In Brussels, there are many places around town worth a look at if you love antiques & vintage or if you regularly follow antique roadshow: the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market, for example, is a daily antiques market held in a concrete square in the Marolles district, where you can find everything from fridges and wheelchairs to vintage clothes, antique bottles and cut glass.
And if you walk up to the neighbouring Rue Blaes, you will end up in a scruffy, shop-lined street where a number of antique dealers display the very best of their finds.
A world of antiques
But in my opinion and experience, there is nothing like the antique shop Stef Antiek. Starting with the shop front; it says it all. Period. I mean, look at it and tell me if it doesn’t make you curious to go inside and see if it’s as crazy as it looks outside. And you might really be surprised.
I didn’t expect an antique shop located on Kapellemarkt (Napoleon’s old stables, by the way…), not far from the city centre, to be so huge: you can browse through 950m² of antiques, vintage, original lighting, art deco items, old building materials and so much more!
And when I say “browse”, I mean “dig”: the items inside the shop are piled up to the ceiling or literally hanging from the roof! An antique lover’s paradise.
These guys have used every inch of space available to display their treasures. And it seems they never run out of any particular item (unless it’s really exclusive, like a vintage Ducati Desmo from ’74, an antique Albatros speedboat or a scale model of a vintage Hispano Suisa): you’ll find 1,000 vintage chairs, 1,000 retro lamps, 1,000 different types of antique building materials and more.
Do you want to furnish a house from scratch with old or antique items? No problem, Stef Antiek has got you covered: the shop sells old antique building materials such as doors & windows, cast iron & fences, antique bathroom fittings, vintage radiators, flooring, vintage garden decorations, old staircases, fireplaces, bluestone, antique furniture, vintage lighting and other retro decorative items.
I mean, if it’s not there, I don’t know where to find it (or if it even exists). It’s like the Alibaba cave of my childhood or, since we’re in Belgium, Hergé’s homeland, the cave of the castle of Moulinsart, filled with antique armour, paintings and chests…
Do you need a complete interior of a hairdresser’s, a herbalist’s or an old coffee shop? It’s there. Perhaps you’re more interested in an antique silver and brass lamp, an old English writing desk, an original Louis-Philippe armchair, various types of antique bottles, a vintage British carousel from the 40s or a crystal chandelier? It’s there too… It won’t be cheap (the prices are not the prices of an ordinary bric-a-brac, as it might seem – these guys know what they’re selling), but you might just find something that’s worth the price you’ll pay for it. And if you’re looking to find values for antiques of your own, they might be able to help.
If you are looking for something, or just out for a stroll, have a look around, let the inspiration work its magic and it could be your lucky day. And best of all, the antique stock at both locations (Stef Antiek Blaesstraat 63 and Stef Antiek Kapellemarkt 6) changes daily. It’s magical.
Stef Antiek Kapellemarkt 6, 1000 Brussels, Belgium (950 m²)
Phone: +32 (0)494 100 589
EMAIL: [email protected]
Web: http://www.stefantiek.com
Stef Antiek Blaesstraat 63, 1000 Brussels, Belgium (300 sqm)
32 (0)486 129 957
EMAIL: [email protected]
Web: http://www.stefantiek.com
Stef Antiek Mechelsesteenweg 333b, 2820 Bonheiden, Belgium (6000 m²)
32 (0)15 55 63 06
EMAIL: [email protected]
Web: http://www.stefantiek.com
