Turnstyle Collectables

I have walked past this store a zillion times, but never gone inside.
I had 10 minutes to spare before a meeting the other day and popped my head in. They have a lot of mid-​century pieces, with the same price points as most retro stores in Perth. Some large furniture pieces, like a table setting to smaller home wares items, like clocks and vases. There is a lot of stock in the store, some stacked right up to the ceiling, so make sure you look above eye level too.
I purchased two vintage suitcase, for around $ 30 each to use at events for displays.

This is one of the stores that I have to allow at least half an hour to. It is full of all of these amazing bits and bobs. That is the easiest way to put it for me. It has a lot of ordainments, some are just amazing, and some not particularly cheap. I moved out of home for the first time a few months ago and well a lot of my house hold clutter comes from here. Mainly because I fall in love with something almost every time I come in here.
A lot of vintage household decorations, it is safe to say this has to be on of my favourite shops. Allow quite a while in this one, so much to see.

Turnstyle Collectables is the Room of Requirement, if you are a Harry Potter fan you will understand that this store is actually full to the brim with treasures, secrets and stories. If you were to describe it as a mere homewares store, I’m sorry but you wouldn’t be allowed in, it is a store where you can find quirky, unique, antique pieces to decorate your home. It is clear that every item has a story to tell, its been on an epic journey and has landed in this store, ready to continue on in it’s next life. From the old school record player, to the chinese tea pot and tea cup set, to the large wardrobe that looks as though it will come alive any minute just as in Beauty and the Beast. (Yes, two fantasy story references, but it is simply magical!)
It’s not just a place to buy though, if you are clearing your home you can sell here too, however it is pretty tailored to 20^th century designer furniture. It’s a little pricey but they offer lay by. It’s a little out of the way and not so easy to park your car close by to fill it with products, so they offer delivery. If you can’t find exactly what you are after, they have a larger store in Nedlands which I’m sure is Aladdin’s cave (sorry, make that three references!) I often feel as though I was meant for another time, (New York in the sixties, anyone else?) and this store helps me surround myself with things from where I was meant to belong to.

Turnstyles is a tasteful time warp– leave your watch at the door!
Just on the corner of William Street, this space has captured the essence of eclectisism. With a kitsch window display of plastic BIG lip and red shoe phones a partially opened abacus implied this store had more than met the eye. GOLD!!! That’s what this shop is, an accumulation of historical and cultural GOLD. Glittering with glass ornaments, china and silver– this shop, much like a bookshop, lends itself to the browser to find their own treasure within. For me, it was the bubble blowing monkey and his symbol clapping friend!
I walked passed the shop assistant who was engaging in a 3 way bartering match between her supplier and a keen punter. Her romanian accent adding to the mysterious alure of the store. At the back there is a large display case, dedicated to the type writer evolution and passed that lies a separate room that looks like somone has pimped King Tuts tomb.- There were egyptian relics, old lamps and a billard table with shot glasses in the triangle while the balls were stacked in the corner with the cues.
This leads to a confined hall way, that is easily confused as the stock room, where delicate and captivating china pieces, plates and glassware are on show. The more I looked the more I saw and the more I saw, the more I wanted.. . until I saw the price tags. Harsh, but fair.
Turnstyles is great if you look at it in a «free admission» museum capacity but if you are looking to purchase a slice of history– come cashed up.

I was walking through Northbridge yesterday to meet a friend after work when I happened upon this absolute gem of a shop. Once I walked through the doors I couldn’t bring myself to leave and was subsequently late for my date.
I am a sucker for vintage homeware and other old pieces of randomness, and WOWZERS TROUSERS, this place holds the best of the best. None of these hipstery copies or ‘vintage-​inspired’ crap, this stuff is the real deal. If I could I would buy everything in here and live in a house full of all this weird shit!
If you’ve seen the film Edward Scissorhands you’ll remember the stepford-​wife-​style-​houses in the suburban village he is taken in by. A lot of the stuff in here looks like what might have furnished the Boggs family’s house where Edward goes to live. It’s all 1950’s pastel enamel, and they have anything you can imagine in here from vintage phones to hair dryers, moose heads, record players, typewriters, china and even some jewellery.
The owner is the most beautiful lady I’ve ever seen too. She’s probably in her 70’s and is still as glamorous as if she was in her twenties. She had bright red lipstick on and was dressed in a royal blue dress that looked like it may once have served as a flight attendant uniform from a 1950’s Pan Am flight. While she was in the middle of telling me that anything in the store over $ 10 could be negotiated, the phone rang and she excused herself. She went behind the counter and propped herself up on a cabinet, swinging her legs as she spoke to her friend on the other end of the line.
I didn’t buy anything yesterday because I was overwhelmed by wanting everything, but you best believe I’ll be visiting again today to make my Christmas list!