Nomadic Trading Company is a family affair. Demir Willford, his nephew, Timur, and wife, Lineke, work as a team traveling the world from Holland and France to Hungary and Turkey, bringing back rare antiques and decorative handmade rugs to their 13,000-SF warehouse and store on nearly two acres in Durham, North Carolina.
“For us, there is only one way to find unique items: being at the right place at the right time,” Timur says. “[And] that involves a lot of travel.”
On their last trip to Europe, the trio covered six cities in less the two weeks.
“Our inspiration is fueled by our finds, and the finds fuel our inspiration. When we are up at 5 a.m. on a cold winter’s day, searching through a flea market in some obscure village in France, we are never sure what will turn up, if anything at all. But, when it does, it gets [your] heart beating.”
You get that feeling when he describes a recent find from this trip.
“The market was closed, but one of the dealers we had bought from previously was there. He got my attention to show me [this] cabinet, a beautiful apothecary cabinet from France, solid oak with expertly crafted dovetail woodwork from early 20th century. He had just gotten it out of an old building, and we were the first to see it. As I walked up to examine it, a huge smile came upon my face. Not a great way to start a negotiation, but it was hard to hide my pleasure. We made the deal immediately.” He adds, “This piece would make a great check-out counter for a retail store or check-in counter for a boutique hotel.”
While the Nomadic team travels all over the place, Demir says, “For us, there is no other place than Round Top.”
“It’s one of the only places I know where free enterprise flourishes at many different levels from mom and pop vendors to large dealers who ship containers from overseas. This show brings in buyers from all over the world. They are all looking for the unusual products that you can't find anywhere else.” Among these one-of-a-kind products that Nomadic Trading Company offers are antique rugs, several of which they will bring to Market Hill.
“Market Hill has set the bar up a notch,” Demir says. “It’s a true partnership.”
What makes Market Hill special is that, “it’s an opportunity for us not only to sell our unique items but also be inspired by all the other dealers like us who love what they do.”
Stay tuned for Nomadic Trading Company’s online shopping experience at nomadictrading.com.