A new twist on antiques

Playful antiques may sound unorthodox, but that's the attitude at this Greenwood shop in North Seattle.

Antika infuses fun into its traditional oak and mahogany pieces with vintage kitchen cabinets, cocktail glasses, laboratory beakers, test tubes and petri dishes — all turned into home décor.

You'll be tempted to buy a cocktail cabinet, vintage dishes and a painted pine bench even if you go in to look for an English wardrobe.

That light-hearted atmosphere makes Antika, owned by Meridee Kortan and husband Fevzi Kortan, unusually accessible.

Why should you go? This is a really fun store, and a lot of its stuff is affordable. Bar cabinets dominate the entry area, filled with vintage glassware, like a silver-plated crystal shaker ($56) and six matching goblets ($48 for the set). Or choose a vintage shaker ($36) printed with recipes for a Bronx, Manhattan or a sidecar. And pick up a matching 1950s English cocktail cabinet ($695), like one at the front of the store that has spots for cocktail picks and a cocktail strainer.

The adjacent kitchen room feels like another era, full of colorful kitchen cabinets ($425-$595) that hold vintage Jadite Jane Ray dishes (dinner plate, $16.50) and flour, cookie and cake tins.

The garden room has a nostalgic, faded look with painted pine furniture, flowers in pitchers or tin pots and washing stands. You might be drawn to a light-green enamel pitcher ($84), a green-and-cream pine bench ($395) or a green-and-white Hungarian pine kitchen table ($285).

What's functional? Antika's emphasis remains on traditional European oak and maple furniture. The main room is sensibly laid out, with tallboys, dressers and sideboards dominating the front room, elegant wardrobes in the rear and dining tables upstairs.

Most pieces are English, like a 1920s oak hall wardrobe with the original lead glass door for $865, but there are some other European styles represented, including an 1890s Italian mahogany mirrored cupboard ($795) and a white French side-table cabinet for $145.

There are lots of unusual knickknacks, like sets of ceramic dogs, tintypes with old black-and-white photos for $6 each — and plenty of pitchers.

digs picks: We love the white metal vintage oval mirror ($95), oak phone bench ($245), 1950s picnic table with rotating stools ($305), a small test-tube rack ($34) and a handmade domino set with caddy ($560).

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com