Solomon/Jones Antiques and Restoration was founded by Ben Solomon in June of 1973. He and his shop are renowned in and around the Meridian-Kessler community for their knowledge and availability of antiques, respectively.

They will have a store-wide sale during the entire month of October. This will include discounts up to 30 percent off on fabrics and wall coverings.

Describing his beginning in the antiques business, Solomon explained, "My background is in art history." He earned a B.A. from Missouri Valley College and completed graduate work at the University of Kansas. "After I graduated, I came to the Indianapolis Museum of Art to be their Curator of Decorative Arts for five years. Later, I decided that I wanted to be on my own and be my own boss," he added.

"We specialize in European (Continental, English, French and Italian) antiques. My business partner for the first five years was Doug Jones. He moved to New York in 1978. Our first shop opened at 38th & North Meridian Street across from the Summit House. We moved from there to the Fashion Mall and later to 2800 North Meridian Street before relocating to our present address (1103 East 52nd Street) next to the Monon Trail in 1999," Solomon said.

He eventually expanded from being an antique retailer to other areas of the business. "Two other related fields that didn't occur at first - there is a need for the appraisal of art antiques and interior design. After I left the IMA, people started calling me. They needed an appraiser of antiques. The transition from the art world to the real world was a crash course in real values. Museum curators don't think in dollar terms, they think in terms of rarity - 'How does this item rate on a scale of one to ten?' I began attending a lot of antique shows and saw a range of prices for the same antiques at these shows. I conduct appraisals as a part of a business," Solomon mentioned. Items that he regularly appraises include furniture, paintings, prints, sculptures, china, crystal and silver.

"As for the interior design area, when I sell a sofa or chair, customers ask me, 'what type of fabric should go with it?' For example, a rococo chair should have rococo fabric and a neoclassical chair should have neoclassical fabric," he explained. He emphasized maintaining design consistency with furniture and fabrics.

"We're a traditional interior design shop. I wear three hats - selling antiques, conducting appraisals and doing interior design. My sister, Marilyn (Solomon), owns the furniture restoration business (located next door at 1105 East 52nd Street), but we're all located in the same building," Solomon said. This part of the business specializes in architectural restoration, conservation, custom fabrication, restoration and structural repairs. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and their phone number is 466-0586.

In discussing current interior design trends, Solomon noted, "Big national magazines (Architectural Digest, Traditional Home and Veranda) have a lot of traditional influence - what we call English brown furniture that was a standard in 1980s and 1990s - there's always going to be some people who buy that. Trends have occurred in the last few years where people have been purchasing offbeat furniture that may have a distressed or worn look. Items like these have been selling lately as well as iron pieces that are partially rusted. Some customers want the antique left in the same condition," he said. "People are living in a more relaxed and casual setting with less formal dining. They eat more in the kitchen and want items that don't require as much maintenance. For example, an Old French Buffet that may be scratched adds to the character of the piece. More formal pieces require more care," he explained.

Solomon is an associate member of the American Society of Appraisers and a member of the Mid-American Antique Appraisers Association. He attended the English National Trust summer school at Attingham Park in Shropshire, located in the West Midlands region of England and has led numerous study trips to English country houses. A co-founder and lifetime member of IMA's Decorative Arts Society, he lectures on furniture history and the decorative arts, having taught courses at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) for many years. Much of his career has been dedicated to educating the general public about antiques.

Ryan Paris earned an Associates Degree in Interior Design and Merchandising from Vincennes University. Moving to Indianapolis in 1998, he worked as lead merchandiser for Holder Home Collections at their four locations before joining Solomon/Jones as a design assistant in 2000. His design work for the Decorator Show House has showcased his talents. Under Solomon's tutelage, he has emerged as a very talented designer.

According to their website, www.solomon-jones.com , the "umbrella" of traditional interiors includes many different looks: the English country house, the formal French mansion, the Italian villa, the French country house, the American colonial and the neoclassical house, just to name a few of the more popular decoration styles. Their expertise is in knowing the right type of furniture, fabrics, wallpapers, carpets and accessories that fit a customer's style preference. Working with clients to thoughtfully edit their furnishings, whether for a single room or entire home, they save what has merit and suggest the proper additions to achieve a timeless classic look. The result is in interiors that appear to have "evolved" gracefully over time.

Solomon/Jones also has a new design gallery. Their years of experience have yielded the best resources in custom drapery workrooms, wallpaper hangers, painters, carpet experts and other craftsmen to meet customer needs. Their in-house selections of exclusive fabrics and wall coverings include Scalamandre, Stroheim and Romann, Osborne & Little, Zoffany, Schumacher, Ralph Lauren, Robert Allen and Brunschwig & Fils. Customers may browse their extensive fabric selections at their leisure or with Ben and Ryan's expert assistance.

Solomon/Jones is open Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are closed on Sunday and Monday. Inquiries can be directed to 475-0203.

They regularly donate products for fund-raising auctions to benefit organizations such as Orchard School, Damien Centre, Planned Parenthood and the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association Home Tour.

Ben Solomon's fine period European furniture and interior design work appear in some of Indianapolis' most distinct and traditional homes, in addition to the Governor's Mansion and Indiana University. Solomon/Jones Antiques is located at "The Shoppes at Guilford Junction", next to 52nd Street and the Monon Trail.