Wyandotte Antiques Shop a Family Affair

Growing up with a father and grandfather who worked as carpenters, Wyandotte’s Susan Graham quickly learned how to appreciate fine craftsmanship.

When she became an avid antiques collector as a young adult, that sharp eye for quality helped in picking out furniture, knick-knacks and other items for her personal collection.

After 30 years of working in the medical field, she is now switching gears and is about to open her own antiques store in Wyandotte.

“I’ve been collecting my entire adult life, (but) this is a first attempt to actually sell things to other people,” Graham said.

With the help of her two sons, Kelly and Sean Luttrell, she plans to open Graham & Sons Antiques and Fine Furnishings at 1319 Eureka on Feb. 29. Kelly is a former freelance photographer for Wyandotte Patch.

The store, Graham said, will primarily carry antique furniture, selling pieces such as a rare, closed china cabinet, made in the 1880s, and a fainting couch from the early 1900s.

Some of the merchandise sold will not be considered “antique” Graham said, as she will focus on the uniqueness of an item when deciding what to sell, as well as its age.

One of those unique pieces that will be available is a special chair made in 1976 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S.

In addition to furniture, customers will also see things like a classic Ironrite iron, which was made in the 1920s. The machine is equipped with a larger roller, allowing the user to slide a garment into it manually to smooth out wrinkles.

Items to be sold in the store have been purchased by Graham, and her sons, at auctions held around Southeast Michigan, she said.

Considering that some antiques and collectibles are very expensive, Graham said a key to her business would be carrying affordable items for nearly anyone who visits the shop.

“It’s antiques for everybody,” Graham said. “It’s going to be an every-man kind of place to come in.” 

As for opening a store in such tough economic times, Graham said she is confident the business can do well, based on a current upswing in the buying and selling of antiques.

“This particular business is picking up," Graham said. “It had been bad for the last few years, but it’s starting to get better.”

Graham’s son Kelly Luttrell, who had recently been employed by a restaurant, said running the business together with his family will be much more rewarding than working elsewhere.

“Working for something that benefits the family is always going to be better than working for somebody else,” he said. “It just makes more sense.”

For more information about Graham & Sons Antiques and Fine Furnishings, check out grammysenterprises.com, which is a temporary website that has been created ahead of the store's opening.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was corrected at 11:19 a.m. Feb. 16 to delete a reference to an antiques store in Monroe.