The Dusty Loft Antiques in Amherstburg, Ontario

The Dusty Loft Antiques is a hidden gem filled with architectural salvage, refined antique furniture, and beautifully styled spaces for inspiration.

I’ve been on a bit of a mission to find and visit the best antique markets and vintage shops in Southwestern Ontario, and I recently checked another one off my list when we visited The Dusty Loft Antiques, which is located on a long country road just outside of Amherstburg, Ontario. Our goal on this particular trip was to add to our collection of vintage frames that Kennedy likes to use to frame her paintings, but I was also just curious to see if this antique shop was as beautiful and charming as the few photos I’ve seen online would indicate. I was so delighted by the little indoor/outdoor shop we came across, and I just had to share so others who love antiquing and vintage markets as much as I do know what they have to look forward to.

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What Makes The Dusty Loft a Great Antique Market

What I loved so much about antique shopping at The Dusty Loft was that it was quite a curated collection of items with a distinct style. Once you’ve been, you really have an idea of what you’ll find there, so that makes it really easy if you’re looking for a particular item or furnishings for your home in a certain style. The owner of this shop has a definite vision, and it really comes through in the different home decor items, furniture pieces, and garden finds you’ll come across at this store.

The beautiful, styled displays filled with vintage collectibles, ceramics, glassware, and high-end furniture are another feature that really sets this antique store apart. While you will find sections piled up with knick-knacks, old books, and pottery pieces, a lot of the shop is set up as little “rooms” to give you inspiration for how you might use the different pieces in your home. I loved seeing the antique corbels used as bookends in vignettes throughout the store and the twin beds made up beautifully with bedding and a little nightstand and lamp between them up in the loft.

The really exciting thing about shopping for antiques at The Dusy Loft is that it is a great source for hard-to-find architectural salvage pieces like columns, posts, and cast iron garden fencing. There were bins overflowing with aged brass hardware pieces of every type including cabinet pulls, hinges, doorknobs, and just about anything else you could possibly need for your old house renovation. The next time we start a room renovation, I’ll definitely be heading back to find some fun pieces to incorporate into our plans.

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Getting to The Dusty Loft Antiques

Although this vintage shop is located on a country road in a very rural setting, it’s actually really easy to get to. I had no trouble with simply entering “The Dusty Loft Antiques and Collectibles” into my GPS and getting full directions to it. We were happy to find that we only needed to travel a few minutes from the main 401 highway to get there, making this a really easy place to pop out to whenever the mood strikes.

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The Dusty Loft is actually located behind the home of the shopkeeper in a separate outbuilding, which I imagine must have been used for agricultural purposes at some point in its history. There is clear signage that is easily visible from the road, and to get to the store’s parking lot, you actually turn into the home’s driveway and follow it all the way to the back of the house, where you’ll find the parking spots. The parking lot is spacious enough to turn around in easily, even if there are other cars parked there. You’ll know where to go to get to the shop after parking because you’ll see all kind of treasures piled up outside in front of the shop’s entrance.

How to Navigate the Shop

I recommend taking a walk around outside the shop before going inside. On the lawn, you’ll find many country antiques, garden items, and architectural pieces for outdoor use. This is a great place to find a piece for a project. There was a cast iron table base that I just can’t stop thinking about, and I really wish I had picked it up to make a little table or plant stand.

You’ll also find numerous trailers outside with doors open for a flea market feel. Inside each trailer, you’ll find furniture pieces, mirrors, antique doors, and things like that.

There are three distinct areas inside the shop: the main area at the front near the checkout counter, the area through the doorway at the back of the shop, and the loft upstairs. The main area at the front has styled displays featuring furniture, dishware, ornate framed photos, and various decor items. At the back of the shop, you’ll find stacks of architectural salvage, hardware, light fixtures, and large photo frames.

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Upstairs in the loft, you’ll find most of the decorating inspiration, with styled “rooms” and beautiful cabinets all set up with books and dishes as well as more art and antiques.

It’s important to note that when it’s time to pay for your treasures, The Dusty Loft only takes cash, so make sure you bring some with you. If you happen to forget cash and only have a debit card on you, they do have an ATM machine on-site that you can use.

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What to Shop For

Like every secondhand store and other antique dealers, this shop has certain items that really stand out. Although you’ll find a little bit of everything at The Dusty Loft, there are a few finds that I think were the most notable and things that I think will definitely draw me back there in the future.

I know that this will be the first place I think of if I ever need any kind of old hardware for my home like shelving brackets or cabinet pulls. They even had vintage brass doorbells, which I think would be such an amazing detail to add to your front porch. My dream is to one day replace all of our basic cold air return vent covers with beautiful cast iron covers like you can find at this shop.

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There isn’t a ton of antique furniture at The Dusty Loft, but what I saw was absolutely the best quality. In fact, at one point I thought to myself that I really just need to buy all my furniture pieces there from now on. Prices ranged from about $200-$40o for beautiful glass cabinets and large dressers from what I saw, which I think is a very reasonable price for beautiful pieces like they had on display.

If you love really ornate old frames, the shopkeeper at The Dusty Loft has a real affinity for them as well and I saw some of the most jaw-dropping examples of framed portraits that I’ve come across to date. Kennedy loved the old cameras and phones that could be found here and there throughout the store.

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As I’ve mentioned, this market also features an incredible assortment of architectural salvage pieces that could be used as decor items on their own, or incorporated into your renovation plans for instant character and charm.

If you’re in the Windsor, Ontario, area and you love searching for treasures at an antique market as much as I do, it’s definitely worth stopping by The Dusty Loft. Be sure to check their hours before you go. As of the time of publication, the shop is open seasonally on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.