Lacquer Chest & Lacquer Chest Too

Gretchen Anderson and her husband Vivian have been in the business for well over 40 years and the ordered clutter of their 18th- and early 19th-century household antiques creates a more intimate atmosphere than that found in the shop’s smarter neighbours. Think William Morris rush chairs, Welsh milking stools and early 19th-century, three-legged cricket tables (£500-£2,000). Gretchen is passionate about her stock – she loves pieces with an intriguing tale, such as her collection of 19th-century Scottish metal piggy banks, engraved with messages such as ‘Dinna spare the cream mither’. Most of the business is carried out behind the scenes, however; five floors hold an extraordinary library of antiques, with pieces hired out to film makers and stylists.