Table of contents for July 2016 in Homes & Antiques

House envy… do you ever suffer from it? I’m always completely in awe of homes where surprising and unexpected elements are brought together. The type where an early antique might sit next to a contemporary piece of art or a mid-century chair, against a striking backdrop. These are the kinds of rooms that leave you wondering, ‘How did that combination of elements ever come together?’ But they work, and they appear effortless. So is it possible to master eclectic style? This issue, we’ve asked some of the best in the business to teach us five simple design rules so that we can all be as equally daring and confident in bringing out the best in how we display our antiques and vintage treasures. Discover all you need to know on…

Floral find I am so thrilled with this recent find from a charity shop which I paid just £3 for. It is beautifully painted in gorgeous colours and now has pride of place in my home. I wondered whether you could give me some idea of its age, and who made it. VIRGINIA HODGEON EXPERT ADVICE ALISON SNOWDON Ceramics specialist What a lucky find! Your lovely coffee pot carries the sceptre mark for the Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin and dates from around 1830. As you would expect, it looks of the highest quality with fine hand painting and crisp moulding. The K›nigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM) was founded in 1763 by Frederick II of Prussia, when he purchased the factory for the (considerable) sum of 225,000 German thaler. There was already…

Developers of the first scuba diving wetsuits Yvonne and Tony Pardoe also had an interest in marine memorabilia. In the 1970s they began collecting marine antiques too. Now the Pardoe Collection of over 500 helmets, diving suits, lamps and artwork is going up for sale at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (estimates start at £60). This English Admiralty helmet by Siebe Gorman is expected to make £2,500 to £3,500. Keep an eye out for an in-depth look at nautical antiques in next month’s H&A. * Maritime sale on 15th and 16th June at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood. 01392 413100; bhandl.co.uk…

WHO When Michelle Elgarice and Daniella Lichters pooled their vintage pieces and took part in a pop-up shop at the Wirksworth Festival in 2010, they found it was stripped bare within hours. ‘Vintage is a lifelong fascination,’ says Michelle. It certainly shows in the permanent shop they subsequently founded, the popularity of which was such that they opened a second shop with a new business partner, Lucy Nugent, in 2014. WHAT A triple-fronted Victorian shop opens up to reveal a theatrical array of outsized foxed mirrors, worn furniture and mismatched crockery. Across the road, the second shop is, as Michelle describes it, ‘either a visual feast or organised chaos.’ WHERE Matlock in Derbyshire is the ideal location for a shop such as The Vintage Rooms. The neighbouring streets have a…

Eighty-five offices in 43 countries, 14 salerooms and over 350 auctions annually – Christie’s is no small operation. Nor is it a young one. Founded in 1766 by Scotsman James Christie (friend of Thomas Gainsborough) it did not start with the most illustrious of catalogues (one of the earliest sales included chamber pots and pillowcases). But has gone on to host some of the most famous sales in auction history, ranging from a 40-day sale of the Duke of Buckingham’s collections from Stowe in 1848 to the Rothschild barons auction in 1999. Part of its appeal was down to James Christie’s timing and connections. After the French Revolution, London took Paris’s place as the major hub for the art trade. Already in close contact with renowned artists and founding members…

Four lucky Homes & Antiques readers will win a stunning 12 Light LED Pendant ceiling light from Litecraft, worth £799 each. The prize is sure to introduce a touch of elegance into any home and is as practical as it is attractive, thanks to its energy-saving LED light bulbs, which are up to 90% more energy ef cient than the traditional bulb. Litecraft has been designing, manufacturing and distributing decorative lighting around the UK for over 60 years. The team began lighting up the nation’s homes in 1949, and they haven’t stopped since. Renowned for beautiful lights, high quality and excellent service, Litecraft has several stores nationwide – visit the website (see below) to nd the nearest one to you. You can also view Litecraft’s entire range online, allowing you…

In the abstract From the 1940s to 80s ‘abstract’ was a buzzword in British art. A new exhibition at The Lightbox in Woking explores this period, tracing the rise of non- gurative depictions of the world in art by the likes of Bridget Riley and Henry Moore. The pieces come from the Ingram collection, the largest privately owned, publicly available amassing of modern British art. * 21st May to 24th July. The Lightbox, Chobham Rd, Woking. 01483 737800; thelightbox.org.uk NEVER OUT OF PRINTS St Jude’s wallpapers and textiles are instantly recognisable for their block-printed, artisan style. Within that, though, the range is surprising, as can be seen in Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s new show Editions & Objects, a one-off collaboration with St Jude’s, featuring 13 different artists’ work. Ranging from ceramics…

My career began in the late 1980s, with £200 in my pocket, a battered old VW Beetle, and no clue about the business. The antiques world was shrouded in secrecy: it was highly competitive and dealers wouldn’t reveal a single thing. I couldn’t afford a premises of my own, so my first site was next to Dad’s office in my parents’ garden, with an ad in the local newspaper: ‘WANTED! Stained glass windows, fireplaces, doors, flooring, architectural salvage’ (it cost me an astronomical £15 a week…). I’d been working with stained glass so it seemed a logical place to start. I bought top lights (the square leaded panes from Victorian windows) for just £2 each. As local houses were being demolished to make way for a major ‘A’ road, I’d…

