Junking for their own home and garden

Some people circle vintage market dates on the calendar and then wait months for the next one. Terence and Sarina McClain decided to stop waiting.

“We are a husband-and-wife team who love to go junking for our own home and garden,” the couple write on the About page of The Hayloft Vintage Mall. “As vintage markets only come up a few times each year, we decided it was about time that we open a store for all those who love to shop for vintage furniture and home decor (like us).”

That store is on Douglas Crescent in downtown Langley. The shop's own photos show chandeliers hanging over tables of china, a black-and-white striped awning over one booth, and a wall of cubbies packed with small treasures.

A mall made of little shops

The Hayloft isn't one person's collection. It's a vintage mall: vendors rent booths and stock them with their own finds. The McClains say the store features “some of the best vendors in the Lower Mainland,” with booths “constantly being replenished with much-sought-after pieces.” The Vintage Seeker, a Canadian vintage magazine, counted about a dozen vendors in its guide to antique malls.

The vendor list on the website reads like a street of tiny shops: Astrovintagist, Copper and Clay Vintage, Minnie's Curiosities & Vintage Finds, Raven's Rest Studio, Thornberry Vintage, Vintage Schmintage and more. Two of them, Hayloftbuilds and Hayloft Home, share the store's name. We haven't confirmed whether those are the McClains' own booths.

'The owners are very nice'

Google reviewers give The Hayloft 4.7 stars, and several mention the people as much as the stock. “Lots of neat stuff and the owners are very nice,” one wrote. Another singled out “Terry,” calling him “an excellent Man that works on Cultivating relationships,” who “opened his personal booth to me” and gave a special price.

Others praise the curation. “A lovely vintage mall with thoughtfully curated booths,” one shopper wrote. She said she is often overwhelmed in antique stores, “but not at the Hayloft. It's a very calming and welcoming atmosphere.”

Furniture, décor and vintage smalls

The focus is the home: vintage furniture, décor, garden pieces and plenty of what collectors call smalls. One reviewer summed it up as a “great wide open shop lots of vintage smalls,” and others mention decor books, knick-knacks and a booth with pieces from a vintage pottery set. In 2021 the shop shared a home tour from the blog Life Is Better at Home that featured a piece found at the Hayloft.

What the website doesn't tell is the McClains' own story, such as when they opened the doors, where they go junking, and how they choose their vendors. We haven't confirmed when the Hayloft opened, and it's one of the first things we'll ask.

'Come visit us soon!'

Posted hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's closed Monday, Tuesday and holidays. One reviewer wrote that they'd found the store closed during posted hours more than once, so call 604-558-2478 before you make a special trip.

Vendors who want a booth can email hayloftvintage@gmail.com. And if you're one of those people who plans weekends around the next vintage market, the McClains built this place for you. As they sign off on their About page: “Come visit us soon!”

Photos: The Hayloft Vintage Mall.