Two decades after it was established, the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Antiques at the Gardens event has become a fall destination for local design enthusiasts as well as for those living well beyond the region. Returning this October 1st through 4th, the gathering attracts collectors and dealers from across the country for exceptional antiques, noteworthy panels, and a generous dose of Southern hospitality.
“Antiques at the Gardens has an intimacy that’s increasingly rare,” says Erik Retzer of the Chicago-based antiques shop RIGHT | PROPER.
Erik is one of 28 dealers who will set up shop at the Botanical Gardens this October. He and other dealers will highlight collections that range from fine art and jewelry to rare antiques and vintage furnishings. Alongside the shopping experience, a series of panel discussions will feature a distinguished roster of experts, including Ann Mashburn, Rudy Saunders, Nathan Turner, Bunny Williams, and Elizabeth Lawrence.
While Antiques at the Garden (AATG) is undeniably a designer’s dreamscape, the event also draws those who are fascinated by antiques, who love them, and who value them as objects worth preserving and celebrating. The event kicks off with a Gala party, held on the grounds of the gardens. This opening night sets a sophisticated tone, as attendees have the chance to explore dealers’ booths while enjoying sips and small bites before dancing in the garden, where a band plays all night.
“And, perhaps just as importantly, these Southern folks know how to throw one hell of a party!” Erik emphasizes.
As a first-time attendee at last year’s Antiques at the Gardens, my expectations were exceeded. Although the treasure hunting was exceptional (and I even purchased my first mint julep cup—a southerners’ staple!), what most left a lasting impression was the community.
Several vendors that MILIEU’s editors had sourced from in the past were there in person. Visiting their booths and conversing with them about what they brought to Birmingham gave way to friendships that have blossomed over the past year.
That sense of camaraderie is part of what keeps dealers coming back to Birmingham.
Barbara Adkins, founder of the Harpersville, Alabama–based Black Sheep Antiques, agrees. “The Birmingham Antiques at the Gardens show is a favorite because Birmingham is such a great community of people that work in and support the decorative arts. Many very talented designers, architects, and dealers work all year to come together and present a beautiful boutique show that has recently become a national event!”
For some dealers, Birmingham is a familiar stop, while for others this year’s show marks a beginning. Architect Jeremy Corkern (whose works have been featured many times in MILIEU) will introduce his new enterprise, 1841 Antiques, at this fall’s show. Considering why he chose AATG to debut his collection in person, Jeremy reflects, “Birmingham has been home for the past 26 years. The people are kind, have wonderful taste, and love their homes and gardens.”
Online shopping makes finding antiques easier than ever, but nothing can compare with the tactile thrill of discovering a piece in person or talking shop with a dealer who found it. There’s no substitute for something that immediately speaks to your eye and lets you feel its weight and texture right there. Moreover, hearing what first drew a dealer to an object is its own experience.
“I’m constantly asked what I specialize in, and my answer is always the same: Nothing, but everything I have is special,” says Erik. “‘Art blooming from artless things’ probably explains my eye better than anything else. I’m drawn to objects that were never trying to be art, but somehow became it.”
For Erik, those pieces sit comfortably alongside objects with provenance and pedigree. That mix is what makes a collection personal. “A great collection shouldn’t feel like a lesson in one period or style,” he says. “It should be personal, a little unpredictable, and leave you wondering what could possibly be around the next corner.”
Barbara shares that same appreciation for objects shaped by time. “I am particularly drawn to pieces that have acquired a feeling of history and character—unapologetically unpolished while at the same time unique and well designed,” she emphasizes. “Patina is an overused word these days, but it best describes the surfaces I love that have not been shined up and made to look new!”
Looking ahead to this October’s event, part of the excitement of Antiques at the Gardens is wondering what discoveries await at the dealers’ booths.
“I don’t usually buy specifically for a show, but I’ll admit there are a few things I’ve been saving for Birmingham,” says Erik.
Among them is a collection of original hand-drawn cartoons by Henri de Linairès that Hermès used for a series of hunt-themed silk scarves in the 1960s and ‘70s. The drawings have been mounted and framed alongside three of the matching scarves.
“Seeing the original drawings next to the finished silks is pretty extraordinary,” says Erik. “You get this rare glimpse into the creative process: how an artist’s hand and imagination can be translated into something that ultimately becomes part of the visual language of a house as iconic as Hermès.”
He’s also bringing a 19th-century Austrian folk-art armchair with faded turquoise paint and its original woven rush seat, topped with a custom button-tufted cushion in a blue-and-brown plaid which, as he says, “already knows a few Birmingham designers who are going to fight over it.”
“And, of course, there will be plenty of 18th- and 19th-century furniture: tilt-top tables, chests, highboys,” Erik adds, “Birmingham appreciates traditional furniture, but isn’t afraid to throw something unexpected into the mix.”
Barbara has also been curating with Birmingham in mind. “I have sourced several great pieces specially for my booth at AATG this year—as always,” she says. “I have an exceptional French tall-case clock as well as some unique lighting pieces coming to the show along with some beautiful, upholstered seating! Really too much to list. You you must come see!”
MILIEU is honored to be a National Media Sponsor of Antiques at the Garden, co-chaired this year by Marguerite Johnson, Rachael Rummel, Jeremy D. Clark, Stephanie Lynton, and Jennifer Ard.
Join the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens October 1–4 for this year’s event!
Purchase your ticket today: https://bbgardens.org/2026-tickets/
Produced by Avery Bowers, MILIEU Market Editor
Photography by Avery Bowers and courtesy of Birmingham Antiques at the Garden