Aurora antique furniture store moving to Batavia

Antique and vintage furniture store Warehouse 55 will move to downtown Batavia next month after operating for six years in Aurora.

Warehouse 55 is a multivendor store with two locations, in Aurora and Chicago, featuring refurbished and repurposed vintage items and antiques from more than 50 vendors.

The Aurora store, at 55 S. Lake St., will host a closing sale beginning Saturday, Sept. 13, and officially close its doors Oct. 5.

Founded in Aurora in 2019, Warehouse 55 will be selling its remaining inventory before moving into the former Hearth & Hammer storefront in downtown Batavia, with plans to open in late October.

The store’s second location opened in 2022 in Chicago.

Shoppers who visit the Aurora location now through Oct. 5 will see merchandise discounted at 10% to 50% off.

The new location at 160 First St. has been vacant since Hearth & Hammer closed in May, and is undergoing renovations to prepare the site for Warehouse 55, which will occupy three spaces in the building.

Warehouse 55 Owner Mark Allen said the current store’s two-story layout without an elevator made it difficult for customers to get upstairs and posed major challenges for moving inventory, so he had been searching for a more accessible space for years.

Allen, an Aurora resident, said while he’s sad he won’t be working as close to home, he is excited for the store’s new beginning in Batavia.

The tentative grand opening is Oct. 18.

Allen said the Batavia location will be filled with new inventory, focused on holiday and seasonal decor.

The new location is roughly the same size as the Aurora store, but Allen said the single-story layout is more easily accessible and the building’s vintage aesthetic is a perfect match for their operation.

“We’re happy here in Aurora, we just needed to find a better space to suit us,” Allen said. “It’s a beautiful old building with huge ceilings, skylights, and old wood and brick floors.”

Allen said all of the store’s current vendors will be coming along, so longtime customers can expect the same shopping experience.

For more information about the store, its vendors and inventory, visit the Warehouse 55 website.