Antiques in Kensington, MD

“My wife and I inherited a lovely 250 year old English grandfather clock - it had not been serviced in years and wasn't working properly. In addition, the case (especially the bonnet) was in poor condition. Both the finish and the structure needed a lot of attention. The fixtures supporting the finials were broken and a number of trim pieces had broken off.

The clock maker recommended that we take the case to Arte Lepre in Kensington. I contacted the owner, Fabio, who was simply fabulous. He repaired the supports and trim, and painstakingly stripped and refinished the case, using shellac for the final coating. The result was a case with a beautiful warm glow, highlighting the beauty of the original wood.

Fabio was a surprising and welcome find. He is a superb craftsman who is very engaging and communicated very well about all steps of the process.

If you have any valuable antique furniture which needs attention, you are in very good hands at Arte Lepre.”

“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.”

“Very large and many vendors and some with specific periods or areas of expertise.
My only annoyance was it's a bit of a maze but a very minor gripe.
Prices were normal and inline with what you expect. Would definitely return.”

“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.”

“I could spend hours here finding unique vintage and antique items. They have furniture, ceramics, artwork, linens and decor. I love the plants in old containers and the super cute handmade purses, tea cozies and pottery too!”

“This is a nice store focused more on Americana, country vintage, and primitive antiques. It is not a big shop but it has a good selection. There are a significant number of pieces of furniture and larger decorative items, such as wall art. Overall this store is a good resource if you are trying to decorate your space in country/Americana style with genuine vintage items.”

“Fantastic selection and wonderful prices! I was impressed by how much was packed into this shop, I’m fairly picky and walked away with a lot more than I usually do from the thrift. The clothing section is the real gem. I’ll certainly return!”