Antiques in Kensington, MD

“I had an excellent experience with Fabio’s work. I needed my armoire dismantled for a move—a highly specialized task—and Fabio handled it with exceptional skill. Beyond simply disassembling it, he offered to repair a broken shelf and replace a lock that had been missing for years. The shelf now looks as good as new, and the new lock is a perfect match to the original. Fabio is a true craftsman, meticulous and dedicated, who takes genuine pride in his work. He carefully wrapped each piece of the armoire and provided clear instructions to ensure it would be safely transported. Craftsmen like Fabio are rare, and I highly recommend his services.”

“Outstanding workmanship. Honest, forthright, superb craftsmanship. I've been working with Brian and Gallo for 20 years, on numerous vehicles - usually at least one or two of my old cars are in the shop at any given time. Without fail, each time, the cars come out as stunning works of art. Now, fair warning - this is NOT a place to go for cheap or economy (or for that matter, fast overnight) work. Brian is expensive - you must know that going in. But he also is very accurate in his estimates and his timekeeping and recordkeeping and billing. Usually, when I go there, I wish there was a vaccine for sticker shock - but I've developed a fair immunity over the years. Because - the results are worth it. All of my cars usually go into the shop as hopeless rust buckets - or otherwise as failed PO (prior owner) restorations (e.g., full of mud, bad paint jobs, shoddy mechanics, bad electrical, hidden rust). Gallo and Brian find all of that stuff and put the car back together the RIGHT way. In short, if you're looking for inexpensive, quick, fast-and-dirty, TV-reality car-flip el cheapo work, then go somewhere else. If you have the funds, the time, the patience, and the appreciation, then you come here for your restoration work. Put it this way - take a look at the shop. It's not fancy - they aren't taking your money and buying a bunch of fancy facilities and furnishings - it's a three-bay garage with a paint booth and a tented storage lot (graveyard?) out back, minimum frills, lots of work going on. And you can see the work being done - it's right there in front of you. You can see the time and quality going into each project. And Brian keeps extremely accurate records of each nut, bolt, part, etc. that goes into the restoration. The other plus - Brian outsources his upholstery work to the best in the business, Jamie over at Car Care Customs in Silver Spring. Jamie is the nicest guy in the world, and does absolutely astounding work (again, take a look at the no-frills shop on Garfield - fabric piled to the ceiling, sewing machines humming - all business). Fair warning - better get Jamie fast, since I think he will be retiring soon. But, back to Brian's place - I think I'm probably on my 5th or 6th project (more to come). I'm a huge fan of this shop and of the fine individuals who own and operate it. Has my bank account suffered? Absolutely - painfully. But has my garage benefited from their work? Without question. It never fails - once a car is done (and this may take years), wherever I go, that car turns heads and stops traffic. So, to the haters (the one-stars), sorry you feel that way - there are plenty of fast-fix, cover-the-rust-with-mud places, here today, gone tomorrow. The car restoration business is not for the faint of heart or the light-of-budget. You'd probably be better off going somewhere else. As for me, I'll stick with Murphy Brothers.”

“Great place to spend an afternoon. Lots of shops with a good variety and nice restaurant. Easy to navigate. Staff members in all the shops we visited were welcoming and friendly. Like anywhere, some prices seemed high and some seemed very reasonable.”

“Go-to retail shop for all things creative and DIY. Especially if you are one to look for inspiration in-person rather than on Pinterest, you should wander here to find your next project. Kensington has a street dedicated to antique retailers, consignors and upcyclists which goes by "Kensington Antique Row." More information can be viewed at: kensingtonantiquerow.com.”

“Beautiful vintage artwork here! With every turn there was so much more to look at. Kensington has a street dedicated to antique retailers, consignors and upcyclists which goes by "Kensington Antique Row." More information can be viewed at: kensingtonantiquerow.com.”

“Adorable cozy little cottage nestled up in-between a row of antique stores. This shop is a great go-to for vintage tea sets, saucers, glassware, textiles, pottery, and even artwork. They also have a room dedicated to books and another to fashion items. All purchases go towards charity! Kensington has a street dedicated to antique retailers, consignors and upcyclists which goes by "Kensington Antique Row." More information can be viewed at: kensingtonantiquerow.com.”