Braemar Antiques
113 Northcote Road
London
SW11 6PV
020 7924 5628
www.braemar-antiques.com

Who: Marlis Ramos de Deus
“Lots of people come in and say they love the shop, that they could live here! That’s very pleasing, because it’s what I’ve put together. In the end it’s more or less my taste – it’s easy to sell something you like, you’re more enthusiastic about things you enjoy buying.

I’ve been here for 11 years. I started with pine and oak furniture, now I sell mostly painted furniture – over the years fashion changes and now people seem to want painted furniture. The furniture is mostly Scandinavian and French, I call it Continental furniture. I do buy some English. I try and do different colours. It’s what I can find and what people like. I also sell decorative small items to dress up the furniture like old photo frames and porcelain. I do lots of chandeliers, which go well with the mirrors.

Lately I’ve been doing very well with ladies desks, bureaus and dressing tables. Generally they’re a 100 years old or earlier. Decorative antiques is what they call it! Every fortnight I go to antiques fairs, I know lots of people there. I look around and spend all the money I take along!

I sell to people who live in the country, to people who have cottages in the country and even to people who live in Ireland and France. I cater for younger people who have some money to spend, but don’t want to spend £2000 for a mirror on the Kings Road. My customers tend to be from 30 years old upwards. I have regular customers who keep coming back. I have men coming here to buy birthday presents for their wives, they know they will like something from here."

When I moved here I was the first ‘nicer’ shop in this area. Some people say that ten, twenty years ago there were more artists living in the area, now it’s more middle class – lots of people with small children planning to move to the country. At the moment lots of people are worried because it’s become very popular and the landlords are charging higher rents. And then shops like mine are forced out. This is already happening. Lots of estate agents are moving to the area."

What: Decorative hand-painted antique furniture in the Continental style, sourced from France and Scandinavia. Just the kind of gorgeous furniture you find on the Kings Road but at much better prices. The tiny shop is bursting with tantalisingly ornate mirrors, chandeliers and photo frames. In the summer you’ll find Edwardian and Victorian reproduction garden furniture.

Why: Go and enjoy Austrian owner Marlis’s fantastic eye and passion for beautiful antiques. Perfect for getting well-priced unique ladies desks, bureaus, dressing tables and armoires. Apart from the bigger pieces look out for pretty picture frames and ornate mirrors and chandaliers guaranteed to add glamour and pizzazz to any interior. Look out for the pretty wind lights for hanging outside.

Where: Ten minutes walk up Northcote Road on the left-hand side, approaching from Clapham Junction station/Lavender Hill.

When: Mondays-Saturday 10am-6pm.

Photograph: Lisa Marker