“I’m just about the character and the integrity of eras and saving the things that just gives people something outside of the mall.”

— Suzanne Eblen, Owner, The Old Lucketts Store

The more hectic our lives become, the more we yearn for simpler times. Perhaps that’s why nostalgia stirs up such emotions. It can summon pleasant memories, change our state of mind, or distract us from the ordinary.

This episode of American Lifestyle Television takes us to Leesburg, Virginia, to explore antique treasures and inspiring design. Much like the Franklin Fountain in Issue 70 of American Lifestyle magazine, The Old Lucketts Store and related properties take us back in time.

Suzanne Eblen’s business and passions are all about finding new lives for old things. So it’s only fitting that the store itself was a reclamation project. When she bought the hundred-year old building in 1996, it was abandoned and unloved. In fact, the firehouse across the way had been instructed to let it burn to the ground and save everything around if it ever caught fire.

That’s a far cry from what you’ll find today. People as far away as Paris, France talk about Luckettes. And thousands flock to the property for its monthly flea markets, hoping to take home little pieces of history.

In addition to hunting for antique treasure throughout the store, Lucketts customers can find inspiration at the Design House, a monthly interior design showcase. Every room in this Victorian-era home becomes a canvas for some of the area’s best creative minds, who make use of items found right there in The Old Lucketts Store.

The staff answer questions and teach shoppers how to use the pieces in their homes. In fact, helping people to repurpose old pieces is a big part of the Lucketts experience.

After seeing what the store and design house have to offer, lead designer, Amy Whyte, shows Tonja how to rescue an old and worn picture frame in a hands-on lesson.

Lucketts Store isn’t the only forgotten property Suzanne has restored to its former glory. Towards the end of the episode, Tonja takes a tour of a restored estate about an hour outside Washington, DC.

Built in 1799, the Retreat at Cool Spring had been abandoned for 30 years when Suzanne began to restore it. Her goal was to make it reflect a beautiful and livable old home.

The estate is now rented out, and its rustic sophistication makes it an appealing destination for weddings, conferences, and vacations. There is no doubt that nostalgia and history are a big part of what draws guests in.

See all this for yourself in episode five of ALTV.