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.
©
2004 Mountain States Collector
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