Written by: Lee Muston | Edited by: Zoe Siegel

Along Front Street in DUMBO is the Antique Boutique on Front; a modest shop jam-packed with turn of the century lamps hanging from the ceiling, Victorian mirrors with ornately curled frames, and Baroque chairs decorated with a detail no longer seen in woodworking. The Antique Boutique on Front is located in a mall of sorts with delightful little shops that wouldn’t be able to exist without the munificence of a landlord who is promoting gentrification in the area. This mall allows month-to-month rentals rather than the yearly leases which prevent most boutiques from coming to fruition, making DUMBO one of the most diversified new neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Through the open door at 145 Front Street, you will find the Antique Boutique on Front in the second room on the right.

The proprietor, Daga Kanclerz, has been in business for only two months, yet her shop has a diverse and bountiful collection of antiques, including vintage Hermés and Louis Vuitton handbags from the 1940s and paintings and prints from the early 19th Century. The Antique Boutique on Front specializes in Baroque furniture, however this is hardly the limit to what shoppers can find in this shop. Most of the merchandise is European-made and in excellent condition. Kanclerz acquires her eclectic collection from private auctions at highly esteemed houses along the East Coast, estate sales, and from her connections to antique dealers in Europe. If this boutique does not have what you're looking for, never fear; Kanclerz will use her contacts to acquire whatever piece you're seeking for a fee cheaper than the price of tax in most Manhattan antique shops. The best part? The prices are all generously reasonable. Her Victorian mirrors start around only $250.

One of the most unique and interesting facets about this little Antique Boutique on Front Street is how Kanclerz collaborates with her husband who is a fine furniture maker. He will work with the home owner to design custom cabinets and furniture to compliment the interior. It is possible for existing furnishings to be modified to accommodate something like a pop-up shelf for a flat screen TV without compromising the exterior aesthetic of the piece. Most commonly, Kanclerz sources antique furniture and her husband modifies it or will use it in a room to compliment the custom installations.

These modified antiques and cabinet installations have been showcased in the Hamptons Sample House, which is a house featuring a modicum of unique furniture by different designers that goes up for sale every year. The prestige of their work has reached out all over the East Coast and even as far south as Miami.