Century style

Grand Central Station Antiques (Bayview)

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop

Midcentury modern may have won the mainstream popularity contest, but when we bought our hundred-year-old house, I committed to the full century. Don’t get me wrong, I love your retro walnut coffee tables and Sputnik-inspired light fixtures, but personally, I’m on the hunt for older English oak and mahogany, Art Nouveau leaded lamps, and Art Deco gilded mirrors. These can be hard to find in San Francisco, until you stumble into Grand Central Station Antiques, an unexpected treasure trove of European antiques on the outskirts of the city near The Old Clam House.

Owner Robert McCartney originally bought an antiques collective on Market Street in 1979 before growing the business, and eventually moving to the current location. He travels to England, France, and Belgium, and arranges shipments every six months.

On a quiet afternoon, it’s easy to get lost wandering around the dining tables, bed frames, and writing desks. I’ve bought a pair of Arts and Crafts nightstands with white marble tops from the 1910s — the same decade as our house — as well as an Art Deco mirror from the 1930s with a peaked frame that crowns our fireplace.

The full inventory is on the website, but insiders know they can shop McCartney’s shipping containers before they’ve even arrived — and that typically results in the greatest finds. –Becky Duffett

→ Grand Central Station Antiques (Bayview) • 360 Bayshore Blvd • Wed-Mon 12-5p.