These Are The Best Antiques Shops To Find Second-Hand Treasures In West London

Antiques stores litter West London, selling second-hand gems like stylish mid-century modern furniture, French tapestries from the 1800s and vintage sports memorabilia. Read our guide to the best antiques shops in this suave area of the capital.

Circus Antiques

Set up in 2007, this antiques shop in Kensal Rise specialises in antiques from the 20th, 19th and 18th centuries. The shop currently stocks mid-20th century Italian armchairs, a 1970s convex mirror and a mahogany desk from the 1800s. It has products of different styles and from lots of different countries, including England, France, Italy, Sweden and America.

Circus Antiques, The Coachworks Mews, 27 Mortimer Road, Kensal Rise, London, UK, +44 20 8968 8244

1. Butchoff Antiques

Store

Based in Kensington, Butchoff Antiques sells furniture, mirrors, lighting, painting and decorative objects from the 18th and 19th centuries. The store believes in stocking ‘exceptional, exhibition-quality’ pieces – so expect the grandiose and the decadent – from Britain and elsewhere in Europe. Think of grand, carved wood display cabinets, ornate mirrors and Gothic-style chandeliers.

2. Alfies Antique Market

Building, Church, Market, Store

Billed as London’s ‘largest indoor market for antiques’, this building – complete with an Egyptian-style art deco façade – has more than 75 dealers selling vintage clothing, 20th-century furniture and collectibles across four floors. Objects on sale have included 1920s art deco cufflinks (yes, really), a 1950s American telephone converted for use in the UK and a vintage Ruinart Champagne display bottle. Make sure you check out the rooftop café, which has great views across London. The market was opened in 1976, after the building was bought by factory owner Bennie Gray.

3. Grays Antique Centre

Store, Building

Like Alfies, Bennie Gray was also behind Grays Antique Centre. Gray bought the Grade II listed building, designed by Edwardian architect Reginald Bloomsfield, before renovating it, and opening Grays in 1977. Nestled in the heart of Mayfair, the centre is home to 200 antique and vintage dealers. It’s got a diverse selection of antiques, jewellery, collectibles and vintage clothing from a wide range of time periods and styles.

4. Alice’s

Shop, Store

Head to Alice’s on picturesque Portobello Road for a hotchpotch of vintage porcelain, antiques, mirrors, artworks and furniture. Visitors are enticed into this pokey, red-painted shop by the goods piled up outside. Make sure you combine a visit with a rummage through Portobello Road Market, which is open every day except Sunday (although the best day to visit is Saturday). The market runs along the half-mile stretch of Portobello Road, and is packed with more than 1,000 dealers selling a wide range of collectibles, including typewriters, old coins, retro cameras, vintage clothes and tea sets.

5. Henry Gregory

Shop, Store

Also on Portobello Road is Henry Gregory, open since 1970, which boasts a selection of silverware, vintage luggage, old sports memorabilia and decorative items. Shop here for leather trunks to decorate your living room and tennis rackets from the 1920s.

6. Circa Battersea

Shop, Store

This store on Battersea Park Road specialises in mid-20th century furniture and lighting. The shop stocks furniture by French and Italian designers, including Maison Charles, Maison Jansen, Paolo Buffa, Gio Ponti, Willy Rizzo and Osvaldo Borsani. Lighting is stocked from renowned designers like Murano, Venini and Fontana Arte.

7. Furniture & Arts Building

Building, Shopping Mall

The enormous Furniture & Arts Building in King’s Road showcases antiques from the 20th century. Spread over three floors, this 30,000-square-foot space houses more than 20 dealers selling silverware, furniture, jewellery, paintings, ceramics and glass. The vibrant, green-painted building was previously known as the ‘Furniture Cave’, which is a good metaphor for how it feels inside.

8. Guinevere

Shop, Store

Guinevere has been going since 1963 and is renowned for selling stylish antique furniture, art, textiles, lighting and decorations. The shop was founded by French born Genevieve Weaver and is now run by her two sons Kevin and Marc. The store applies a modern approach to its antiques, and so some of the pieces have been restored to reflect their former glory – such as a pair of French armchairs dating to the 1860s, which have since been re-upholstered.

9. Julia Boston Antiques

Shop, Store

Another great antiques shop in King’s Road is Julia Boston Antiques. This store offers a selection of high-quality French antiques, lighting, furniture and artworks. Stock includes 18th- and 19th-century furniture, as well as tapestries and paintings dating from the 17th century. The shop was founded by antiques expert Julia Boston, who has also designed a line of table lamps, alongside its vintage collection of lighting.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.