Antiquing on a Hot Saturday Afternoon

Yesterday was the hottest day of the Summer thus far here in New York, but even with a 98 degree temperature coupled with extreme humidity, I still decided to brave the heat and spend the entire day walking around Chelsea, hitting up all the flea markets and antiques shops in the neighborhood. The strip of 25th street in Chelsea between Broadway and 7th Ave is filled with antique shops, vintage stores and flea markets and is always bustling on the weekends. Yesterday, however, was relatively quiet because anyone with any sense was at home indulging in the comfort of their air conditioner. It was actually sort of nice to not have to fight through a crowd for a change but I have to admit, the heat was exhausting. I visited many antique shops, vintage stores and flea markets during my Chelsea antique tour but I thought I'd highlight a few of the more notable places I went to. My first stop was the Showplace Antique Center...

As soon as I got there I headed straight to the top floor which is dedicated to home furnishings. (The galleries on the other floors mainly house collectibles, jewelry, art, etc). All of the furniture and accessories are curated into little room vignettes which provided plenty of inspiration.

These Milo Baughman tufted leather chairs were the first pieces I spotted when I reached the top floor. The chrome and the black leather combination is so masculine and sexy.

These French armchairs also stood out to me. The mahogany frame is beautiful and I love the black and white printed velvet fabric! I kind of have a thing for chairs...

I loved these too...

And these...

 

And these...


And this one...

I thought this piece was really interesting. It's an antique x-ray lamp from a dental office...

Also loved this pair of silver mid-century whippets...

This vignette was filled with many Hollywood Regency pieces. The Dorothy Draper chests were in perfect original condition. I also loved those blue murano glass lamps and the starburst mirror...

My next stop after the Showplace Antiques Center was right across the street to the 25th Street Flea Market. I breezed through everything pretty quickly because it was just too hot to take my time looking at everything. I saw a great pair of silver Foo Dogs that I really wanted but they were a little too expensive so I took a pass. On to the Antiques Garage...

The Antiques Garage happens every weekend and at this antiques market more than 100 dealers take over two floors of a parking garage to showcase everything from antique furniture, rugs and art to vintage clothing, jewelry, books and other collectibles. As the sign above indicates, admission to the garage is free.

This photo gives you a general sense of the atmosphere. I didn't buy anything here either but had a ton of fun looking.

After I left Chelsea I headed down to Soho to run a few errands. My stylish friend Linda recently told me about a great little antique shop there called Penine Hart Antiques so I made sure to stop by while I was in the neighborhood. Antique dealer Penine Hart's eponymous shop is filled with lots of French furniture, beautiful art and the most lovely ceramic and porcelain pieces you've ever seen. And best of all, everything in this charming little shop is relatively inexpensive. Definitely worth visiting if you're ever in the neighborhood. For more info on Penine Hart visit her website here.

Comments

[Jennifer]

I'm going to be in NYC in two weeks and you can bet I'll be going on that little tour de fabulous. Are these places open both on Saturday and Sunday?

[simplygrove]

Ah, I love this post!!! For those of us who are all the way across the country its nice to get a visual tour!!!! I love every chair that you posted! Lovely

[jennifer ramos]

WOW, im so jealous....the Dorothy Draper chests were featured in a scene in Sex and the City! they are fantastic.

Jen Ramos
'100% Recycled DESIGNER Cards & More'
www.madebygirl.com
madebygirl.blogspot.com

[Fay]

Great post and I absolutely love the Milo chairs. Your friend Linda is stylish to the max!! I love NYC and am inspired by it's sense of style....This is one of my favorite post...Thanks a bunch for the work you present... I want to visit all the places you featured when I come to NY this summer...Fay

[So Haute]

Hi Everyone! Thanks so much for your comments! Glad you enjoyed the post. All of these places are definitely worth a visit the next time you're in New York. And Jennifer--These places are open every Saturday and Sunday. The Showplace is open during the week as well:)

[Annie Empiric]

The hunt is my favorite part of the process!