Shop snoop around D and A Binder. This vintage shop display furniture emporium is one of London’s best-kept secrets. If you enjoyed watching Mr Selfridge on TV and admired all those vintage display cabinets, you’ll love this place. Located on Holloway Road for over thirty years, the unassuming showroom is bursting with dressmaking dummies, shop mannequins, retro suitcases, wooden crates, industrial storage units, and so much more. I popped into D and A Binder and took some photographs to share with you.
Shop Interiors
Favourite Five Pieces From D and A Binder
I picked out five items to give you an idea of what’s on offer. I’ll start with the vintage shop display cabinet which was made by Dudley and Co Limited, who were showcase manufacturers located in Holloway London. These are from the mid-20th century era and graced all the best department stores in the city. They are well constructed and made from oak and with glass fronts. Aside from the tall units, they also have some countertop variations. This one didn’t have a price attached, but a similar model was on sale for £1000 plus VAT.
Vintage Shop Display Cabinet
Dressmaking dummies, tailors dummies and shop mannequins are available. This particular one dates back to the 1930s and is made by Kennett and Lindsell Limited. The company was established in 1877 and is still operating today. They are known for hand-making garment mannequins using traditional skills. This item is priced at £160 plus VAT.
Kennett and Lindsell Vintage Women’s Garment Mannequin
If you have a fascination with mannequins or display hands and arms, you’re in luck because there are plenty dotted around the store. Some are just loose, and others are on wooden block stands. These are quite quirky items that you can display in a curiosity cabinet or turn into a coat hook or something arty. Loose arms with hands are around £25 plus VAT, and some of those with a stand attached is £60-65 plus VAT.
Box of Mannequin Arms and Hands
There were plenty of vintage wooden boxes for sale, stamped with various nautical, seafood or fresh produce words. These would be ideal for keeping your clutter at bay in the kitchen or office. Some featured rope handles, while others had cutouts for ease of carrying. The average price was £24 plus VAT, which I thought was very reasonable.
Vintage Wooden Boxes
There were a few old suitcases on sale. I liked this brown leather suitcase which was from the 1920s. It’s useful as a storage place for keepsakes or documents; perhaps you might want to make it into a bedside cabinet or turn it into a shelf. The price is £70 plus VAT.
Brown Leather Vintage Suitcase
D and A Binder Shop and Stock
The shop is very unassuming from the outside. You’ll see a few items on the pavement to entice you, like an industrial trolley featuring wooden crates and wooden bench seating. The store is quite expansive, so do take the time to browse. The ground floor extends out the back with two adjoining rooms, and there is a basement. The stock is plentiful and stacked to the sides of the room, so you have a walkway through the middle.
Shop Interiors
I chatted with the owner, who told me he lives behind the store, which he’s been running for some thirty years now. He’s been in the antique business since his twenties and has previously worked at Portobello Road market. The stock is sourced from contacts in Scotland and Wales, which is getting harder to find now that this type of furniture has become popular. Quite a few pieces will need restoring, which the owner does on the premises, and he also has some reproduction furniture available.
Stock Selection
The main wares include traditional shopfitting cabinets, counters and haberdashery units in oak with glass windows. You’ll also find an array of mannequins, shop dummies, dislocated arms and hands (of the display variety), hat stands, wooden boxes, wooden trays, wood coat racks and some vintage suitcases, a few random items. Customers include set designers and prop buyers for TV shows like Mr Selfridge, retailers who want vintage-style shop fittings and quirky individuals who love industrial and vintage interiors.
D and A Binder Information
Shop Exterior
Aside from selling amazing furniture and exciting items, they can assist with shop fittings, making bespoke cabinets and carpentry services. You can view the website: D and A Binder to find out more about the shop. It is best to visit the store if you can because it’s fabulous. You’ll find it located at 100 Holloway Road, London N7 8LT. It’s in the middle of Highbury and Islington station (Overground line and Victoria line) and Holloway station (Piccadilly line). This area is booming at the moment, with some cool coffee shops springing up, so it’s worth a visit. The shop is open from 10 am until 6 pm Monday to Saturday and closed on Sunday. Enjoy your shop snoop!
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London.
