To say I am a fan is actually a wild understatement…read more I couldn't be MORE of a fan of this place if I tried. The entire experience has been nothing short of absolutely incredible, professional, cool and collected. This is as indie as it gets folks. A beautiful shop in Shoreditch run by two artists (Richard & Robin) with a real passion for not only reclaimed vintage pieces and sustainable function, but in welding these elements together to create beauty. They do custom work as well, are extremely skilled with iron (check out the fixtures in the store -- and they can customise anything), and a keen eye for eccentric pieces. Now, I know what you are thinking: "must cost a fortune." AND, you'd be wrong. I was shocked too at how reasonably priced their pieces are. We purchased a coffee table (an old kindergarten school table) for 45, a storage trug for 45 and the crown jewel: a salvaged steel table (HEAVY) with custom built wood slat top for 475. Compare that to the junk you can get on Tottenham Court Road, no contest. Better looking, cooler, independent business and...cheaper. What's the risk!? None! Richard and Robin delivered it to my home today (obviously this costs a bit extra) and managed to get this very heavy and slightly awkward shaped table into my kitchen. I don't even really know how they did it...but they did so and with grace. Barely a nick on a wall...if it had been me, the whole building would've been banged up after that job. They were polite, professional, and genuinely so cool to work with. We'll be coming back, signing up for the mailing list and shouting it from the rooftops...I also love their typewriter keychains and they have 2 old Stik (graffiti artist) doors that are on sale (a bit worn), that I so wish I could buy. My roommate is not in agreement, but please...go own an original! (orange background). Their website is also a good resource -- they have almost everything listed on there. *accepts credit cards. *open Sundays. Super fan girl, right here.

This place is a real hidden gem... tucked away in Shoreditch. They make their own furniture out of…read morereclaimed items and seem to stay as true to their typewrite theme as possible... key chains, etc. I found this place while I was wondering around my neighborhood and soon came back to look at furniture. Many of their pieces are made of steel & old growth wood and they have a gritty industrial feel to them. Richard, the co-owner was gracious on each of my visits and explained enough about the pieces to give me a quick anecdote if i needed to boast to my friends (this one was in vogue uk, this one is made from floorboards, etc). What is great though, is how well these pieces are priced. I love looking for furniture like this and tables like these can go for thousands, instead you get them for hundreds. Very good deal at the price point. They also offer delivery and can build custom pieces. The typewriter may be obsolete, but if Richard & co can keep finding, making and selling furniture at such realistic price points, I think Type will be around for a while... ...maybe long enough to be in business when we all are using typewriters again... trust me.. I watch enough scifi to know that big changes are coming

Located in historic Notting Hill, Portobello Road, this is one the coolest antique souvenir stores…read morewe discovered on our trip to London. I bought a few items that look great in my office.

Though this shop might feel a little small, it has items in every nook and cranny, so it's a little…read morebit like a treasure shop. When there in early June, it has everything from new mugs to vintage glass bottles to old road signs to bigger trunks and furniture-like items. For printing, it seemed to be mid-range. Some of the vintage bottles were in the ballpark of £10-12, mid-sized trunks and other vintage items were £50-100 (depending on what it was), while some more noteworthy items were several hundred pounds. I definitely recommend taking a look if you like vintage items since its a bit of a treasure trove.

Grays is a multi-level, huge building filled with stalls of antiques that remind one of the…read moreManhattan Art Antiques Center in NYC or the now closed Louvre des Antiques in Paris Two floors of costume & fine jewelry alike. There are vintage pieces, new pieces, signed pieces and watches. The vendors are all super-friendly and there is no sales pressure. Some stalls offer VAT back and some do not but prices are negotiable so there are fantastic deals to be had either upfront or through VAT refunds so choose your scenario I could not resist this fabulous bee brooch from Lisbon & while there was not VAT back offered, the appraisal I obtained after I got back home to the US more than satisfied the price I paid. Lots of patrons & chatter & banter among the vendors & visitors - huge fans & we'll be back for sure!

I could spend all day looking around Grays Antique Market. The indoor market is ideal for cold and…read morerainy days. The two floors are filled with various stalls and exploring can keep you warm and dry for hours. There are about 200 antique dealers inside the market, not all were open but the vast majority were doing business and happy to help you. Most of the stalls seemed to sell jewellery and watches. I saw lots of pretty shinny things, but the price tag on some might preclude excess buying. The good thing is that the dealers are willing to make a deal. A watch I had my eye on for a Christmas gift was out of my budget but after a chat at the counter I was able to talk the owner down a bit to something I felt a little more comfortable parting with. If you go to the market the two things you must check out are the sliver shop on the first floor and the lost River Tyburn!! The silver shop has really beautiful pieces and I feel in love with an antique silver compact. As for the River Tyburn I thought it was just a little water for the sake of decoration until I was told it's the River Tyburn. I don't know how true that is but I left believing it was true.

