Splendid Antiques started life in 2010, it was established by husband and wife team Angelo & Siobhan Panayiotou, prior to this Angelo was the chairman of a public company in the leisure industry where he worked on high end interior design schemes in London with notable designers David Hicks and Eva Jiricna, Siobhan has always had a keen eye for interior design and has been an avid collector of Objet d’art and furniture, she would buy bohemian pieces as a young girl in Camden Lock, London some 40 years ago, her passion for furniture started back then which ultimately led to her starting up the Splendid Antiques we know today.
Quality rather than Quantity
Splendid has been supplying an eclectic mix of antique and mid century furniture for over 10 years and has supplied unique pieces of furniture to over 5,000 happy customers from all over the world, we focus on quality rather than quantity, we aim to source unique, rare, ones off special pieces of furniture that have a good provenance and a hopefully good back story, quite often our furniture comes from deceased estates but the family are always happy in the knowledge that the furniture they grew up with as children is now going to a happy new family to create fresh new memories all over again.
We source furniture from all over the world and quite often have to travel abroad just to view a specific single rare item that may be a one off that nobody else will have or has ever been to market before.
A Splendid Experience
Personal ‘One on One’ Service
We’ll discuss your exact requirements with you and tailor your shopping experience to suit you in every possible way. You can contact us via phone or email and we can get the process started.
Platinum Seller
We have consistently held a Platinum Status with 1stdibs the best shopping platform in the world. Our customers are all VIP’s and are treated that way, quality service is our mantra and we aim to please every time.
Great Shopping Experience
You will not get an easier, stress free shopping experience, everything you see is exactly as shown on our site and your item will arrive blanket wrapped within 7-14 days in perfect condition.
Big Selection of Quality Furniture
We buy and import quality, unique furniture from all over the world on a weekly basis, if there is something specific that you’re looking for that you cant see please let us know and we will source it for you.
Free UK Delivery
We try and deliver within 7 days from purchase but sometimes depending on where you are it may take 14 days. We will try and work around your time frame to make it as less stressful for you as possible.
No Quibble Returns Policy
Simple, if you don’t like the item or it just doesn’t fit right just let us know and we will arrange collection for you. Once received we will deduct the cost of delivery and the collection cost and issue you with a refund.
Sourcing Unique Items
Since starting our business, second hand furniture or the vintage marketplace as it is now better known has grown exponentially, the reason for this is people now want original unique furniture that isn’t mass produced and is high quality and made with exotic woods, the throw away society that we once lived in has now changed for ever, if people can buy something that is ‘better’ and ‘reusable’ they will opt for the recycled item rather than the off the shelf generic piece that everyone else might have.
Our business today operates from a 17th century barn with seven independent studios, each filled to the brim with the most glorious furniture from every era, 50% of our inventory is from the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century and the other 50% from the 20th mid century.
Splendid sources unique items for collectors, interior designers and private clients and sells on the best furniture platforms in the world as well as its own website.
Q&A
What are the future plans for the Splendid Antiques?
We plan to continue growing the business with antiques and mid century but with more emphasis in the specialist chair market.
Why Splendid Antiques?
We decided when we first started selling furniture that everything we had was beautiful and splendid, so we decided to call ourselves Splendid Antiques.
How many people make up Splendid Antiques?
Well, there’s Angelo & Siobhan, Sonny (there son) and a full time driver, we also have 3 restorers that work for us part time.
How do you sell your items?
We sell most of our items through our own website but also sell on 1stdibs, Chairish, Selling Antiques, Pamono and Vinterior.
How many pieces of furniture do you carry?
We generally carry around 250-300 items.
Where's the furthest you have travelled to buy furniture from?
We travelled to Rio in Brazil to secure a very rare Guiseppe Scapinelli Rosewood Credenza.
What has been the best piece of furniture you have ever sold?
I would say it was a set of four Samuel Pepys bookcases to an interior designer for a Castle in Scotland, they were absolutely incredible and I doubt if we will ever see anything like them ever again.
What would be your ultimate piece of furniture?
I would love to own something special like Hans Wegner’s personal Desk or Marilyn Monroes armchair, something that is one of kind that no-one else will ever have.
What advise would you give to someone starting out in business?
My favourite quote: "If you want to be successful, it's just this simple: Know what you're doing. Love what you're doing. And believe in what you're doing." Will Rogers
Daily new arrivals
Siobhan is front of house and deals directly with buyers and interior designers and handles a sale from start to finish including final delivery logistic, she will liaise with a client on a ‘one to one’ basis to make sure they receive their fabulous new acquisition in a timely fashion.
Angelo deals with the day to day acquisitions and purchases, he will buy inventory on a daily basis from all over the world, his day usually starts around 5am where he will hunt down furniture from other dealers or individuals that have emailed through items they wish to sell, he also coordinates restoration and reupholstery with our team of craftsman, he will then list the new items that usually come in on a daily basis onto the various platforms and our own website.
We try an upload furniture daily with our latest finds but if you can't see what you're looking for just give us a call and we will try and source it for you. All of our furniture is original and we do not sell copies or imitations, our furniture will always retain its age-related patina, adding character and showing the piece has had a life. Please give us a call if you have any questions or would like to see more images or wish to make a purchase. We deliver on a weekly basis and can arrange shipping to anywhere in the world.
Chairs are the backbone of our business, we think that a good quality chair strategically placed in a room or hallway can make such a huge difference in a design scheme, we view chairs as pieces of art as well as seating and absolutely love them.