For years London’s most exclusive shopping street looked slightly uninspiring. A dozen expensive shops were scattered among main stream brands such as Tiffany and empty “shop units to rent”. But Art is changing Bond Street.

These days Bond Street looks smarter than ever with added pedestrian space and a not least a growing number of art galleries.

Opera among the first to appeal to interior-centric art lover

One of our favourite art showrooms is Opera which quickly appealed to younger and more interior-centric art lovers. They are the millennials who want a modern look with wit and colour rather than pedigree landscapes.

Back then, some 10 years ago, Opera stood alone among far more conservative and established sellers such as Mallett art and antiques. Mallett happens to be Oprah Winfrey’s favourite London store btw. Today there are a dozen or so super cool art galleries, particularly in New Bond Street leading into Oxford Street.

Some of those galleries sell out-there pieces one would barely describe as art. Those “unusual” works of art certainly are colourful and shout “I’m an art collector” about any investor. Abstracts, Disney and various Andy Warhol rip-offs are flying out the doors. Perhaps today’s art lovers have grown tired of Rolex and Cartiers as status symbols.

Art is changing Bond Street: Party central for younger art lovers

For years many of London’s most seasoned party goers considered Opera Gallery their home-from-home: the gallery is well known for throwing some of the best private views in London over the years.

But today the doors have shut – luckily though, not for good. Opera is moving across the road in a few months. But until then, the gallery pops up in the area with smaller shows. Tonight Burlington Arcade played host to Opera-goers for a small pre-Christmas show featuring Spanish artist Lita Cabellut’s mixed media paintings.

Spanish Artist Lita Cabellut launches pre-Christmas private views

It will be several months before the new venue is ready, but London has become used to pop up shops and galleries in the last couple of decades. This is not least to an extraordinary hike in commercial rents which has seen shop owners moving from one site to another.

That’s difficult for them, but adds an element of fun and something unusual to the art and interiors shopping experience. Still, the paintings are flying out the doors, and Cabellut’s are handsomely priced, anything from around £3,000 – £70,000.