A street with a name like Lots Road has to have an auction house.
And this little side street, once part of the industrial backwaters of Chelsea, has had an excellent one since 1979.
Welcome to Lots Road Auctions: a sprawling, bi-level warehouse filled with furniture, artwork and bric-a-brac meticulously sourced from across the globe… and the homes of fabulously wealthy Chelsea locals. It’s open five days a week for browsing, allowing you to get lost in a warren of baroque sofas and midcentury sideboards, Persian rugs, modern art, antique chests, porcelain vases and hand-painted Moroccan occasional tables.
While your home is, most likely, already crammed with such things, you can head along on a Sunday afternoon to witness – or even partake in – one of their live auctions. This gives you the opportunity not only to snag a rare vintage armoire for your 1 bed in Catford, but also to hone your cool auction persona (leaflet flicker, insouciant head nodder, etc). and pretend you’re in a Bond film and/or Bargain Hunters.
Playing bidding chicken with your companion is an endless source of fun – but with prices starting around the £100 mark, you might get genuinely lucky and leave with a relative bargain under your belt.
NOTE: Lots Road Auctions is open for browsing Wednesday-Sunday. Auctions take place every Sunday at noon; you’ll need to turn up a bit early to register for your first visit. You can see what they’ll be selling, and find out more, HERE.
Lots Road Auctions | 71 Lots Road, London SW10 0RN
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