HOME OF THE MONTH LOUISE CONVERT isn’t afraid to eschew tradition. The interior designer has counterbalanced the grand proportions of her Victorian home with quirky – often oversized – pieces, which range from French decorative to 1970s glam, with a dose of industrial thrown in too. In short, it’s a masterclass in eclectic style…

WHERE TO SEE • Design Museum, Shad Thames, London, SE1 2YD. 020 7403 6933; designmuseum.org • Elmet Farmhouse, Wilcroft Farm, Pecket Well, W Yorks, HX7 8QY. 01422 842026; elmetfarmhouse.co.uk • Finn Juhl’s house, Vilvordevej 100, 2920 Charlottenlund. +45 39 64 11 83; ordrupgaard.dk/finn-juhls-hus/ • The Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Rd, London. 020 7739 9893; geffrye-museum.org.uk • PAD London Fair, from 5th to 9th October, Berkeley Sq, London. +33 1 53 30 85 20; pad-fairs.com • Modern Shows, various dates TBC, London. modernshows.com WHERE TO BUY • Circa, 551 Battersea Park Road, London, SW11 3BL. 020 7223 3919; circabattersea.com • Decorative Modern, 07969 495482; decorativemodern.co.uk • Designs of Modernity, Crystal Palace Antiques, London, SE19 1SG. 07966 285694; designsofmodernity.com • Gordon Watson Ltd, 28 Pimlico Road, London, SW1W 8LJ. 020 7259 0555;…

For complete stockist information see page 161…

ENTERTAINING Throw a stylish al fresco feast – now that balmy days have set our toes tingling for a summer outdoors – with our guide PAGE 105 CHATSWORTH Discover what the collections of the Duchess of Devonshire revealed about her eclectic personality and family history PAGE 132 BLUE Discover the history of this intriguing shade, which for 7,000 years has been the colour of both luxury and calm PAGE 128 MIXING ERAS Create a home that seamlessly mingles old and new – our interiors experts share their style habits and practical advice PAGE 120…

While not a Scottish Colourist, Charles Rennie Mackintosh is one of Scotland’s most revered architects and designers. His masterworks include the Glasgow School of Art and the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow. He studied drawing at the Glasgow School of Art in the 1890s, and this watercolour painting sold at Lyon & Turnbull in 2012 (estimate £60,000 to £80,000) for £133,250. Tulips and roses were favourite motifs and appeared in many of his designs for furniture, metalwork, decorative gesso panels and textiles, which come under the umbrella of the Glasgow Style. Retiring to the south of France in 1923, he spent his last years painting. Find out more at crmsociety.com.…

‘Stop thinking about interiors and think about you. Ask yourself, “What interests me?” If it becomes a passion, start collecting. Follow what you know and what you love to the point where you become almost professional at it. Keep your eyes open – visiting inspiring eclectic spaces makes anything seem possible. Whatever you collect – be it playing cards, or shoes, or anything, you can make it interesting and incorporate your collection into your scheme. ‘Dip into other cultures – I travel a lot and I’m always looking for something new. I’m a dealer first then a decorator – I don’t travel with a specific object in mind. I don’t have a brief to stick to, so I have great freedom to explore and often find interesting pieces as a…

1 ROCKING IT The colour blue first appeared when the ancient Egyptians began using lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone discovered in Afghanistan around 7,000 years ago, for decoration and crushed, as a pigment. As it was scarce, it was strictly reserved for pharaohs – it has been found inlaid into Tutankhamun’s death mask and was apparently ground down to make Cleopatra’s eyeshadow. Lapis lazuli was also one of the first gemstones to be used in jewellery. This 60cm-high, 7,000-year-old lapis block from Afghanistan sold at Sotheby’s Paris in February for €8,500 (£6,640), while the late-19th-century table cigarette box and vesta boxes veneered in lapis sold for £1,250 at Sotheby’s London in May 2015. 2 AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE In Titian’s masterpiece, Bacchus and Ariadne (1520–23), Ariadne on…

The beautiful Mitford sisters commanded a place amid the most socially vibrant circles of 1930s and 1940s London. Among her friends, Debo counted the artists Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, author Evelyn Waugh, Anne Fleming (wife of James Bond’s creator) and John F Kennedy. The Kennedy family had come to London in 1938, when JFK’s father was appointed US ambassador to the UK. The two families saw each other often and the 21-year-old JFK danced with Debo at her debutante ball. Amid the lots of the sale were a number of books inscribed to Debo from the Kennedys. One of the most compelling was a volume of profiles from JFK himself, signed ‘JFK LO’, the ‘LO’ standing for the nickname the Mitfords gave him – ‘Loved One’ – in recognition…

My bureau is a family heirloom – sort of. My grandfather purchased it in 1955. Interestingly, when I looked in one of the drawers about a year ago, I found a receipt that showed he had paid £50 more for it than my parents had paid for their house in Chelsea in the Seventies. Now it’s probably worth less than a thousandth of a house in Chelsea. How life has changed. I vividly remember the bureau in my grandfather’s house. He was, among other things, Churchill’s lawyer and tax adviser. He had the bureau next to a painting of Venice by Churchill. I’ve always liked baroque cabinets. I think because they are, in a way, the origins of our museums. I haven’t decided what to keep in it yet. I’ll…

