 
Eron Johnson Antiques Makes Denver Proud
By Tara Marie Berry
'I Had a Really
Great Art Teacher in High School'
Eron Johnson, internationally known antique specialist,
speaks of how he started in the world of antiques. Born
and raised right here in Colorado, the aspiring artist,
young Eron Johnson learned to melt down, shape and create
art from old river bottles and steel beams.
As lower downtown Denver was being reconstructed during
the ‘60s, Johnson began collecting old stained glass
pieces and rusty leftovers of wrought-iron building materials.
He used these materials to design anddecorate his home
and make artistic creations.
 Before
antique collecting became trendy and profitable, Johnson’s
art teacher taught teenage artists to appreciate the stories
behind those things labeled "art." He emphasized
history inside a piece, the meaning within. He used historic
pieces, or "antiques" to teach the students
to look past the appearance of a worn out piece of furniture
or a chipped glass.
Throughout the years, Johnson has continued to look within,
behind and all around the objects in order to discover
true beauty. He found himself collecting things that could
never be complete without something else. And although
he was never positive at first sight what that missing
link may be, Johnson would not give up—until the
puzzle was complete. He believed that no matter how beautiful
something appeared to be, it could only earn its worth
with the whole truth, or at least plenty of details.
"In
studying a new piece, I often find something new about
an old one: the influences, technology, politics."
Johnson likes to be around the history. "It’s
a giant treasure hunt."
Through the yearsVictorian was the theme of Johnson’s
first house. Through the years, however, appreciation
for all different eras have evolved including art nouveau
with a special interest in art glass.
 Johnson’s
first collections began with Tiffany Glass and art nouveau,
soon growing into bigger, heavier things. He liked pieces
of old places."If I could buy all the pieces of
a house, I might as well buy the houses. After all,
buildings are just like furniture: if part is still
whole—it can be restored. It’s not that
it’s a big deal…it’s just big."
Johnson opened his first store in Wheat Ridge around
1973. He just kept finding more things that told more
stories, so he would study, learn, buy, teach, and sell:
always encouraging others to know what lay behind, within.
In
the mid ‘70s Johnson bought three two-story homes
in Denver’s Baker Neighborhood. He connected the
three homes. The 27 rooms downstairs were his antique
store. Upstairs were three apartments, one in which
he lived for 15 years. At a time when only six to eight
people actually lived in the LoDo district, Johnson
bought the building that is known today as Andrews Pub.
A bedroom was hidden in the back by its artsy store
front.
 Eventually
LoDo became overrun. The overtaking of corporate America.
The loud music. The streets became loud. And there was
no place to park. So in the mid-’90s, Johnson
relocated. He has bought, fixed up, designed and sold
22 houses and commercial buildings. Significantly north
of Broadway’s Antique Row, 451 North Broadway
currently houses a wealth of history.
"This place was trashed," Johnson snickers,
"Everyone thought I was crazy. Hey, the place needed
help. I helped it."
Johnson has always found himself drawn to a romantic
kind of mood."There is nothing like looking at
something, anything from history, and feeling like you’ve
been there." His inspiration goes back to the roots
of those things left behind in the mixture of cultures
that were the European colonies. From Charles Dickens
and the romance of a bygone time, Old English time and
that old pub style. And from the time that the British,
Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish were conquering the world.
His most current fascinations are the Indian and South
American colonial pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Some date back even earlier. These are the stories Johnson
likes to learn, buy, teach and sell."It’s
not so much a favorite thing.
It’s the favorite history."
 Along
with the history of pieces, Johnson likes to show the
hand of man—show the things that are created by
man rather than machine. From pillars and doors to the
built-in components of homes.
"They tease: I’ll buy anything big, dirty
and heavy. You know? They’re Right, it’s
true. Stone, iron, big furniture—everything created
by man’s hands—those are my favorite things."
Johnson believes that the key to success is having a
passion for something, learning it, and sticking to
it for a very long time. Johnson has found his passion
in the history of the hand-made and interior design.
The
main focus of the business is interior decorating rather
than retail.Johnson boasts the service his company is
known to provide. At Eron Johnson Antiques, serious
decorators and designers can find the best of the
best to finish a whole house—and all in one place.
He also prides himself in knowledge of what’s
in his store. If you’re paying for 18th-century
furniture, then that is what you should get. People
sort through problems to get the right pieces in the
right places. This makes it easy for decorators to promote
the best products.
This is one of the last stores of its kind that tries
to cover all the bases, with a huge one-of-a-kind inventory.
To so many businesses, it is hard to justify the expense,
but this is how Eron Johnson learned to run a
business.
"At the end of the day, I would rather have my
money tied up in this stuff rather than a piece of paper
that someone said was worth something yesterday, but
is worth nothing today." www has changed everything
Every day, www.eronjohnsonantiques.com is updated. Karin
Dacey, Eron Johnson Antiques Web designer has her eye
on everything in the store at all times. Each time something
is sold, bought, polished or measured, new pictures
are taken or new stories are shared. Between 15 and
20 percent of business is now done online. With almost
5,000 pieces pictured and labeled, people from around
the country and around the world are able to visit Eron
Johnson Antiques daily.
Johnson understands that the Internet will not be the
end result of the business. Rather it will be a very
effective tool "when used properly.""There
is no substitute for doing your own homework."
Johnson’s advise to online antique shoppers also
includes learning the right questions to ask. "It’s
effective if you know what you’re doing. If not,
it’s best to stick to the touching, feeling and
learning in person."
Behind Eron Johnson Antiques at 451 North Broadway,
much of the bigger, heavier furniture will be relocated
to a warehouse. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for
another warehouse location coming soon, featuring indoor
and outdoor show areas featuring Johnson’s favorites:
"big, heavy stuff."
The reputable "Eron Johnson Antiques" label
is only awarded to the finest antiques. And these pieces
are only worthy of the title after their story is complete.
Johnson prides himself on his appreciation for the history
and hand-made quality that creates beautiful antiques.
Simply put, Eron Johnson Antiques is just something
different.
Caption:
Eron Johnson, second from left, with his knowledgeable
staff
©
2002 Mountain States Collector
|