"So attractive, with its gorgeous windows and dazzling display of goods emulating a Turkish
Bazaar," was how 19th-century artist Charles Fraser described King Street--Charleston,
South Carolina's main shopping drag--in the mid-1800s. One hundred and fifty years later,
the busy two-lane avenue is still a shopping hot spot, drawing browsers and buyers from
across the country and around the world. "It has one of the most concentrated and varied
collections of antiques and home decoration stores in the country," says Michelle Hamilton
of Historic Charleston Foundation. "You can buy reproductions of Charleston classics at
our shop, Charleston-made originals at Estate Antiques, or something totally contemporary
on upper King."
Alexandra AD
156 King St.
843/722-4897
The newest addition to lower King Street's offerings is filled with furniture, antique chandeliers, chic custom-made lamps, and pillows and throws in sumptuous Anichini fabrics. Owner Ritva Heino makes frequent buying trips to France, Italy, and Spain and an appointment-only design consultation salon offers clients a full
range of contemporary European upholstery.
Jack Patla Antiques
181 King St.
843/723-2314
This antiques shop serves as a
reminder that Georgian English furniture and silver were the standard of elegance in 18th-century Charleston, when the city's wealthy ordered their tableware in London. Patla's has provided English silver, furniture, and accessories (with a few American and European pieces thrown in) to King Street's shoppers for more than 50 years.
Carolina Galleries
188 King St.
843/723-2266
This King Street veteran has featured the art of the early 20th-century Charleston Renaissance since it opened in 1963. Increasingly rare drawings,
paintings, and prints by Alfred Hutty, Alice Ravenel Huger Smith, and Elizabeth O'Neill Verner regularly grace the walls. These are complemented by the works of contemporary artists who continue the representational tradition of Southern art: atmospheric
landscapes by Stephen Chesley, Low Country landscapes by Craig Crawford, and painterly
watercolors by Thomas Sully, a descendant of the renowned American portrait painter of the
same name (and, in the interest of full disclosure, my husband).
Dailey-Grommé 20th Century
208 King St.
843/853-2299
www.dailey-gromme.com
Just up the street from the old guard shops, this newcomer celebrates the visionary designs of the Art Deco and Modernist movements. Collectors of
early 20th-century French and Belgian furniture and decorative arts, Dick Dailey and Tom Grommé began to offer treasures from their frequent buying trips to King Street's shoppers
a year ago. Thanks to the steady demand for their elegant inventory, they just relocated to a larger space at 208 King St.
ESD
517 King St.
843/577-6272
www.esdcharleston.com
ESD, which is short for Elizabeth Stuart Design, is the largest and most eclectic of the new generation of home boutiques, with its mix of antique, mid-century, and new furnishings, traditional chandeliers, chunky '50s art glass lighting, contemporary blown
glass, pottery, tableware, and jewelry, as well as pillows in every size, shape, and texture.
