'Everything here is for sale,’ says Birgit Niehaus of her 150-year-old thatched farmhouse in Germany’s picturesque Lower Saxony region. Everything, that is, apart from the fridge, cooker and, in a way, her beloved blue Dutch cupboard in the living room, which has been given an impossibly high price to ensure that it’s never bought.
Despite being a ‘shop’ of sorts, the farmhouse is decidely homely, with Birgit quick to rustle up ‘a little soup’ for her customers, adding to the warm atmosphere.
Birgit started dealing in Gustavian antiques 10 years ago and, when she and her husband Holger bought the farmhouse in 2016, the idea was to live in it temporarily and use it primarily as a showroom. Eight years later and they’re still here.
One would imagine that living in a shop could come with a lot of compromise, but not so for Birgit. ‘I only sell furniture that I would buy for myself and there are no walk-in customers; the showroom is open by appointment only. My customers and I share the same passion for Gustavian furniture, so it feels like having friends around for a chat,’ she says.
This house has a history of adaptability, having served in the past as both a pub and a museum of local history. It is part of a group of three buildings, which also include a bakehouse and a dilapidated barn that is sadly past renovation.
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When Birgit and Holger first bought the farmhouse, it was dark and uninviting, but they were undeterred by the work needed to turn it into a home; the couple has since given it a new thatched roof, electrics and heating, and the floor has been lowered on the ground level.
At one of the entrances to the building, a glass vestibule was installed to let in more light. The couple also fitted a pulley to lift furniture from the entrance to the first floor, where items can be refurbished and stored.
Birgit has loved antiques since her childhood and is particularly partial to Swedish furniture and interiors, which she describes as ‘so cheerful.’
The move into dealing in Swedish antiques came after a previous house renovation. Her quest to find historical building materials took her travelling throughout Denmark and Sweden – and it was here that she discovered the antique furniture she went on to fill her new home with.
Friends and acquaintances wanted in on the action and Birgit tried to oblige as much as she could: ‘Demand was high and I couldn’t get as many pieces as they wanted,’ she says. Finally, she gave up her previous job and started trading in Gustavian antiques full-time.
Restoration is a big part of the job for Birgit. After taking a closer look at a piece of furniture, she repaints it or reupholsters it in her mind; she can visualise its transformation in an instant. Sometimes she takes the piece completely apart, such as the cupboard in the kitchen – formerly used in a haberdashery – which she adapted to create more storage.
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Living in a shop means that the furnishings are constantly changing. ‘Since the showroom opened in 2018, the customers have basically emptied it of its contents,’ Birgit says.
The furniture itself may have changed, but Birgit’s beloved Scandinavian colours have remained: mainly light and bright shades of blue, beige and grey; always a little chalky. These shades remind her of the Scandinavian landscape and the unique light in the north.
‘There is nothing oppressive about these colours,’ she says. ‘They put people in a good mood.’ Birgit-niehaus.de