OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Making New Look Old
Water Street Antiques & Interiors also specializes in building furniture
BY Tom Couzens PHOTOS BY Steve Martarano
Water Street Antiques & Interiors ' warehouse in Jackson is 60,000 square feet and has about 2,200 pieces of furniture .
Step into Water Street Antiques &
Interiors ’ warehouse in Jackson , and it ’ s overwhelming : 60,000 square feet of rows and rows of furniture — about 2,200 pieces , according to Kevin O ’ Neill , vice president of sales and marketing , with about 75 percent of the pieces listed online .
For those who prefer a more quaint atmosphere , head just 3 miles to downtown Sutter Creek , where the company has a 5,000-square-foot showroom .
“ It ’ s more set up for the tourist coming through Sutter Creek ,” Kevin says . “ It also acts as a funnel for us to get people to our warehouse location .”
But Water Street Antiques & Interiors , founded in 1972 by Kevin ’ s parents , Terry and Christine O ’ Neill , isn ’ t just an antique store . Kevin says the company sells a combination of antique , newly built and “ some-of-a-kind ” furniture , with the latter being a larger portion of the business . “ These pieces are made using antique elements , such as old doors and windows , with a new case made around these elements ,” Kevin says . “ This gives items an Old World feel while still functioning ( as ) new .”
The business is best known , Kevin says , for the custom tables it makes and ships across the country . “ We handmake our tables in Jackson . The guy who makes the tables , Salvador Aguilera , has worked for us 25 years . … You can show him a picture of a table from a magazine ,
26 comstocksmag . com | January 2021