Turn back time in your home through this Cork gem

Step into a Cork shop to find a treasure trove curated by Fernanda Silva that whisks her across decades of history

Sunburst wall clock with teak wood at RetroFern Vintage, Midcentury and Retro Interiors at Quay Co-op.

If you're in the market for retro mid-century furniture and homeware, then RetroFern at Cork’s Quay Co-Op on Sullivan’s Quay is well worth a visit. It is Fernanda Silva’s business, located on the ground floor of the premises, behind the bookshop, next to the new art gallery there.

Fernanda Silva at her business RetroFern Vintage, Midcentury and Retro Interiors at Quay Co-op, Cork. Pictures: Larry Cummins

Occupying about 20 square metres, Fernanda hopes to have a bigger space in the future. She is offering what she calls a “highly curated” showcase with everything from a hostess trolley to 50s and 60s coffee tables on sale. Think Mad Men and beautiful Danish-designed furniture. “I sell mainly 50s, 60s and 70s, with a little bit of early 80s furniture which is still vintage,” says Fernanda. “I try to focus on that period because it’s what I like. It’s the quality of the pieces and the design that appeals to me. Lots of the pieces are 50 and 60 years old and they still look so good. We don’t make furniture the way we used to.

“Everything is disposable now and people don’t try to refurbish or make things nice again. That’s a skill and you need time. People don’t have time.”

Items at Fernanda Silva's retro shop in Cork.

Is ordering from Ikea the easier option? “I don’t know if that’s easier. You still need to build the piece. I don’t find flat packs easier. I have a few pieces that are 70s and 80s Ikea. They got young designers to do stuff and you can still find cool pieces at Ikea. But I think there’s been a lack of alternatives in Cork. This business started from my own experience of trying to find nice furniture in Cork. Of course, there’s the likes of Casey’s and EZ Living. But [I believe] nice retro pieces were not really available here.”

Fernanda is providing a service whereby people can buy a piece and take it away immediately to their home. “There is nothing else to do except enjoy it. I’ve always loved going to flea markets. I know what I’m getting. I’m quite prepared to use elbow grease to clean and restore a piece.”

Everything that Fernanda is selling is restored and oiled. “I’m really self-taught. I did a night course in furniture restoration at Ashton School. It was really enjoyable. But it didn’t explain everything I wanted to know. “All the things I have learned since are from YouTube and people I follow on Instagram. I love the feeling of restoring something and bringing it back to life. When the pieces come to me, they can be in bad shape.

Tulip chairs, designed by Maurice Burke for Arkana Canada/US, at RetroFern Vintage, Midcentury and Retro Interiors at Quay Co-op, Cork.

“Most of the time, there are coffee cup rings and wine stains on the furniture which I hate. Depending on the damage, I may put on a paint stripper but I avoid that if I can because it’s chemical. I sand the piece and finish the top, mostly using oil only.

“I don’t like using varnish because I don’t like the finish it gives. I use mainly Danish oil or Osmo oil. The oils give the wood a satin finish.” Most of the mid-century pieces are made from teak which, being a hardwood, doesn’t fall prey to woodworm.

G-Plan Astro table for sale at RetroFern Vintage, Midcentury and Retro Interiors. Pictures: Larry Cummins

Retro Fern can boast of a number of iconic pieces such as an Astro coffee table from GPlan, a UK brand that started after World War 11. “It allowed people to afford good quality furniture at an affordable price. They’re still around.” The table costs €475.

The glass-topped round Astro coffee table has been selling well. “They’re gorgeous tables with great quality wood and joinery.”

ANOTHER popular piece is the Myer coffee table with a magazine rack. This rectangle-shaped table has smoked glass. It’s quite low and compact. It costs €250.

There’s an interesting and practical piece, the Danish Sewing Box. It’s actually a sideboard-like table that opens up revealing nooks and crannies — useful for storage. You could put jewellery into the spaces, for example, if sewing isn’t your thing.

A tallboy, not as wide as a regular chest of drawers, has six generous drawers. There’s a large mid-century chair that has been reupholstered in grey cotton. There is also a set of tulip chairs that swivel with red velvet cushions.

Fernanda stocks brightly coloured analogue telephones. “They’re very popular with older people who grew up with them. But also, the younger crowd like them as retro pieces. A young person bought a red phone from me. It looks very cool.” She sells German ceramics which are quite popular. As Fernanda says, even people renting can purchase a small item such as a vase or a lamp to put their stamp on their living space. She is renting long-term in Cork city and her landlady is quite happy that she has mostly furnished her flat herself.

Fernanda Silva shows some of the wares.

As to where she sources her stock, Fernanda says: “It’s very difficult to get mid-century stuff in Ireland. People tell me that when the mid-century exploded here, there was no money. Only a few people could afford the furniture and people didn’t value it. In the UK, there is a lot more mid-century furniture that is affordable. I get a lot of stuff from the UK. Even though I pay customs tax, it’s a lot cheaper than buying from anywhere else. I get stuff also from Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy and Denmark. There’s a few people doing mid-century furniture in Dublin, but in terms of trade, the prices are quite high.” Fernanda does sourcing as well but says it can take time to track down people’s requests.

Originally from Portugal but brought up mainly in France, Fernanda has always been interested in buying at flea markets (or brocantes as they’re called in France.) It started with her interest in vintage clothes. “I love the buzz you get when you find something that’s worth ten times what you paid for it.”

After university, she worked in the music business in various roles as well as in other arts sectors. When Fernanda was working for the Portuguese short film agency, she went to a film festival in Clermont where she met Mick Hannigan (who runs IndieCork).

They had a relationship and Fernanda moved to Cork. They have a daughter, Tessa Silva Hannigan, who recently finished her degree in film. When the couple separated, Fernanda wanted a job with family-friendly hours.

Sunburst wall clock with teak wood at RetroFern Vintage, Midcentury and Retro Interiors at Quay Co-op.

Fernanda went into the corporate world, working with Amazon for 12 years. While the money was good, Fernanda found the corporate world stifling. “I’m at the stage of my life now where I need something else. I’ve put my daughter through university. I had put aside money but I couldn’t buy a house here with the housing crisis. So I decided to put my money into this business, doing something I really like doing.”

Ultimately, Fernanda would like to see a big antiques centre in Cork “where traders work with different styles as you see in the UK. I’d love to see all those warehouses by the marina being re-used. The Marina Market works well precisely because there are so many interesting things in it, artisans and people making stuff. I want to do the same in the future with vintage and antiques.”

With her enterprising spirit, Fernanda, who points out that her business is sustainable, just might get a conversation going Lee-side.

@retro.fer