Margate and shopping

My favorite seaside town in Kent so far is Margate. I never thought of going there before I came across two vintage shops on the Internet. So the first trip was purely to do some shopping, not sightseeing. But shortly after arrival I fell in love with this tiny town. There are two parts - new and old. The new part is nothing exciting, it looks like any other small English town, with high street filled with shops and one big shopping center. My advice is to stay away and head straight to the Old Town. It is a lovely place filled with tiny streets, vintage shops, boutiques and cosy cafes. During the weekends you can find few food stalls on the small piazza. For lunch go to Greedy Cow and for coffee to the Cupcake Cafe, but more about these places coming soon so shhh for now!

The seaside is great too. Pink umbrellas at pier cafe, colorful flags, fresh seafood stall and wide blue sea. There is also the glorious Turner Contemporary, opened just few months ago. Its modern design contrasts well with shabby chic of the surroundings. The town with it's windy weather and big sky was an inspiration for the great British painter William Turner-the gallery is exploring his influence and connections with modern art and contemporary Margate. I love the building and its interiors, incredibly sleek and modern.

There are of course my favorite vintage furniture shops so far: the R.G. Scott Furniture Mart and Junk Deluxe. An incredible places for pre-loved furniture and any decor stuff you can imagine. From salvage windows and doors, to old books, kitchen accessories and toys. Junk Deluxe stocks in retro furniture and other lovely bits and pieces. Both shops have enormous quantities of stock, friendly service and reasonable prices so if you are hunting for original items for your house, it is a place to go to!

 This is Junk Deluxe, three pictures on the right borrowed from their Facebook page. Oh, and the stag head is actually mine now...