London Shopping Diary
by Nan Quick
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| by Nan Quick The pleasure of the hunt for all that is surprising and beautiful cannot be underestimated. I spent the last week of September in London, during a perfect, untypical week of warmth and sunshine. The absence of rain encouraged me, between business meetings, and dates with daVinci (I’m on a lifelong quest to stand in front of every painting that Leonardo finished) and packrat Sir John Soane, to search for the most unusual home furnishings shops in that city.
I found five treasures: all single-location shops, each with goods that combine quality, elegance, and delight. They carried either new products, or antique finds…and with not a bargain to be found! All were inspiring, and worth visiting: In Notting Hill, on Westbourne Grove near the flea markets of Portobello Road, the THEMES & variations gallery displays utterly UN-flea markety decorative arts and furniture from the 20th century, with emphasis upon the work of Italian and Scandinavian artists. The large space is dominated by a sinuous (and comfortable, they told me) yellow tete-a-tete, along with a glittering, multi-faceted dining table that looked too fragile to survive a dinner with children, but was a jewel. Liliane and Suzanne, who manage the gallery, spoke enthusiastically about some of the artists they show: Tom Dixon, Andre Dubreuil, and the Fornasetti studio. |
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| THEMES & variations, 231 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SE www.themesandvariations.com |
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| Just around the corner from THEMES & variations is a completely different collection, where most objects literally shine. Bernadette Lewis, of B & T Antiques, has assembled a huge assortment of French mirrors and Art Deco mirrored furniture. Mark Lock, the shop manager, encouraged me to explore their two floors, which were jammed with pieces I admired: mirrors with blue glass insets, green glass candlesticks, leopard print occasional chairs, and my favorite (and least portable item there): a massive aluminum wardrobe. |
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| B & T Antiques, 47 Ledbury Road, London W11 2AA www.bntantiques.co.uk |
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| South of Notting Hill, at Holland Park, in an enclave known as Clarendon Cross, Stephen Ryan Design & Decoration has the best assortment of lamps I’ve ever seen; they’re all simultaneously humorous and refined and I wanted to ship home a crate-load. Stephen Ryan has been practicing interior design for 27 years, and this small shop offers just a glimpse of his huge range of work. But since I found lamp-Nirvana there, I concentrated on his lighting: |
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| Stephen Ryan Design & Decoration, 7 Clarendon Cross, Holland Park, London W11 4AP www.stephenryandesign.com |
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| In southwest London, on the border of Kensington, Chelsea and Fulham, I stumbled into the best-named shop of my excursion, The Odd Chair Company, which is located on a side street that one might easily miss. Names are destiny, and these designers and builders of hand-crafted, upholstered chairs live up to theirs with seating that is opulent, comfy, perfectly made and gorgeously ODD. Maureen Yiaxis, the manager, apologized profusely to me for the absence of the fresh flowers which usually decorate the shop (the florist was due tomorrow), but I was mesmerized by the saturated colors of the fabrics and the jewel-like pillows. |
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| The Odd Chair Company, 535 The Plaza, King’s Road (corner of Lots Road), London SW10 0SZ www.theoddchaircompany.com |
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| Although Rupert Cavendish Antiques is on King’s Road, and should thus be easy to find, I almost missed these four floors of what may be the world’s best collection of Swedish Biedermeier style furniture. King’s Road is crammed with shops, and shopping-fatigue had hit me. I’d endured visits to countless stores not worth mentioning, and was hotel-bound, when the sexy chaise in Cavendish’s window caught my eye and pulled me inside. The manager, Hakan Groth, gave me a complete tour, along with an entertaining and scholarly commentary on his amazing inventory, most of which I loved. |
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| Rupert Cavendish Antiques, 610 King’s Road, London, SW6 2DX www.rupertcavendish.co.uk |
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| A Note about Nourishment: London shoppers in these districts that I visited retreat for lunch to The Top Floor Restaurant of Sloane Square’s Peter Jones Department Store, which has a drop-dead view of the London skyline, not-bad food, and easy parking. Peter Jones, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8EL www.peterjones.co.uk A Note about Exploring London: Parking is impossible, and since hiring a black cab for the day is astronomical, the solution for expeditions such as mine is to call Claire Ross, the London Walks private guide/driver. Claire is straightforward, stylish, erudite and a helluva driver. Claire Ross, tel. +44 (0) 20 7402 3536 www.walks.com A Note about London’s Columbia Road Sunday Flower Market: Every Sunday, from 9 AM to 2PM, this nondescript street in London’s gritty Shoreditch neighborhood is transformed into a place of flowers, fragrances, Cockney sales pitches and affordable beauty. Don’t miss it! |
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| A Note about Where to Rest Your Head: I stayed for a week at The Zetter, a small hotel which is in a renovated warehouse, just a 15 minute walk north of St. Paul’s. The Zetter is now my home-away-from-home in London. Big showers (very un-English, bless ‘em), beds as comfortable as mine at home, deep pillows, orange blankets with big “ZZZZZs” on them ... an easy place to relax. Cutting edge design, but with a casual vibe. A good in-house chef, with a light-filled dining room overlooking St. John’s Square (and another fine new restaurant, The Modern Pantry). Professional and friendly staff. Fresh spring water, pumped from a well in the basement (really, but that’s a long story, going back to the 17th century ... you’ll have to stay there to learn the history of the restorative Clerkenwell waters). |
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| Night view from my room at The Zetter. |
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| The Zetter, St. John’s Square. Inset: A standard room—all have bookshelves stocked with Penguin Classics. |
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| A light dinner from room service. |
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