In today’s digital era, when so many products are just a click away, what better way to relish in the art of craftsmanship — and the thrill of discovery — than by boarding a plane and heading off to far-flung markets, each one brimming with its own time-honored treasures? After all, the finds worth toting home — be it an artisanal tour de force, a relic that’s endured centuries, or an overlooked 20th-century masterpiece — are not only items to live with but also to learn from. With that in mind, PRIOR asked four design experts who always leave space in their suitcase for an unexpected worldly wonder to reveal the antique markets they treasure most. Below, their go-to destinations around the globe, from an Iranian bazaar to tucked-away mercatinos.
Juju Ferentinos, Juju Vera Founder
Last year, Juju Ferentinos, a former vintage-jewelry dealer-turned-designer, debuted her own contemporary creations with the launch of Juju Vera. Fusing the past and the present, the hand-sculpted collection draws on a rich range of archival treasures, from Aztec and Art Deco necklaces to intricate Gilded Age iron and Roman asarotos oikos tiles.
“I’m always hunting for objects with soul. Vintage pieces that I stumble on in markets often inform my design language, whether through materials, forms, or the stories they carry. I’ve even drawn packaging inspiration from the typography on vintage posters and old printed materials I’ve spotted at fairs.
Mexico City’s vast La Lagunilla Market has an exciting energy and an eclectic, unpretentious mix of high-low offerings: a midcentury furniture vendor could be right next to someone selling street corn and used sneakers. (The tents cover a few blocks; I always enter at the corner of Calle Ignacio Allende and Calle Jaime Nuno near the furniture vendors.) Over the years, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from the market’s treasure trove of vintage Taine jewelry, and I often gravitate toward the Aztec designs and sculptural sterling silver pieces. You can also find amazing turquoise! Now that I'm in the process of decorating my New York office, I’ve been on the lookout for unique pottery, marble plinths and columns, and little Art Deco accents that will bring unique elements from the past into this new space... I recently found a collection of old prints there with illustrations of men and women dressed in ceremonial outfits. Pro tip: buy art that you can roll up so that it’s easy to transport; then you can have fun deciding how you want to matte and frame it once you get home.
I always stop at Green House Antiques & Collectibles, which is tucked away in a small town on Long Island’s North Shore, when I’m traveling out east in the summer. It’s a bit off the beaten path, which makes it feel like a true hidden gem. The space itself is unforgettable — a sprawling 5,000-square-foot greenhouse — and the variety is incredible: 16th-century gold mirrors, vintage Hermès scarves, and glass vitrines curated with jewelry from the 1940s-1960s sit next to phonographs, old fishing rods, and whimsical oddities, like miniature prop planes. One favorite find was an antique Greek marble plinth, which I now use in my showroom. I also picked up a vintage sterling silver Tiffany & Co. pen holder shaped like a scallop shell. Over time, I’ve developed a few go-to dealers I always make a beeline for, but each visit still feels like a new adventure. Once, when I was admiring a vintage beaded bag, one of the owners launched into a fascinating history of 1950s housewife fashion; a casual browse turned into a 30-minute history lesson. That’s the charm: you come for the finds and stay for the stories.”
La Lagunilla Market
Daily, 10am-5pm.
Green House Antiques & Collectibles, St. James, New York
Open Year-round, Typically open weekends 11am–5pm.
Xavier Donnelly, Ash Hotels Creative Director
Since graduating from RISD in 2014, the New York-based artist and Ash Hotels creative director has transformed settings far and wide — including Clare de Boer’s acclaimed Hudson Valley restaurant, Stissing House — through his richly layered interior design and imaginative collaborations with the likes of Nordic Knots and Backdrop.
