Voraciously Vintage: A wonderful world of beautifully restored antiques and classic artefacts at Reginal Ballum in Worthing

They say that once you embrace vintage there’s no turning back. Vintage pieces add character, depth, soul, style, history and uniqueness to your home in a way new items just can’t. There’s something wonderful and cathartic about trawling through antique shops to find the perfect piece for every nook and cranny of your home.

Reginald Ballum is such a shop that you could easily lose a couple of hours just exploring. A distinctive little antique shop nestled in the West End of Worthing, it specialises in sourcing, renovating and selling a diverse collection of decorative antiques, timeworn classics, vintage and unique industrial pieces. It could be said that it’s Worthing’s best kept secret – as the town’s most attractive and competitively priced antique shop. It’s no wonder that the residents are reluctant to let news of this gem spread!

The brainchild of founder and owner Darren Peskett, Reginald Ballum was born from an inherent passion for building, decorating and making interiors look beautiful. Darren grew up idolising his grandad, who was a master decorator at Christ Hospital in Horsham. He taught him everything about decorating and nurtured a passion for refurbishing and renovating. Darren later moved into the building trade and found himself offering interior design and styling advice to the clients he was working for, which led him to sourcing vintage and antique pieces for them, to add that unique and special finish to complete the job. Gradually he found himself venturing further into this side of things and so it seemed a natural progression to branch out and focus more on supplying decorative antiques to a wider market, and so the hunt for a shop began!

All items are one-off and unique so stock frequently changes

83 Rowlands Road was found and work began to transform it into the Aladdin’s cave of delights they live in today – lovingly restored and sympathetically renovated to its former historic glory, creating the perfect showcase to launch Darren’s finest finds.

Reginald Ballum opened its doors in 2014, fittingly named after Darren’s grandad and role model.

Darren’s passion and knowledge of antiques is evident in the quality and variety stocked across the shop’s two floors, all personally sourced nationally and from across Europe. Every item has been treated, renovated and curated with care, skilled craftsmanship and an eye for beauty to ensure that only stunning quality high end pieces make it onto the shop floor. It is this distinct quality that has enabled Reginald Ballum to supply one-off items for the home, and also to provide decorative pieces to dress boutique hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Darren’s natural instinct for selecting pieces is to simply buy what he likes and restore it to its former glory, which gives the shop it’s very personal vibe. Unlike other antique shops that are crammed full, Reginald Ballum has now garnered a reputation for Darren’s renowned style through the one-off items he carefully and passionately displays throughout the shop; from bespoke industrial lighting to classic cocktail chairs, from mannequins to bar stools, from French dressers to chateau window mirrors, from bronze figurines to a 1970’s bedroom suite. All items are one-off and unique so stock frequently changes – once it’s gone, it’s gone!

That’s not to say similar items can’t be sourced again. In fact the Reginald Ballum team will happily add whatever you’re looking for to their shopping list and try and source a similar one for you. Or, if you have an idea for something bespoke talk to Darren about making it. He is always happy to lend ideas, advice and style tips – be it an item of furniture for your home, a full renovation project or a commercial refurbishment.

The shop is open Thursday to Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sundays from 11am to 4pm – pop in for a browse and a chat – they love to chat! Alternatively you can look around the shop on their website www.reginaldballum.co.uk where the unique and unusual sit effortlessly alongside timeless period pieces, and bespoke designs (crafted from original and antique materials) stand out in bold statements from the hidden depths of this Aladdin’s cave full of time worn treasures.

Reginald Ballum, 83 Rowlands Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 3JN, 01903 820408, reginaldballum.co.uk