These are new times for the old Rastro. Driven by a legion of modern antique dealers and refurbished establishments that overcome these turbulent times, this urban network between the neighborhoods of La Latina and Lavapiés, born with the aim of putting down roots, kicks off 2022 with the air of a new era.
Carlos Cuesta, a specialist in collectible watches from Madrid, and Alejandro Martínez, an Argentine dedicated to photography and Heritage, were clear that the headquarters of Le Bélier Antiques (Carnero 1, local 5), a space in which to materialize that delicate balance between decoration and antiquarian, as antique shops are known in Italy, it would be in El Rastro. “It is one of the places of reference in Madrid for the world of antiques and decoration. And, at the same time, it is a space for social, popular meeting, in which a very wide and varied public coexists”, they explain. This is how his store specialized in decorative objects and auxiliary furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries was born in September 2019. “We do not cultivate grandiloquence or spectacularity linked to the size of the pieces. We are small treasure hunters.” A cabinet of curiosities that stands out for its collection of tracings and academic plaster models distinguishes its catalog: “We are a benchmark in Madrid for all this material that we could only find in the old academies of Fine Arts.”
Almost on the corner of Calle Carnero with Ribera de Curtidores is located The Recova, a benchmark of furniture mid-century in the capital that left its premises in the Plaza del General Vara del Rey to settle on the main road of El Rastro. Africa and Luis opened this establishment to offer furniture and objects deco, between 1950 and 1970, at affordable prices.
Going downhill are the Galerías Piquer, whose rationalist plan was designed by the architect José de Azpiroz y Azpiroz in 1950. Its inauguration in that decade, by Concha Piquer, was so popular that the owners changed the initial name of Galerías Isla of Cuba by the tonadillera. The two-storey site, wound by a balustrade that gives access from the patios to the upper portico under striking Tuscan spiers and columns, is dominated by a tower of old houses.
Today the usual antique dealers alternate with modern spaces such as The Secret. Its founders, Juan Tapia, Luís Puerta and Juan Moliné, set up their shop in one of its superior premises and there they mix High Period pieces with contemporary trends. ”This is one of the spaces in Europe with the highest concentration of antique dealers. All the stores are in continuous contact and we are more friends than neighbors”, they confess. For them, El Rastro has gained a lot in recent years: “There are more and more stores with people determined to innovate, and it shows.” In the adjoining portal, Carlota de la Cuesta Giribet opened in 2019 the Madrid version of It sang after spending several years living in Mallorca. There he fuses tradition and modernity to create timeless spaces with natural materials and handcrafted pieces brought from the island. “It goes through streaks but the chaise longue Napoleon III style are very successful and whenever I find them I buy them. My clients also come looking for novelties in blown glass from Gordiola or fabrics of Majorcan languages of Teixits Vicens”.
Two years later, at number 12 Ribera de Curtidores, some French-inspired counterparts were erected with a large balcony overlooking the street. The New Galleries sign has been maintained ever since, announcing what is going on inside, since they bring together a large part of the new things happening in the neighbourhood. At the entrance is the new store for Verde Gabán, the antique shop where you can find everything from Louis XVI-style seats to contemporary ceramics by Eva Hernández. “In recent years they have opened a lot of very well-kept stores with all kinds of objects such as clothing, decoration and antiques, plants…”, admits the owner of Verde Gabán, Alejandra Pérez Marina.
In the spring of that same year, Maite Count He opened here his shop specializing in Swedish and French antiques from the 12th to the 20th century. Gustavian Nordic furniture by master chairs such as Lars Söderholm is its strong point. Conde began his career in the sector in 2012 and has incorporated advice on interior design projects together with the architect Sonia Padilla into his proposal. “The concept of decorative antiques is already a reality in Madrid, especially in areas like El Rastro where more and more antique dealers are collaborating on decoration projects. The golden rule is to mix the old with the new”.
The tiny Callejón del Mellizo is the new location of another mythical space in the area, Montbaron Gallery. Cristina García Campillo, architect of the project originally known as the Baron’s Testament, chose an old marble warehouse to offer a selection of European paintings suitable for all budgets. “Our space works more like a huge warehouse than like the classic object exhibition auction,” he says. Here the merchandise is arranged in enormous corridors marked by iron shelves, in which the paintings that the client can choose after a study of their tastes and budget are stacked.
The route ends in the most cosmopolitan street of the new Rastro, Santa Ana. New neighbors have joined benchmarks in the sector such as Casa Josephine or Marantikk, with more than 250 square metres. The most recent is La casa de las Musas, a family business for sale, rental and restoration that seeks to fit into current homes. “After confinement, many customers want to give their favorite furniture a second chance.” According to Valle, the area has become a must for those who want to decorate their homes with a certain sensitivity and distinction. “El Rastro stores have that unique wow factor, that treasure-seeking experience that probably only they will have.”
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