INTERIOR DESIGNER GUIDE TO ANTIQUES SHOPPING IN LONDON

At Temza Interior Design Studio, we would always recommend purchasing antique furniture based on the quality of the chosen item. The higher the quality, the longer the piece would last you. In result, it will save you money in the long run! Especially if you would like to keep the existing ‘classical’ style. 

Clifton Hill Project

The condition of the item is almost as critical as its quality. Our interior designers would always recommend to buy pieces which already are in good condition. Of course, there might still be little imperfections, and restaurateurs would gladly repair these for you at an additional cost. Don’t be afraid of small scratches, they add this particular moment of authenticity and recognition of the era they were created.

Upholstered furniture is an entirely different story. Make sure you really are in love with the piece you are planning to purchase and be ready to pay a lot for reupholstering. It is not an easy task, we have to admit. 

When you buy antiques, and especially when you’re planning significant investments, we recommend to go to a respected and established antique dealers. They have the knowledge and will advise you on the state, quality and history of the furniture you are buying.

While we are on the topic, the dealer or seller should be able to give you details of the item you are interested in, unless you are buying little items in bulk (like cutlery, glasses and other trinkets).

For bigger pieces like a chest of drawers, sideboards or desks, ask for a description that provides circa age, period style, timber, condition of the piece, if any restoration has been undertaken, and also the provenance of the item. 

Often photographs online lie about the state of the item and furniture. Feel free to request more images if needed, as well as angles or details that you wish to take a closer look at. Wherever possible, request to see the item and check the condition. Balance of the pieces is a tricky thing to inspect through a monitor. 

Enquire about the dimensions of the item and of course, measure the space that you acquire. A good idea is to cut a template of the item and place it at the desired area for example. If perhaps you use a CAD software, place the article on your 2d plan and check for yourself if it would fit nicely.

Take good care of your newly purchased beauties. Use a good furniture wax with beeswax. But avoid sprays with silicon as they will spoil the original finish.

Now that you are ready, here is a list of our tested and favourite places to purchase antique pieces. Only recently Temza completed a project of grade II listed, early Victorian House in Clifton Hill and we sourced many of the pieces from these exact locations. 

Auctions Houses-good items, reasonable prices. We placed our bids in these two Dutch auction houses and were fully satisfied with the obtained furniture and items. One thing to keep in mind though, you might need to organise your own transport and delivery. But trust us when we tell you, prices are totally worth it!

Veilinghuis Peerdeman 

Twents Veilinghuis

Antique shops London-the city is full of these. We have had a great experience at the following places: 

Antique and flea markets London-or an exciting way to spend a weekend in the capital.

Old Spitalfields Antiques & Flea Market 

Camden Passage 

Portobello Road, Notting Hill 

Covent Garden Antiques 

Bermondsey  

Greenwich  

The Decorative Antiques and textile

And while London is a great place to find antiques and surely will provide you with a large selection of items to furnish your home with, interesting finds can be discovered all over the island. If you would prefer a weekend getaway plus a little bit of shopping, here are some must stops.

Hungerford, Berkshire 

Tetbury, Gloucestershire 

Honiton in Devon 

Margate, Kent 

Lewes, Sussex 

Finally, here are a few recommendations for the busy ones, for whom online shopping is the only option. 

The Hoarde

Antiques Atlas

Pamono

1stdibs

Rough Old Glass