George C. Birlant & Co

George C. Birlant & Co on King Street in Charleston is a great place to find unique and quality antiques. There always seems to be something special and an item that really stands out every time I shop here. There is a wide selection of many different items that represent some of the history of Charleston. The staff here is very helpful and will do their best to make sure that you have all of your questions answered and you have a pleasant shopping experience. There are some good finds here.

For a Volunteer Appreciation BBQ we wanted to honor our awesome long-term Volunteer Coordinator and her equally awesome husband with a Charleston Bench and plaque. I, unfortunately, ordered the bench & plaque on a tight timeframe, so let them know we could get it after the fact, but would really appreciate it if they could mount it on the bench and we got it on time. Everyone I dealt with at Birlant's was wonderful!! And we received the bench with plaque in time for the presentation. Thank you Birlant.

While it's not my decor of choice, I do love strolling through antique stores.

And the first time I walked into the Fan & Stoves Antique Mall in Jacksonville (http://www.yelp.com/biz/fans-and-stoves-antique-mall-jacksonville?hrid=1R9jfsefZ49b--SVhtGGwg), this is more along the line of what I was expecting. This shop has beautiful pieces and extravagant chandeliers. One of the gentleman was actually reconstructing a chandelier in the front window while we were there. It liked IKEA instructions on crack; AKA my worst nightmare.

I've always read the key to personalizing a room is to always have one piece that stands out from the rest. Like one expensive piece among a affordable set of furniture. Or one antique piece in a modern room. This shop would definitely help anyone accomplish that.