London

After a 10 hour flight I woke up to an amazing sunrise over the UK.  Having the entire day ahead of me meant I could spend some time at one of my favorite markets in London, Portobello Market on Portobello Road.

One of my favorite places to visit on Portobello Road is Chloe Alberry best known for unique hardware.  They also carry antique tile, some over 150 years old.  I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Chloe Alberry is not a big shop, but they have tables full of unique door knobs made of cyrstal, marble, bone, and ceramic.

One of the tables (below) looks like bowls of candy, but they’re actually cabinet knobs.  I could have filled an entire suitcase full of ‘em

After a while it was time for a pit stop at my favorite pizza place on Portobello Road.  If you ever visit, you can’t miss it...it’s the only place with a miniature car in the window with a slab of pizza sticking out of it

My next stop was at a print and map shop.  They have boxes full of old maps that are easy to transport home.  Many of them are printed on paper that has weathered over the years adding a nice patina to them.  On a recent project, I framed a large map of Paris cut down into 36 individual frames.  On this trip I bought maps of London from the early 1900’s.

In addition to the many boutiques, some vendors set up tables on the street (below).  This gramophone caught my eye, but it was the pewter miniature English cars that will come home with me.  I recently saw replica’s of these cars in a Ralph Lauren Home store. They will make a great accessory in a study or paired with books on a coffee table.

That’s it for today - check back as I head North to shop for Art Deco light fixtures with a client. Cheers - Kenneth