Our Patch march 2017
to various companies and dealers who pay a monthly fee . It ’ s always been like that ; a collective of dealers , a kind of department store .”
One of the 30 plus dealers who showcase their wares is French furniture and artefacts expert Janet Peters .
“ It ’ s so professionally run , there is nothing like it ,” said Janet , who has been a part of The Old Cinema business community for the past three years .
“ It ’ s not your run-of-the-mill antiques centre – there ’ s no bric-a-brac – it ’ s much more specialist . People know they are always going to pick up quality pieces here . These are dealers and staff who are very knowledgeable – they know what they are doing and what they are selling .”
Unsurprisingly , The Old Cinema
began life as an Edwardian picture house , entertaining the area with flickery black and white silent films in 1908 , then talkies until the mid-1930s . During the Second World War it was taken over by the government and used as a parachute store . It began falling apart and became a dilapidated eyesore in
It ' s always been a collective of dealers , a kind of department store the 1950s until it reinvented itself as a giant junk shop . But the real renovation and improvement took place in the 1970s , after it had been saved from the clutches of a supermarket chain by a couple of determined antiques dealers .
In 1979 , The Old Cinema proudly reopened as the capital ’ s only retro department store . Initially it specialised in Victorian mahogany furniture , but it soon began diversifying into vintage clothing , Americana and , well , oddities .
Once named among the best 100 shops in the world by Retail Week magazine , the informal and characterful store has 10,000sq ft of nooks and crannies , offering a home to so many of W4 ’ s arty community .
As well as being an Aladdin ’ s cave of antiques , it ’ s also a happy hunting ground for interior designers and movie makers furniture bought at The Old Cinema featured in the Bond movie Skyfall … in fact Daniel Craig found himself handcuffed and strapped to a vintage industrial chair in one tense confrontation with the lead villain after the set designer pounced on a clutch of distressed metal seats . If you keep your eyes peeled as you wander around its odd staircases and hidden rooms , you can see the original gilded dome ceiling and the proscenium arch which once framed the cinema screen . An ever-changing inventory means there is always something new to see , and a lively online presence means you can do some initial browsing from home .
The Old Cinema , 160 Chiswick High Road , W4 1PR .
Call : 020 8995 4166 or visit : theoldcinema . co . uk Open seven days a week ( 10am-6pm Monday-Saturday , noon to 5pm Sundays ).