottage with a high-pitched roof, which will one day become accommodation, after we build our next design in the pipeline, a Barndominium house. Here, we also have an established orchard, breathtaking views, and lush bushland, green rolling hills, and part rainforest. With 4 beautiful big old pet steers (gentle giants) that came with the property. So, the Barn is the draw card, bringing Antique lovers out to the country, out of the city, into nature. For a totally different Antique shopping experience. My Barn is well worth the trip, filled to the brim with my unique hand-picked quality treasures.
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So why do I do this?
It's always been more than a business to me.
It's purely passion that drives me.
It's a labour of love.
The excitement of the trips away hunting and foraging for that one off, those rarities, those pieces dripping with aged patina, the fact that they have managed to outlive so many. My personal style; I adore French country Farmhouse, and even American primitive style. Anything French Antique. I melt over a beautiful old chippy paint meat safe. Antique Architectural pieces always intrigue and captivate my attention. I have always loved and collected Vintage floral fabrics and tapestries, esp. anything European. I also love to re-create old items, like French bread boards, French trugs, old style European bird houses, small shelves, small meat safes... and finish them with aged patina so they look like they are 100 years old... only using Antique timbers, and antique embellishments, and original old hardware. I particularly love adding aged paint finishes to furniture. Cast iron French urns, cast iron garden furniture and antique bird cages are among my fav things to collect... So I look forward to this new chapter in my life, and experiencing it with you. Natasha.
