Living room with the Italian chest and prints from Bobby Todd Antiques

Glamorous mirrored lamp tables and a comfy sofa. Modern lamps add a sophisticated touch

The foyer with plates and an antique mirror from Bobby Todd. The primitive chest harkens back to her original pieces. The mix is great!

Beautiful Italian paintings on hand stenciled walls.

The guest room with fern prints from Bobby Todd and a collection of brown transferware plates. The blue and brown theme is continued from the living room.

Franklin's charming shopping district

We found ourselves in Nashville, Tennessee this weekend for a friend’s 40th birthday party.  A trip out of Knoxville would not be complete without some antique shopping on the way.  As you will soon determine, antique shopping to us means lots of things….exploring the town and any interesting shops, good food, and of course, antiques.  We ventured to the charming town of Franklin, Tennessee, and were delighted with what we found.  We see lots of different towns when on the “hunt” for treasure for the shop, but it is refreshing to see a town that has done such a fabulous job of re-inventing itself as Franklin has.  The downtown is small, everything is within walking distance.   There are shops for all walks of life and all budgets.  Clothing for men, women, and children; bridal registry; antiques; gardening; and other gifts.  There are many restaurants as well.  We chose Merridee’s Breadbasket at 110 4th Ave. South.  It is a great place for a sandwich on homemade bread, good ice tea, and delicious desserts. 

A great men’s clothing store is F.M. Allen at 347 Main Street.  It is very well done, and feels like an English men’s club inside, complete with fireplace and billiards.  If you want a martini, you can have it at F.M. Allen.  The clothes are beautiful, handmade, and all imported from England and Italy.  Everything is private labeled with the F.M. Allen label.  Thanks to their incredibly beautifully setting that drew us in, I have a new shirt.

Now, to the meat of the post…..antiques.  There is a cluster of antique shops at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Margin Street.  All of these shops are in old houses or warehouses.  New and old mix in most of the shops, so don’t think everything you see is an antique because I can assure, it is not.  For the most part, the shops are charming in this area.  A bargain can be found if you look hard, and don’t be afraid to negotiate. 

There are a couple of antique shops on Main Street as well, and behind Main, on Bridge Street, is the Winchester Antique Mall.  It is in an old house as well, and their merchandise is interesting.  Most everything here is in good condition, and ready to be taken home and loved.  Again, don’t be afraid to negotiate.  At the entrance to town is Alexander Plaza, and there you will find Harpeth Antique Mall.  This is also a good place, although it doesn’t have the charm of the historic downtown.  You may or may not find a treasure.  We actually did find a fantastic Italian secretary here, that is on its way to Bobby Todd.

Below are a few more photos of Franklin.

Historic Downtown Franklin

The cutest Welcome Center ever

Beautiful new townhouses on 2nd Avenue

More beautiful townhouses. I love this lifestyle!