Addison Miller, owner of Farmhouse Antiques and Rusty Stuff in Knox, says he just wants his customers to enjoy a relaxed and fun shopping experience.
KNOX, Pa. (EYT) – Variety is the spice of life, or at least that’s how the old saying goes. If you’re looking for variety, then look no further than Farmhouse Antiques and Rusty Stuff.
Located on Strawberry Farm Road, just outside of Knox, Pa., in a century-old two-story house, Farmhouse Antiques and Rusty Stuff is a quaint shop offering a plethora of antiques, vintage and primitive decor, and furniture.
“You hope that everyone that comes in, they walk in and have that feeling of ‘oh gosh, this store, it’s special,’” owner Addison Miller told exploreClarion.com.
Miller bought the business from its previous owners in December 2023, and he is already transforming it to meet his vision.
“My biggest thing in how I want the store to look and feel when you walk through the front door is like, after a long, hard day of work, if you show up, you can just take a deep breath and you feel relaxed,” Miller said. “Even if you don’t purchase something, you can just go down memory lane and feel comfortable being here.”
The antique shop is housed in a building with lots of history. Built in 1861, the farmhouse was at one time a hotel before later becoming a family home. Today, the high ceilings and original hardwood floors give the antique shop an open, homey feel, despite being filled to the brim with everything from cookie jars to chainsaw carvings.
“You have to have everything because you never know who’s going to come in, and everyone has a different taste,” Miller said. “The store gets a lot of compliments because of how it is.”
Miller said he loves to help customers, and if there’s something a person is looking for, he’s happy to help them navigate the shop. But he also wants people to enjoy the experience in his store.
“Sometimes I feel, when I go to antique stores because I hunt all the time, it’s like you go to a dealership, and they’re right at your window, like knocking. I don’t track customers around the store,” he said. “I just want it to be relaxed.”
Miller said he collaborates with 14 other vendors who sell out of his shop, but most of the items in the store are pieces he has found and bought himself.
“The hunt to find stuff to hopefully sell is nerve-wracking, but also fun, too,” he said. “I’ve sold some really nice bigger pieces that have gone into event centers. The one went down the road to the Silver Fox Theater. It’s in the bride’s dressing room. It’s a huge Victorian mirror; it’s six feet tall, so they can see how pretty they are on their big day. That came from here. So that’s pretty satisfying in itself, when the customers text pictures to the shop, just showing how happy they are with their purchase.”
Miller said he keeps a “wish list” for folks who are on the hunt for a particular item that they just can’t seem to find anywhere, and he encourages customers to let him help.
“When people want something, and I don’t have it here, I am pretty good at finding stuff,” he said. “I’ve been able to find most of the things (on the list). Take a few minutes and let me help you try to find it.”
Miller said helping people find that unique, rare, or unusual antique or vintage item—especially if it came from his shop—is one of the most rewarding parts of his business.
“When a customer buys something awesome, that they’ve been hunting for, and my store had it…they’ve searched, they’ve hunted, they’ve looked, they’ve been to Ohio, they’ve gone to Pittsburgh, but they come to a little tiny antique store in the boondocks of Knox, and I have it. That’s the best feeling.”
Farmhouse Antiques and Rusty Stuff is open Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Miller said he is planning to have some upcoming events at the shop.
To learn more, or to find items for sale, follow the store on Facebook.