So here it is, Ten of the Top Best Antique Shops to visit in London. I’m often asked by decorators and antique enthusiasts to provide a list of shops in London I’d recommend to include in your search for new discoveries and so we’ve put together this mini guide to the 10 best places to purchase antiques in the capital.
I should add as a disclaimer this is not a definitive list, and there may well be instances where other places are worth visiting too – and in future in this blog I hope to do more specific lists. So this is a general starting point to provide an overview of the the very best quality antique shops you can go and see or visit online.
- Timothy Langston Fine Art & Antiques
On The Pimlico Road, our very own small but jewel like gallery in London’s design district takes the top spot. This corner shop houses a collection of English, Continental, Chinese and Japanese furniture, objects and works of art. The eclectic stock will appeal to all tastes and this business is especially popular with decorators. -
Mckinnon Fine Art Continuing the Mallet tradition, Charlie Mckinnon maintains a diverse stock of English furniture celebrating design from the late 17th through to the early 19th centuries.
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Ronald Phillips Second generation Simon Phillips, stocks the grandest English Georgian furniture. Many works of art are of museum quality and most furniture is accompanied by an illustrious provenance. His Mayfair premises is a joy to visit.
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Apter Fredericks Positioned on the Fulham Road, Apter Fredericks showroom on three floors is an essential stop for a discerning collector of English furniture. The company, founded in 1947, is eponymous with the finest English antique furniture.
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Godson and Coles This company celebrates the very best Georgian furniture in tandem with modern British paintings and sculpture. Their focus is upon colour, texture and form – works of art here have all been selected for their sculptural individuality.
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Patrick Sandberg Situated on Kensington Church Street, one of London’s antique thoroughfares, Sandberg has dealt in good period Georgian furniture for many decades. His stock is both impressive for its quality and reasonably priced.
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Raymond Horneman Raymond has a wonderfully decorative eye. His style is a confluence of English and Continental European design, fused with 18th century Chinese and Japanese porcelain.
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Guinevere Antiques This famous business is situated on the Kings Road in one of London’s design districts. The showrooms contain a combination of whimsical furniture together with elaborate objects and gifts displayed playfully together.
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Adrian Alan Ltd For those seeking to replicate the grandeur of the 19th century salon, Adrian Allen’s showrooms in Mayfair are a feast for the eyes. His furniture is largely revivalist and reflects upon the best designs from the 17th and 18th centuries in France.
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Anthony Outred Situated on The Pimlico Road, our neighbour’s gallery houses an interesting and academically chosen selection of antiques from around the world. You will see some of the finest 18th century Continental furniture in London together with esoteric objects from the Orient.
So there you have it, a selection of some of our favourite places to being your antique search. London has some of the most famous and impressive antique shops and I hope the places we’ve select provide you with lots of inspiration for your interior projects. If you’d like help with your journey, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We’d be more than happy to assist and share our passion. Antique buying as well as functional should be great fun too.
PS We have previously published a guide to buying antiques in London which you may also enjoy reading.