Visiting South Lumpkin Street is like dropping by the homes of friends with a penchant for collecting. Former residences from the 1920s to the 1940s now make for an appealing and intimate shopping experience. South Lumpkin is located a couple of miles from The University of Georgia's campus in Five Points, one of Athens' first suburbs.

We started our stroll at Appointments at Five, a 15-year-old antiques and gift shop owned by friends Kitty Culpepper and Jenny Sligh. Their shop carries a mix of old and new, ranging from linen cocktail napkins for $12 to an 1830s sideboard for $3,200. The furniture includes a collection of bamboo pieces, French oak buffets, and mahogany bowfront chests.

Styled accents adorn the furniture. "Each chest is like a vignette," explains Kitty, "so you can visualize what works with the piece." Handwritten cards attached to the antiques describe their origin and features.

Each room in the two-story house focuses on a theme. There's a baby room, kitchen room, bed-and-bath room, and bridal registry area, making targeted gift buying easy. We liked the distinctive china patterns from Lynn Chase and Herend.

More adventures await at The Garden Gate, a home and garden accessories shop full of outdoor lanterns, woven vine baskets, plant stands, iron sconces, and birdcages. Mother and daughter-in-law owners Jennifer and Mary Wimberly creatively display merchandise on an iron tree inside. The pair even creates custom-designed plant containers. "The kitchen is used as a potting shed, and the bathroom as a conservatory," explains Jennifer.