Bernardi's Antiques

“I was brought up in this business, literally,” David Zammit quips. “My parents bought the company in 1976, and I spent my weekends here when I was young, grew up travelling from antiques show to antiques show,” he adds. “Antiques is a learn-as-you-go type of business, and I learned a lot through that.”

Paul and Grace, David’s parents, bought a store called Bernardi’s Antiques in 1976 with the aim of making it what it is today. “They were collectors,” David recalls, “so they visited the store one day, which specialized in furniture refinishing back then. The owner was a little disinterested with the business and told my parents he was thinking about selling it.” Paul and Grace thought it through for a few days and ended up going back to the store, only this time to acquire it. Bernardi’s Antiques was born.

“As for myself,” says David, “I started studying at York University, but realized that it wasn’t really for me. I missed being in the shop and quickly understood that managing Bernardi’s Antiques was what I was meant to do. I became involved in the business in 1991 and have enjoyed every minute of it.” Today, David is at the helm of the family business, alongside his parents and his wife Laura.