Breaking news! Rothschild’s Antiques & Home Furnishings, a fixture on the corner of Euclid and McPherson for more than 43 years, is picking up and moving to a new location. Even more surprising is that the doors are closing this Sunday at 4 p.m., according to partners Pete & Donna Rothschild and David Richardson. The 5,000 s.f. site is the future home of Gringo, a taco restaurant, a new direction for Chris Sommers and Frank Uible, founders of Pi Pizzeria. Plans are for Gringo to open its doors this coming Spring.
Rothschild’s Antiques & Home Furnishings is moving to 4528 Olive, east of Bowood Farms. In preparation for the move the partners will sell all of the current inventory online at stlouis-auctions.com starting in early December. St. Louis auctioneer Eric Iman will conduct the 21-day auction. “This is the most prominent antique store auction ever in the St. Louis area,” Iman said. “Rothschild’s has a national following and reputation.”
Pete Rothschild said that his partners, Donna Rothschild and David Richardson, are much more excited about the move than he is. “This corner of St. Louis has more than just a little bit of history attached to it and I’ve loved every minute of the time I’ve spent there. It’s absolutely the best corner of St. Louis,” Rothschild said. Pete started his business in the basement of the location in 1969. “This location has meant so much to me over the years, and I’m deeply saddened to be closing after 43 years in business,” Rothschild said. “But as the antiques business is changing, we are evolving as well, and it’s time to bring new blood into this part of the Central West End to continue the successful growth the neighborhood is experiencing.”
Rothschild’s Antiques has won multiple awards including being named the best antiques store in America in the February 1974 issue of Esquire magazine. Many celebrities have shopped at Rothschild’s over the years: Designer Nate Berkus; singer Sheryl Crow; supermodel Karlie Kloss; pianist Liberace; singers Carly Simon and Janis Joplin; comedians Jerry Lewis and Flip Wilson, bands the Grateful Dead and Charlie Daniels Band; and actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, who invited Rothschild to lunch after her shopping expedition. (Pete didn’t say whether he accepted Goldie’s invitation.)
The historic 16,000-square-foot warehouse at 4528 Olive, above, is just down the block from Bowood Farms. Rothschild’s will occupy half the building and the remaining area will be leased to craftspeople and artisans in related businesses, such as furniture repair and refinishing, upholstering, picture framing, embroidering, and furniture making. In addition, David Richardson said he plans to open “a pillow factory” where he will make pillows out of vintage or decorator fabrics.
Rothschild continued, “This space will become a resource for people looking for antiques, furnishings and related items and services. It will continue the renaissance of this area of the Central West End.”
“This will really give the area a boost and help support the development that is already underway,” Rothschild said. When we were talking today, Pete singled out John McPheeters and his family for the stunning transformation of the 4600 block of Olive with the addition of Bowood Farms.
The rendering above shows the proposed storefront of Rothschild’s new multi-vendor market place. Rothschild plans to invest $600,000 in the historic renovation of the 1920s-era warehouse, which was used in the filming of the 1993 Steven Soderbergh film “King of the Hill.” Rothschild has owned the former tobacco warehouse for decades and has used it to store antiques over the years.
Rothschild’s Antiques, 398 N. Euclid, will close at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28. For more information, call 314-361-4870 or visit www.rothschildsstl.com
Looks like a win all away around for the CWE. I am in need of a furniture repair person and look foward to meeting one at the “new” Rothschild’s.
I am sad to see Rothschild’s Antiques close. I look around my house and I see a small chest of drawers that I bought there. I also see a silly plastic pink flamingo, a ceramic penguin, a lime green twitter bird, some ‘message’ dish towells, and a couple of prints of CWE famous locations. It is the BEST browsing spot in all of St Louis. Of course it takes more than browsing to sustain business. This corner space also has the best windows to look in, and look out, of any space that I can think of. So… just for a bit… I will be sad.
That said, I am very excited about the new concept at 4528 Olive. The ‘all new Rothschild’s’ will be a huge asset in the come back of Olive. I can’t wait to do my Holiday shopping there.
Finally, yummmmmmmm… taco’s from Gringo’s sound delish. Thanks to the famous Chris Sommers, for bringing us a new dining option.
This is exciting new! The stretch of Olive will be a fantastic and practical addition to the area.