I stumbled across Gareth's shop on a recent trip to London and was genuinely impressed with his…read moreselection of stunning, well curated, antique jewelry pieces. We had a wonderful conversation over the course of a couple hours and he probably showed me 50 different items, of which I bought quite a few. He was very kind in his negotiations and the prices were fair (more so than at Gray's). He was more than willing to share his knowledge of antiques and the history of the unique pieces in his store, which was really fun for me. If you're anywhere near Alfie's, do yourself a favor and stop by to chat with Gareth. You'll likely find something beautiful, learn something new, and have a lovely chat!

Located inside Alfies Antique Market, this is a wonderful little store with some very special…read morepieces. Gareth is personable and knowledgeable, making the shopping experience terrific. Rings, necklaces, etc. from a variety of generations, priced reasonably. We purchased a very special silver charm for my daughter that she will long treasure.

So exploring west London in preparation for Yelp's WestFest I stumbled upon this fabulous shop…read more Ignore the name, antiques enthusiasts look away now, the jewels here are for fashionistas! Art deco designs, 1950s plastic pineapples, Lady Di diamante replica drops, you name it and this shop has it! All with a price tag mind you but if you are looking for a special gift or item that will wow and impress all your friends look no further. You really can spend hours in here, or at least that's what I did. Everything is in a glass case as most of it is delicate and it must be hard stopping people with a five finger discount from snapping up these beauties otherwise. The items are all laid out thematically, so you'll find your scotty dog choker with the houndstooth broaches off course. Head on down if you have some time during the week, that way the whole place isn't over run by tourists and you can look in peace, even better than that, go on a rainy day... Notting Hill becomes a ghost town.

OMG soooooo many different pieces of costume jewellery. All displayed in colour coordination. It's…read morebreathtaking that you can have as many pieces of perfection in such a small area. There are labels to let you know what styles/eras you are looking at and everything has a price tag on them. I'm sure you'll be able to find anything specific you are looking for and the staff will be able to point you in the right direction if you are overwhelmed with choice. Please please go and see it for yourself. There are no words to describe the overwhelming beauty of the jewellery.

A hidden gem in Hampstead. The Hampstead Antique and Craft Emporium is easy to walk past as you…read morewalk down the main road. And looking down the section that it is located doesn't look like there is much there but there is. They have a lovely little coffee shop outside, then once inside there are rows of antiques, furniture, collectibles, and jewelers. I also found the people working there to be very friendly.

I passed by Hampstead Antique Emporium when we were there for lunch at Villa Bianca (reviewed…read moreseparately). When I walked in I was stunned at the lovely things you can buy there and such reasonable prices! There are about 20 traders & stalls here offering antiques and crafts; textiles, art deco jewellery, glass, china, miniatures and so much more. I especially liked 3D greeting cards, depicting miniature worlds produced by Karrie Barron cards. At another stall, they sell some stunning miniature boxes. I especially loved the art deco and Victorian style jewellery - and will go back to buy!! There are some lovely porcelain pieces for avid collectors. It is such a hidden place that you can easily miss it. I was really happy I found this place - it's such a collector's heaven and the prices are so much better than what you would pay in Portobello market or elsewhere in London. Also all the stallholders are so friendly and helpful! This is one of those secret London attractions that you have to discover for yourself and I highly recommend you do! It's amazing!

Loved the shop. Some of the prints were a bit pricy but I understand the trade. I've been looking…read morefor good prints to bring home to my mother in America and it was the best place to find exactly what I needed. Highly suggest!!

Magnificent! I was…read moreafter a print of Alexandra Palace for my fella's birthday and was pointed in the direction of Storey's by my mum: "You must have been before - that little store just off St Martin's Lane?" Erm, nope! Well, Storey's certainly is a 'hidden treasure' and I can't believe it's taken me almost three decades in London to discover it. Boxes and boxes of original, rare prints, from London scenes to military and naval to old maps - it's a trove of gems and I could have happily spent the entire day flipping through the images. There were three men serving when I arrived and one helped me to locate a fantastic, large print of Ally Pally from 1875 that was exactly what I was looking for. I continued to explore and also found a smaller print of 1820s Covent Garden market from 1885 and one of the Globe Theatre from 1885. The prices vary wildly in price, for example the small Globe print was a reasonable £30 while a similar sized map of north London was £230! Yikes! Many of them are extremely rare original prints and engravings, so it really depends on their age I guess. As I've said before, size isn't everything! My purchases cost me a modest £150 without framing, not bad considering their quality and uniqueness! They provide a framing service here but I wasn't sure where we'd hang them so decided to hold on so I could pick an appropriate frame later. This really is a great place to come for a thoughtful and unique gift for friends, family or that 'someone special'... or even just to treat yourself! If I'm in the area and have time to kill I will definitely be popping back in for a look around - I could spend hours in Storey's!

My absolute favorite on Pimlico Road. This interior design, furniture and art shop has a trendy and…read moremodern feel to it and the merchandise they carry is a testament to my words. In a street that is clammed with rather old-fashioned styles and slightly up tight attitude, Howe is a breath of fresh air, they offer furniture and lighting traditionally handmade in England, as well as a range of lighting. Also they usually do events that are mostly related to what they have in store, but that non-the less are really interesting and educational. Weather its a lightning exhibit, where they show the most relevant pieces that have illuminated us for centuries, or as they did in November, they held an exhibit curated by the owner of the shop. Cool stuff.