Most antique centers share depressing similarities. That is, dealers that use their booths to put their hoarding natures on full display:
- Creepy and chipped figurines
- Ashtrays from the 1970s
- Broken, ugly furniture
The Fairfield County Antique & Design Center is, fortunately, not one of those places!
This trendy place on Knight Street in downtown Norwalk, Connecticut, is the real-life version of a Pinterest board. That is, lots of inspiration everywhere you look.
And all in an expansive (and growing) warehouse.
Read on and get excited for your visit to the Fairfield County Antique & Design Center.
Map design by Stanton House Inn
About the Fairfield County Antique & Design Center
Fairfield County Antique and Design is a multi-dealer center. With over 35 dealers offering a wide range of furniture, art, jewelry, vintage clothing accessories, and design, there is something for everyone.
The avid antiquarian, expert designer, and weekend hobbyist all find something interesting and unique here.
Since its start in 2014, the shopping experience continues to improve with the addition of over 35 dealers across 12,000 square feet.
The Dealers
Dealers set up individual vignettes in their booths to show off their personal style as well as their wares.
You’ll find dealers that focus on selling in their tastefully curated booths:
- Art
- Antiques
- Designer vintage clothes
- Silver
- Decorative objects
- Jewelry
- Rugs
- Mirrors
- Furniture
And while you may want to buy an entire booth, you’ll notice that dealers focus on specific periods:
- Mid century
- Primitive
- Modern
- 18th and 19th century periods
Or dealers with a more eclectic taste, with selections based on their preferences, rather than a specific period.
Seriously.
Considering how expansive this space is, you’ll find a little bit of everything.
Except fast furniture, of course.
Take the Fairfield County Antique & Design Center virtual tour to get an idea of what you’ll be seeing.
But be warned: it’s expanded beyond the size in the tour, having taken-over the entire building.
And the staff is both friendly, knowledgeable, and lacking in pretension.
Where to find the Fairfield County Antique & Design Center
Interior designers, film and TV set designers, and collectors congregate here, central to all Fairfield County.
Head to 39 Knight Street, in Norwalk, Connecticut. The antique and design center is open daily from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. So hit up one of the best spots for breakfast in Norwalk, so you’re not shopping on an empty stomach. Then hit the store for a late morning round of discoveries!
More unique places to go shopping in Connecticut
The Fairfield County Antique & Design Center is one of the best antique shops in Connecticut. But that doesn’t make it the only unique shopping destination in the state.
It’s just a matter of heading to spots you’re most likely to find what you’re looking for:
More shopping in Norwalk, Connecticut
Thanks to its unique history as a melting pot in the Connecticut Gold Coast, Norwalk features an eclectic mix of shopping. And that of course includes the Fairfield County Antique & Design Center.
The Greenwich Avenue shopping district
Famous as a luxury shopping destination, and yet there are still plenty of unique boutiques and art galleries to add to the experience in the Greenwich Avenue shopping district. Plus, it hosts some of the best restaurants in Greenwich.
Stamford Antique Shopping
Thanks to cheap rents in former industrial areas of the city, dealers set up massive warehouses of antiques. But these are not the kind you’ll find in those depressing dealer emporiums.
Instead, you’ll find high-quality, well-maintained antiques. And you’ll be paying through the nose for it.
Flea markets across Connecticut
A shop with a name like Antique & Design Center would not consider itself on the same level as a flea market. That said, poking through flea markets across Connecticut can be a fun way to find something unique for your home.
Connecticut Bookshops
With one of the earliest public school systems in America, Connecticut has long enjoyed a high literacy rate.
And with it, some of the most unique bookshops you’ll find anywhere in the country. More than a few of them make the list of the most unique attractions in all Connecticut.
Even more things to do in Norwalk after the Fairfield County Antique & Design Center
Or, stick around in Norwalk and expand your CT day trip.
For historic aficionados, be sure to check-out the historic sites here, including:
- The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion museum for impressive, turn of the century architecture and antiques
- The Sheffield Island lighthouse for a feel of the bleak 19th century lighthouse, plus more antiques. And nature.
- The Norwalk Historical Society shows-off the history of Norwalk, from its beginnings as a way station for sailors to one of the largest oyster producers in the world, to today.
And don’t forget to read the full guide to activities, attractions, and things to do in Norwalk, Connecticut!
Happy shopping!
