Antiques and Flea Market Shopping in London England

Continuing off inspiration from Lonny magazine, there

is a section in their latest issue on flea markets and

antiques.  I don't know about you, but I am totally a 

self professed flea market, antiques and thrift shop

addict.  I can spend literally hours or a whole day 

shopping at an antiques or flea market. 

If you're in London, there are some famous streets for 

antiques shopping.

Cath Kidston's suggestion above which names the

most well known antiques shopping arcades and

open air antiques and flea market on Portobello

Road.

Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic gives

her tips for shopping on Portobello Road.

It seems to be a unanimous tip to shop 

there on Friday and to avoid Saturday.

Rachel Ashwell navigating Portobello Road.

The London Antiques Guide
Street by Street - Style by Style

If you're going to be in London any time soon and 

you're interested in visiting antiques stores, this book

is a great book that gives good details to the flea and

antiques market in London.

Any of you have gone antiquing or flea market shopping

around the world?  If so, where have you gone and where

are your favorite places?

All photos from Lonny magazine

Browsing at Memorial Antiques & Interiors

The other day, I had some extra time before my first appointment, so I decided to pop into Memorial Antiques & Interiors, one of my favorite places to browse antiques and find inspiration here in Houston. The selection changes every few months, so I like to visit every so often and see what is new.

As you will see here, the majority of the items at MAI appeal very much to Houston's general design aesthetic, which mostly falls into the French/Swedish/Belgian category. While I can certainly appreciate the beauty of that type of design, it isn't really my taste, so I like to imagine fresh ways of incorporating a typical French piece and making it feel more modern and eclectic. This French library, for example (also pictured in the first image) would look fantastic in a living room with different styles of furniture, or even in a dining room re-purposed as a china cabinet.

I have to admit that I don't know who all of the booths at MAI belong to. Some have business cards, like Two Lucys, whose booth is pictured above and in the following images. Others, like Liz Spralding, are frequently present in their booths to ask questions and share the history of her beautiful antiques. I just loved this little daybed in Two Lucys' booth. It's rather small, so it would probably work best for a child. I have also been noticing a lot of antique horse heads lately like the one pictured here between the botanical prints.
Lamps, Sconces, Gate Doors, and Grills at Two Lucys

I love how authentic their booth feels!

More from Two Lucys
They actually have three booths at MAI now.

I loved this display of vintage lamps. There is something for everyone!

I thought these bottle lamps were gorgeous!

Isn't the color of the glass pretty?

I liked the big angel wings on the back wall of this booth as well as the old doors.

This bistro table looks cute from afar...

but it becomes really special once you see that the top is made from an old, mirrored clock face.

I thought this booth had some very chic offerings, from the charcoal sketches, to the lovely settee, and classic mirror.

This booth is fairly new as it was my first time to see it. They had mostly new items like candles, pillows, and John Derian items.

I thought this old limestone table was spectacular! I think the look would be too cold in an actual dining room, but it would look phenomenal in an outdoor area.

This mirror is gorgeous! I love the size, the colors, and the typeface.

Several beautiful mirrors, like this one, caught my eye that day.

This starburst is gorgeous, but pricey!

I thought these mirrors were very cool. They look like they are made from old warehouse windows. I would love to buy the frames and have the mirrors added myself. I bet it would be so much cheaper to do it that way.

A More Ornate Option

This little marble-topped table is great and could be used in several applications.

A Cool French Milk Poster

Bond and Bowery ~

One might think that this set of gorgeous French Bergere

chairs comes from the site 1st Dibs. There's an up and coming

site that I'd like to introduce to you called Bond and Bowery.

Bond and Bowery is much like 1st Dibs where they offer an online

medium for dealers and customers to meet. They offer furniture,

art and antiques. What is different about Bond and Bowery is that

it is designed for not only the trade in mind, but the end client as well

with a broader range of prices.

1st Dibs for the most part is very expensive and I was pleasantly

surprised to find how reasonable some of the pieces offered on

Bond and Bowery are. What sets Bond and Bowery apart is that

their site is advertisement free and they do not take hefty middleman

fees which makes their site more accessible for their dealers and the

end customer alike. Their site is very professional and very easy

to navigate.

Let's take a tour of some of the offerings on the site.

As you can see, the photos and all information related to

the piece are clearly laid out includeing the vendor's contact.

Can you believe this bench is being sold for only $385! You

would never find a price like this on 1st Dibs.

I really love this pair of Murano glass lamps.

The fuzzy lamp shades are so fun!

Orange striped Louis XIII chairs. A great

modern twist on an antique piece.

Quintissential French furniture

reupholstered in a beautiful sky blue fabric.

Gorgeous Georgian styled bergere

chairs brilliant striped fabric.

Now this is a piece with character. A federal

door frame that's been made into a book case.

Not to worry for all of you fans of midcentury pieces.

How's this display cabinet made of staggered lucite

shelves and mirrored backing?!

Midcentury modern chairs reupholstered in Orange.

Beautiful leather armchair that has

the perfect amount of distress on it.

Gorgeous Italian dining table. I really covet this piece.

And a Napolean game table with lacquered finishing.

There's definitely more than enough room for both 1st Dibs

and Bond and Bowery so I hope you'll take the time to check

out their site!

All photos from Bond and Bowery.

Downtown ~ Fun & Eclectic - Something for Everyone

Downtown is a very fun & eclectic home

furnishing store with a store in L.A. and

one in New York with Joe Nye. The photo

above especially struck me because of the

color combination. The contrast of the

green against all of the corals, reds and

golds really grabbed me.

I've pasted here what Downtown has

to say about the photo above.

"The first photo is the Tony Duquette windows

done in December in honor of the launch of the

Tony Duquette book. Hence the red pipe cleaners

mimicking coral strands that Tony Duquette

would have used. Playful interchange and lively color
Is a hallmark of the Downtown aesthetic. "

Quite a mix of different styles

wouldn't you say?

Here's the mid-century section.

I just love all of the colorful fabrics they

used to upholster the sofa and chair.

The green color of the wall is especially

striking.

Pretty bold indeed.

For those not so bold in color, they

do offer a nice selection of more

neutral tones and elegance.

A photo of their New York store.

I've noticed the greek motif has been

in lately. I personally have always

loved the motif whether it's been

"in" or not. Very classical - never

goes out of style.

More photos of their New York and

Los Angeles showroom. Pretty nice

wouldn't you say?

I really liked the Tromp L'oeil screen here.

Must always have a selection of antiques as well to round off.

Any favourites or anything that jumped out at you?

All photos from Downtown.