Homes & Antiques Special 2021

Welcome to the stealthy 13th issue of H&A , our annual month-less edition, which we have dedicated to heritage and sustainability in the world of antiques, craft and design. Throughout the magazine you will find carefully produced pieces that are as much about form and function as they are about beauty and considered consumption. Naturally, when one talks of good design in a domestic context, William Morris’s thoughts on beauty and utility come to mind, and this philosophy can be felt across our pages: from the elegant reimaginings of classic chairs on page 34, to his own home, Red House (p129). And our Style Now pages (from p18) are filled with ceramics, textiles and furniture that undoubtedly demonstrate the spirit of Morris’s views, though whether or not he would feel…

Rhiannon Batten wrote ‘Best Seat in the House’ Rhiannon writes about design, travel and food when she’s not wrangling her two small boys around the Somerset countryside. ‘We live in a farmhouse that dates back to the 17th century and, because it has such lovely old bones, I’ve found myself drawn to simpler, more sculptural pieces. Comb-backed Welsh stick chairs seem ‘plain’ yet they each have such personality. I’d love to have one by the fire!’ Joe Berger illustrated ‘Royal Warrants: By Appointment’ Joe is an illustrator and animator based in Bristol. He is one half of cartooning duo Berger & Wyse, producing a weekly cartoon for The Guardian since 2003. ‘It’s probably a cliché but I’m going to go Eames Lounge chair (can I have the ottoman too?) It’s such an icon – it’s featured in…

By the Book I have been collecting your magazine since 1993 when we bought our first period home. After 25 years there we retired to the seaside to our ‘forever’ home. The first room we renovated was a former dining room, which we transformed into a much-longed-for library. So I really enjoyed your September article on libraries and books. Mine are not by the yard, but have been collected since childhood, as I am an avid bookworm. I still love your magazine, which has come back to the forefront in our latest home. Carmen Keeble, Bexhill-on-Sea Welcome to the Gallery I have bought H&A from the very first issue and have been a subscriber for many years. I love to see how other people decorate their homes. I have a very strong sense of…

1 the ANTIQUE OAK COFFERS As the days draw in this autumn our thoughts turn to creating feelings of cosiness in our homes, and what better piece of furniture to help make that seasonal transition than the antique chest or coffer. Widely made and used from the 16th century onwards, these practical pieces of furniture offered easily portable storage and were used to keep everything from linen and textiles to silver, coins and jewellery. Some are very plain in design, others have reeded panels or carved decoration, so there’s something for every taste. Placed in a room where there is a fire or soft candlelight, their polished oak surfaces gleam and add stoic warmth to a wall or corner. There are plenty of uses for a chest today: as storage for blankets…

A rare altar table, which had been part of a family collection for many years, caused a frenzy at Bellmans’ Asian Art auction in August. The hardwood Huanghuali (a type of rosewood) table is likely to have been an imperial commission and, as such, a desirable piece for Chinese collectors. Given a low estimate of just £1,000 to £1,500, the table became the subject of a bidding war, with 10 bidders in the room and another six on the phone. Collectors from Hong Kong and China went head to head, with the winner eventually paying £278,080 (the hammer price plus buyer’s premium). ‘The vendor is absolutely thrilled by the rather unexpected result,’ says Philip Belcher, managing director of Bellmans. ‘The table had been an heirloom, but it had never been pointed…

“I’m the only curator based full-time at the Museum of Making, but I work across the collections team at Derby Museums. We work across all three sites – the Museum of Making, Derby Museum and Art Gallery, and Pickford’s House. Getting the museum ready for opening after a huge £18m refurbishment project has been a massive joint effort. We’ve been open for just over two months now and this is the first time in about 10 years that Derby Museums have had all three sites open. I’ve been involved in the project since 2015 and my job has included moving all the objects out, getting them into storage, checking them, moving them back in, and then writing all the interpretation, in co-production with a large team of staff and volunteers. The building…