5 stores to hunt for rare antique in Ghent

Jennifer Kesteleyn runs a dark, mysterious shop filled with rare vintage finds. She displays an eclectic assortment of objects that might have come from an 18thcentury cabinet of curiosities, including taxidermy birds, architecture models and indoor plants. The shop is due to move in late 2024. Check the website for any news.

Here is a vast antique store located in a former 1902 ironworks. It is occupied by 15 different dealers who have separate collections spread over two floors. You can find anything you want here, including cinema seats, Danish designer chairs, children’s toys and doors salvaged from old houses.

A disused baroque church near Sint-Jacobskerk was converted into an antique store in 1980. It is crammed with old books, piles of prints, boxes of cutlery and odd statues, which are all for sale. They specialise in art from 1850 till 1970. Go down to the crypt to look at paintings by Belgian artists, and don’t leave without looking at the huge surrealist painting suspended from the organ loft.

Depot09 is a huge industrial space in Ghent docklands where 15 Belgian and Dutch dealers display vintage furniture, lights and design objects. You can track down enamel signs, 1950s tables and quirky objects to add a touch of humour to a loft interior. Or you can buy a gigantic piece of old machinery. The warehouse is easily reached by car if you decide to pick up something you have spotted on their website.

This shop near the Gravensteen castle specialises in mid-20th century modern furniture design and art. Head here if you are looking for something from 1950s to 1970s. You might fall for a sleek Scandinavian sideboard, an iconic Arne Jacobsen lamp or a nostalgic 1960s film poster.