1950's dresser or a factory-made IKEA build-it-yourself set?
For freshman Daisy Rowland, the answer is about more than style or price - it’s about the stories.
Many students spend Sundays sleeping in or finishing homework, while Daisy grabs a ring of keys and steps behind the front counter for her next shift at her mother, Kristen’s, store, Glenwood Antique Mall.
“I won’t call myself a manager,” Daisy said. “But I kind of do a little bit of everything.”
Balancing dance rehearsals and school, Daisy works at the register, helps rearrange booths and answers customer questions about the history behind the many antique pieces throughout the space.
Daisy and Kristen are captivated by the personal stories that connect the items in their store to the lives of their former owners. Knowing that a bar stool was once owned by “Aunt Sally from Alabama” or that a china cabinet originated from Poland gives each piece its own narrative.
“I enjoy meeting people, because I’m a very talkative person,” Daisy said.
Daisy’s fondness for golden watches and the eclectic booths that shape the aisles, are all part of her passion for the mall. She has even decorated her bedroom with treasures from the shop, including a 1960s bed frame and various vintage music posters.
Located in a previous TJ Maxx building, the antique mall, positioned at Metcalf and 95th, has transformed into a treasure-hunting spot for those seeking unique finds and a connection to the past.
Long before the antique mall was filled with shoppers and more than 275 vendors, Daisy remembers when it was nearly empty. Kristen opened the store in 2020 with big dreams and very little inventory.
The store started with two chairs and a table, and slowly transformed into the destination it is today.
At the time, Kristen had experience running estate sales, so antiques were already part of her family’s life. Daisy often tagged along as a kid, walking through strangers’ homes packed with decades of memories. She sorted through old dishes, framed photos and boxes of records, listening to people explain where each piece came from.
These early connections with vendors were vital. The rise of the pandemic, however, forced Daisy and Kristen to adapt quickly. For several months, they operated through curbside pickup.
They created a website listing antiques from their vendors, allowing customers to buy online and employees would deliver purchases to their cars. Business was slow because part of the magic with antiques is seeing them in person to understand the little details, according to Kristen.
Slowly, vendors moved in, and the place became more crowded. Boasting an array of booths lining the aisles, shoppers can find everything from mid-century dressers and sofas to tiny, sentimental treasures, like vintage baseball cards, framed concert posters and velvet jewelry cases that carry perfume.
One landmark of the mall is an ornate, dome-shaped chandelier that hangs near the entrance. It came from an opera house in Nebraska and was converted from gas power to electric. It’s deeply embedded in the mall’s identity and has been there for three to four years. It’s also Daisy's favorite piece because it is so unique and not something people see every day.
The Rowland family, whose love for antiques predates the establishment of the mall itself, is the true center of the business.
Many of the initial vendors were familiar faces from her work in estate sales and trusted friends who relied on the Rowland family to showcase their items. Several of these vendors have remained in the mall since those first uncertain months six years ago, largely due to the location and size.
The novelties available at Glenwood Antique Mall do more than fill a shopping bag; they bring a piece of history into customers’ homes and lives. Knowing that your new end table was used by a WWII general, or that the book on your shelf was signed ‘Merry Christmas John - 1912’, adds a special touch to each item.
Regular shoppers often return, seeking that special object that will connect them with the past and transform their living spaces, according to Kristen.
“It's not something that is going to fall apart tomorrow. It's made it this far, so probably going to last,” Kristen said.
Walking through Glenwood Antique Mall is a vivid reminder that things crafted with care and intention can outlast fleeting trends, according to Kristen.
Right in the middle of it all is Daisy, keys at her side, greeting strangers like old friends and guiding them through the past one booth at a time.
For her, Glenwood Antique Mall is so much more than her mom’s business. It’s where she grew up and discovered a passion, and where hundreds of other people come to find a little piece of history to take home.
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