Last December three things happened.

Some big fat jolly dude who has a serious obsession with red fell down some chimney after too many egg nogs; I turned a year older and got more grey hair; and one of Brisbane’s coolest furniture stores swung open their big antique doors.

Big Vintage at Salisbury. Mark it in your GPS and go.

Big Vintage is owned and operated by the lovely Pat and Sal and shares their great passion for old recycled and industrial furniture and homewares.

The place is full of stunning – and very well priced – pieces, from intricate doors, old lights, chairs, vintage advertising posters, chairs, long wooden tables to small pieces such as jugs, cups and door knobs from yesteryear.

It’s simply delightful. And if beautiful homewares aren’t enough (greedy much?), then Sal also holds cooking classes in the venue. Sal is a wiz in the kitchen and teaches many of the tricks and tips she learns on her travels around the world (check out her blog tastetrekkers.com.au to see how wonderful she is).

Currently, a lot of the items are imported from Sri Lanka and India.

All the furniture is either recycled or reclaimed. For example, they have cool cheese boards made out of old railway sleepers and candle holders from old pillars from temples, which are sadly been knocked down and rebuilt so as they can be more Western.

Aside from stocking the cool industrial furniture they find around the world, Pat also makes beautiful furniture – but don’t’ you dare ask him for a sleek modern tv cabinet or I will personally smack you. That would be like asking Monet to draw you as a cartoon.

Pat sources old furniture from wherever he can, for example he can make old work benches and rusty barbed wire into cool light shades.

They are open Wednesday to Friday 10.00 till 4.00 and weekends 10.00 till 2.00. Also appointments outside these hours are more than welcome.

Check out bigvintage.com.au for more information. See you there!