Kirnan Curated Interiors Sale
Welcome to the next edition of the Kirnan Estate blog - thanks so much for subscribing and following along. In this post, I wanted to share with you the ethos behind and success of the latest Kirnan Curated sale, and provide some details about the much anticipated forthcoming sale in September. So, if you’re keen on interiors, treasure hunting and all things vintage, read on!
Kirnan Curated Interiors Sale, 24th July 2022
As those who have read our posts before, you’ll know that my mum, Stephanie and I are really passionate about interiors, including the way that an interior can shape your mood, create an atmosphere for a special event and simply make you feel at home. We also believe in sustainability and reject the ruthless consumption that fast fashion - in homes and interiors - can foster. In addition to running an estate, gardens and holiday cottages, my mum and I have also always hankered after running our own shop, especially one selling antiques. So, we thought there was no better way to offer a sustainable, curated shopping experience for the local community than to hold a vintage interiors sale at Kirnan. It took place on 24th July and a portion of the profits are to be donated to the Scottish Air Ambulance Charity, an essential service (that we still can’t quite believe is run as a charity) when living in a remote area, such as Argyll.
So, how did it go? Well, we thought it went really well. We had a fabulous number of customers, the majority were from the local area, but some came from further afield, including people on holiday in Argyll, and we made plenty of sales over the course of the day. Needless to say, tea and cake were our most popular products by quite some margin, but we sold a number of the pieces of furniture, including some gorgeous vintage French folding garden chairs, the display tables, and one of the display cabinets (upcylced from a house clearance), as well as a real variety of curios, interior knick knacks, handmade cushions and table linen.
We sourced some of the items from our own homes, as well as travelling down south to the International Antiques and Collectors Fair at Ardingly in Sussex, and local car boot sales and house clearances. We were also delighted to source handmade cushions from Sheelagh Leslie, the maestro behind all of our curtains and upholstery in the main house and cottages. We then added some beautiful artwork and jewellery into the mix by Karen Beauchamp and Margaret Coote, and a few stunningly reworked and repaired chairs by Katie at Refabrikate. We sold a number of items of clothing too, and these were all from our own wardrobes; it was honestly a great way to have a clear out, and a bit more of a personal experience than selling the items on well known secondhand websites.
A huge thank you too, to my lovely friend Lisa Donachie, who helped out at the till for the whole day, making sure we stayed on top of all the takings, and logged our sales correctly, allowing my mum and I to serve tea, cake and to chat to customers about their prospective purchases. Our friends at Lucy’s, Marmalade Deli and Icon Hairdressing, as well as our local Co-Op were also kind enough to put posters advertising the sale in their windows. We were so grateful for this level of support: it was a really warm and friendly day that embodied the community spirit we have here in Argyll and we can’t wait to host the next one.
Speaking of which, the next one is on 25th September from 10am to 2:30pm and we have some availability in the cottages then if you were thinking of coming from further afield. Check out our Stay With Us page for more information. The September sale will naturally have a more autumnal feel to it, with plenty of treasures for your autumn tablescapes, items to help create that coorie feeling on the darker evenings, and of course tea and cake. This time, we are really excited to announce that the refreshments will be provided by Polly’s Coffee; Ishbel, Polly’s owner will be bringing her fab converted horse box up to Kirnan for the day, from where she will serve her lovely Hebridean teas, Argyll coffee and delicious homemade cakes and traybakes. We can’t wait, and hopefully you can’t either: see you there on the 25th September! And, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates about the next Kirnan Curated Interiors Sale!
Polly’s Coffee at her usual spot by the lovely Crinan Canal; she’ll be temporarily relocating up to Kirnan Estate on 25th September for the Kirnan Curated Interiors Sale
