DEERFIELD — Brickett Allis held his 4-month-old daughter, Lily, up into morning sunlight streaming through renovated windows in Arts & Antiques on 5 & 10, which Allis and life partner Danielle Marie opened together in December, shortly after Lily’s Halloween birthday.
“We’re getting a lot of positive feedback. People are excited that it’s an antique shop,” Marie said, standing next to Allis and in front of a glass case displaying handmade jewelry.
Lily, the couple’s first child, is constantly in the store. Elsewhere, paintings hang on walls, linens are draped over antique furniture, and there is a myriad of craft items.
For now, the 5,300-square-foot storefront at 717 Greenfield Road is filled with vintage, antique and artistic wares from 16 mostly local artisans. The building’s back section is still under renovations and should open soon, providing more floor space for artisans to rent.
“When we took the ceiling down, it was all this rustic wood,” Marie continued, gesturing up to large wooded beams. “It’s been a really awesome journey, and it just feels right.”
Renovations, which began in the fall and are still ongoing, include building a new accessible bathroom and outside ramp; raising the floor by a few inches to accommodate wheelchairs; adding insulation; upgrading the windows; replacing the septic system; and pouring a concrete foundation to raise an addition in the back about 5 inches.
According to public records, the building was built in 1948 and sits on 4.6 acres of land. Over the years, it has been an antiques store, furniture business, and open air farm stand.
Allis, a member of Greenfield’s Town Council, has tackled the project full time along with Marie, who works part time as a 911 dispatcher in Greenfield. The couple opened a physical store because their online business, previously called DP Vintage and Antiques, needed room to expand.
So far, Arts & Antiques on 5 & 10 has done well, Allis said, noting strong community support.
“It’s pretty much word of mouth right now,” he continued. “We’re still working things out.”
Next on Allis and Marie’s to-do list is to select vendors to fill the back section from more than the 50 who have submitted applications to rent space. And looking further ahead, Allis said inventory will be listed online, and he’d like to open the basement for furniture sales and possibly auctions.
For more information, visit www.5and10artsandantiques.com.