Alfies Antiques

Everyone knows the only way to find one-off unique pieces is by either paying the hefty price or cruising various markets, car boot sales and vintage stores. Well at Alfies Antique Market you can do both.

Do not be deterred if your bank account does not put you in the running for the 2011 Forbes Richest list, as the inspiration you gain from being in the presence of such diverse pieces is limitless. Chairs doing things that should not work, in colours that should jar, but somehow it works effortlessly.

Alfie's Antique Market has been running for over 30 years having opened its doors in 1976. It features an outstanding Egyptian-style art deco façade and a rooftop café that is always buzzing with conversation. With around 100 antique dealers trading there it continues to get better and better each year, attracting the crème de la crème of serious collectors. Expect to be bumping shoulders with interior designers and celebrities eager to get their hands on antiques or collectables for their homes.

The Market, which sits on the corner of Church Street before meeting Lisson Grove, boasts a range of treasures that come in all shapes and sizes. These include 20th century retro goods, fashion and accessories, modernist furniture, costume jewellery and decorative arts. In addition Church Street itself is full of even more antique shops - many of which started life at Alfies, which is the largest antique arcade in the country.

The dealers at Alfies will baffle you, with their vast knowledge of not only the products they are selling, but the era in which it came from. It is the experienced specialists at Alfies that has helped maintain its reputation as London's foremost centre for antiques and vintage fashion. So whether you are looking for a Clarice Cliff tea set, an objet d'art piece or just ideas for your home, Alfies is the place to be.

www.alfiesantiques.com

bent ply

A former resident at Alfies, now located at 95 Lisson Grove, bent ply is a quaint store that specialises in furniture from the 20th century.

Owned by half Lebanese architect turned interior designer, Bruna Naufal, an eccentrically bubbly mother who has been in the business for 20 years. She is a huge fan of 1920s dolce vita Italian furniture and designers Ernest Race and Alvar Aalto. She loves plywood so much, that when it came to she naming her shop she just couldn't resist.

Here she shows us her five favourite pieces in her 2-storey shop.

Bruna is a very keen buyer who is always looking for new pieces. Visit her instore and check out more of her pieces at: www.bentply.com

Bruna's Desk

The desk: Where Bruna gets most of her work done and thanks to a very comfy Reebok ball she sits on, she can do so in comfort. Although she was embarrassed by the mess, it looked wonderfully placed

Miniature building: This is apparently a building that exists in Oval. "I found it when I opened the shop and it's been protecting me since!"

Schmid McDonagh

This 2-year old shop manages to stand tall amongst the stiff competition of Church Street by providing German design pieces.

"These mid century German designs are quality made and boast a high standard of craftsmanship," says part owner Andrew McDonagh, who entered into the antiques field through his partner.

Here are his five favourite pieces.

Angell Antiques

Packed with various worn looking objects, this antique shop captures the real beauty of the industrial style it is known for.

Angell is very active in his pursuits for antiques to fill his shop. Not one too keen on minimalism, he likes to fit as much as he can in the store, so he can sell and repeat the whole process again. Due to his many years in the antiques business he has developed a vast amount of contacts from all over the world - meaning he is constantly on the move.

Here are his six favourite pieces - he almost forgot his absolute favourite piece:

"All these would look great in a warehouse conversion." Says Angell, but alas, we can only dream.

www.angellantiques.com

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