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.
Some of the Grand Tour souvenirs that can be found at Le Bélier Antiques (Carnero 1, local 5).
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
antiques,
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."
Small and large-scale Nordic furniture continues to be the great attraction of the new Recova (Ribera de Curtidores 10).
Almost on the corner of Calle Carnero and Calle Ribera de Curtidores is La Recova, a benchmark for mid-century furniture
in
the capital that left its premises in Plaza del General Vara del Rey to settle on the main street of El Rastro.
Africa and Luis opened this establishment to offer deco
furniture and objects ,
from between 1950 and 1970, at affordable prices.
Alta Época pieces coexist with contemporary trends at Le Secret, one of the youngest antique dealers in Galerías Piquer.
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.
Gordiola's blown glass pieces are the protagonists of the Es Cantó store in Madrid, in Galerías Piquer.
Today the usual antique dealers alternate with modern spaces like Le 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 the Madrid version of Es Cantó in 2019 after living in Mallorca for several years. 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 have also been looking for novelties in blown glass from Gordiola or Majorcan language fabrics from Teixits Vicens”.
Period French furniture is common in Verde Gabán's new location (Nuevas Galerías, Ribera de Curtidores 12).
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.
Casa BlueMont offers antiques and future flower workshops at its Nuevas Galerías location.
In the spring of that same year, Maite Conde
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”.
Baroque and Gustavian Nordic furniture is one of the specialties at Maite Conde Antique & Deco (Ribera de Curtidores 12).
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 new Montbaron Gallery store is located in Callejón del Mellizo, in an old marble warehouse.
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.”
The Casa de las Musas is one of the last antique shops that has been incorporated into the busy Santa Ana street.