Kempton Park or other good places to find interesting furniture?

[londonlottie]

Has anyone been to Kempton Park antique market and would recommend? We're hopefully going to be moving into a house in a few weeks time which has a very different feel to where we've lived before - upping sticks from a very modern open plan apartment in Switzerland to an old country house in the UK.

Searching for things I like online is proving quite difficult - things are either a bit too shabby or too 'perfect' and new-looking... so I'm thinking somewhere like Kempton Park could be a good place to go searching.

I haven't been for a few years, but I used to go to this Market quite regularly. It is a huge market and well worth visit. My recollection is that whilst there were bits of furniture there, mostly it was smaller items.

Thanks, really struggling to find the kind of things I'm looking for online. Think Ebay might be a good alternative although I'd like to see things in the flesh - often that "vintage" find is actually just a bit... shit and old.

We're back in the UK from early Jan; will try to brave the 5am start and head down there for a look. Anyone have any other ideas where I can find things like painted (antique?) linen press, interesting chests of drawers, wall art, bookcases? I'm thinking a bit along Graham & Green lines, but a bit less overtly 'trendy' or statement.

Try Ardingley Antiques fair - it's about an hour or so from London - biggest fair around (about 2000 stalls if i remember!) and is pretty amazing! Lots of furniture as well as smaller things.
It's on every couple of months, they have a trade day and a public day (cheaper to get in). If you go on the public day, get there as early as possible as some sellers often start packing up by lunchtime if they've sold enough.
I've got a few fab things from there over the last year - a massive chunky box for a coffee table for £35, a mirror made from a wooden sash window for £40, a wooden shoe mould (?) to use as a doorstop for a fiver...etc etc!
Haven't been to Kempton though - but from what I hear it is similar, but smaller.
Hope this helps!

That sounds brilliant sophadopha - just been a'Googling and it looks fab! Have also been eyeing up things like Lots Road auctions, etc etc. Is amazing how much more you can get for your money than if you were buying new.

hi lottie

Have a look at The Old Cinema (they have a shop in Chiswick but all the stock is online too I think). Sounds like the kind of thing you might be after.

Lots Road is worth a look, as is Criterion Auctioneers (branches in Islington and Wandsworth)

Hmm, thanks for that mincie - added to the list of places to go and visit in the NY. :) It's so difficult because the house we're buying is currently occupied by the ex- art editor of some interiors magazine. Sounds good in theory - ie. it looked like a magazine shoot when we went to look round it - but I'm a bit wibbly about what to do with it once they've moved all their stuff out and our bags of shite arrive