Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Mothers Day is fast approaching - we love Mothers Day here at Alfies, especially as most of the team live far away from their mothers, so for us its even more reason to send them a lovely present! Here are some great ideas for gifts from the dealers.

Beautiful 1940s Platinum diamond brooch with a drop amethyst from Zeeba Jewels




For the more extravagant gift we love this French armchair (available as a pair) from Travers Antiques


Stunning cocktail watch from Linda Antiques



Shelly coffee can and saucer from W & L Antiques



Beautiful Silhouette from a selection available from Barry Landsman

Alfies on Bargain Hunt

Just after Christmas we had the pleasure of having the Bargain Hunt team in Alfies. The resulting shows are being aired in the next few weeks. The first one was shown at the start of this week and can still be watched on iPlayer

The next shows will be aired on BBC1 at 12.15 on

Tuesday 29th March

Friday 1st April

Monday 4th April

London nights...

Like most Londoners, we are always keen to find new, inspiring and slightly 'different' places to spend some memorable hours.We have recently come across a fantastic looking venue which we will definitely pay a visit very soon. We are actually slightly embarrassed to admit that this is the first time we have heard of it, given how it is the world's oldest surviving Grand Music Hall. The venue we are talking about is Wilton's Music Hall near London's Tower Hill. Both, the Mahogany Bar and the actual Music Hall look stunning and promise to be quite an enjoyable adventure!

Another night out we are excited about is the club ShugaPush, a night of hot jazz, swing and blues from the 1920s to the 1940s which is held on the fourth Saturday of each month at the most wonderful cocktail bar Positively 4th Street. The place alone is well worth a visit probably being London's most beautiful Art Deco style bar. We love going there after work just to watch the mesmerizing ceiling fans while sipping a well crafted cocktail.

ShugaPush is the club night in London that first played only original 78s and this month's event will see its 4th birthday, how very apt! So get there on the 26th of March to listen and dance to the lovingly selected records played by resident DJs Swing Maniac, Kid Krupa and Tim's Jumpin' Jive.

We at Alfies love a night at a good speakeasy with the exciting feeling of doing something a little bit forbidden. There are more and more of these establishments popping up in London and the top one on our list is the Candlelight Club which is held in a secret London venue. The place is completely lit by candles, and for each event they offer a different, one-off cocktail menu. Events sell out quickly so get in there soon!

To get the perfect look or to even create a dingy prohibition night atmosphere in your living room, why not pop down to Alfies for a shopping spree? Please find below some ideas we collected for you:

A selection of beautiful vintage statement necklaces from Naneen Brooks

Very cute tea cups available in Beth's shop

A lovingly displayed selection of great vintage clothes and accessories at Dandy Dolls

A lovingly displayed selection of great vintage clothes and accessories at Dandy Dolls

Fantastic vintage accessories in Carole Collier's shop on the 2nd floor

Beautiful vintage lights in Renato's shop on the ground floor

Breathtaking selection of costume jewellery and handbags at Tony Durante's on the ground floor

A great variety of candle holders of a selection from Zeeba Jewels and Hayman & Hayman
on the ground floor

Beautiful, impressive candle sticks at Biis Century in the Quad

Mid-Century Magic

Alfies has always had an affinity for interiors and lately we've seen the trend for mid-century design skyrocket. With streamline designs and iconic style, Mid-Century still holds it's own in contemporary interior design and deep within design lovers' hearts.

Anouska Hunter Antiques at Alfies Antique Market.

Bent Ply at Alfies Antique Market

Quick definition: Generally speaking Mid-Century modern describes a mid-20th century design movement in architecture, interior, product, and urban design from about 1933-1970.

A pair of Diplomat Chairs, designed by Finn Juhl c.1960s.
From Francesca Martire at Alfies Antique Market.

I recently came across a fantastic online tribute to this design movement, celebrating functional but beautiful objects and creative modern style. The Mid-Century Modernist is a website written by Stephen Coles dedicated to discovering and re-discovering this exciting period of creativity and design.

Konditori Valand, Cafe in Stockholm.
From The Mid-Century Modernist.

In his own words:

"If good design is a balance of aesthetics and utility, the craft peaked in the years between 1945–1970. This era of modernism hit the design sweet spot: functional beauty. Finding harmony between the natural and the manmade, artists and craftsmen created objects that serve their purpose with organic grace. This site is a tribute to the mid-century modern movement as both a historical milestone and a living ideal, reflected in today’s best furniture, architecture, and design." Stephen Coles (aka The Midcentury Modernist)

1940s Teak Screen & Vintage Tub Chair.
From Biis Century at Alfies Antique Market

Rosewood Sideboard designed by Arne Vodder c1959/60.
From Tycho Andrews at Alfies Antique Market.

World Book Day!

Today is World Book Day! A personal favourite of ours, perhaps only to be topped by International Women's Day next week.
To do our bit in promoting this great day, we decided to take a closer look at the benefits and, one might say, wonders of antique books. After all, isn't every booklover also a collector?

While buying and sharing antique or vintage books could be seen as the ultimate recycling, one can't deny the importance and value of investing in new titles, supporting bookshops and writers. Still, there is a reason why uber-publisher Penguin and the likes are reprinting whole collections of classics with their dated, yet iconic cover designs: we want to be told and reminded of the histories of our books, their covers' artistic metamorphosis (good and bad) and the publisher's reason and sometimes struggle to publish them.

Example of the original cover design revived for the Penguin Classics series.

Another classic design that marks an era for the publisher.

The beauty of books is - although the writing itself is available in ever-new and interesting packaging - they don't just get older or used up; each publication is part of and adds to the history and life of a title, telling its own story as well as the story of its environment.

Penguin's fantastic 1970's Evelyn Waugh series.

In contrast: a 1945 first edition of Brideshead Revisited...

...and a bold 1930's edition of Vile Bodies.

In conclusion, this World Book Day we'd like you to join us in the appreciation of old and new, by being part of the story of a book: give a book, get a book, share a book, love a book. Or two.

'East West Antiques' in Alfies