DESIGN CLASSICS While key mid-century designs are still being made, the originals are the ones to collect and invest in p44 THE COLOUR BLUE The shade was first used in decoration by the ancient Egyptians who crushed lapis lazuli for its pigment p128 COTHAY MANOR Built in 1485, the current owner of the antiques-filled historic house jokes that it was modernised… in 1607! P92 SALE STORY Each birthday, the Duchess of Devonshire would receive a butterfly or bug brooch from her husband p132 OLD AND NEW How to create a completely unique home that’s creative, vibrant, and brilliantly showcases your antiques p120 Follow us... FOLLOW THE H&A TEAM… … on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for regular updates and to find out which fairs we’ll be visiting…

From our tips on styling with antique maps, to the splendour of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, there was something for everyone in our June issue. FACEBOOK Liz Van Hasselt, Bristol Love the extra treat! Everyone needs a guide to Summer Antiques & Vintage Fairs! TWITTER Kate Forman @kateformanstore Some brilliant tips on freshening up your home this season, go bold with @homes_antiques! #decor #painting Pink Rabbit @trace66 @homes_antiques I love it when I find out my new pieces of treasure are on trend! Juliette At Home @julietteathome Excellent articles, well worth a read on a sunny afternoon #Spring The Sewing Bea @TheSewingBea @VintageMapLady There’s an interesting article about maps in the June @homes_antiques. I saw it and thought of you! Osbert Wellsit @OWellsit @homes_antiques @RenishawHallG The statue on the left…

COTTON ON Woven cotton picnic blanket. 020 7394 8061; lassco.co.uk £48 GREEN, GREEN GRASS ‘Racecourse’ picnic blanket. 0845 474 1747; thebritishblanket company.com £99 PATCHY FORECAST ‘Marta’ red green merino wool throw. 020 8133 3853; woolme.com £128.99 RABBIT FOOD ‘Kissing Rabbits’ picnic blanket. 020 8299 2416; anorakonline.co.uk £36 MELLOW YELLOW Chequered yellow picnic blanket. 0800 634 6341; shop.royalacademy.org.uk £85…

Some 170 British country estates have one man to thank for the style of their grounds. Known for flowing grasslands, sprawling lakes and serpentine streams, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown redesigned 18th-century stately living. Born in 1716, Brown’s first job was as a gardener at Kirkharle estate in Northumberland, prior to moving to Stowe where he undertook responsibility for the famously beautiful grounds, studded with neoclassical temples. From 1751 onwards, he began work as an independent designer, gaining the nickname ‘Capability’ due to the ‘capabilities’ he saw in the estates of his clients for landscape improvement. Brown’s designs were admired for their neglect of formally patterned French gardens that had until then been highly fashionable. Brown created ‘gardenless’ designs, made to complement British stately homes with elegant vistas and rolling hills. From…

A BLOOMING MARKET Estimate: £800–£1,200 Dutch interiors and flower paintings are enjoying a moment in the spotlight. The National Gallery’s current exhibition of floral canvases by Dutch masters shows how the subject developed over time, gaining momentum through the freneticism of ‘Tulip mania’ in the 1630s, when the Dutch fell in love with the recently discovered tulip bulb. This obsession caused a bubble in the market, which resulted in huge economic woes when it collapsed. History aside, the blooms are pretty and add a traditional touch to interiors. Though not a huge amount is know about this 18th-century example, titled Still Life of Flowers in an Urn and by an unknown Dutch painter, it still fetched a price solidly above its estimate. The sale it was in focused on middle…

New to the fairs scene this summer is this latest offering from Caroline Penman, an intimate three-day event from 1st–3rd July in the 18th-century Riding School at Firle Place in East Sussex. As well as 30 exhibitors selling fine antiques and works of art, TV personalities Mike Melody, Mark Stacey and Henry Nicholls will be offering 15-minute appraisals for £5 (booking essential). * Firle Place Antiques Fair, East Sussex. (10.30am–5.30pm Fri & Sat, 5pm close Sunday). £3.50. 01886 833091; penman-fairs.co.uk…

• Before you set up on your own, go and work for another dealer, even if it’s for free. Work for an auction house, an architectural salvage guy – anyone who has a passion, so you can learn about the business from the inside • Be single-minded and dedicated. Learn all you can about the kind of antiques you love • Believe in yourself. You will evolve your own style as you engage with your subject • To stand out from the crowd, specialise. Be original. Be brave. Only sell what you love. When I started to do this 10 years ago, my business really took off • Network. Meet other dealers and immerse yourself in the antiques world. I would have loved to have been part of the Antiques…

Little transforms an area into a living space quite like a plant. As well as offering an injection of life-giving colour, they literally give life, oxygenating and purifying the air around them. It’s small wonder then, that people have been potting up plants since ancient times. While simple terracotta was the ruling material for millennia – indeed, it remains a popular choice today – it is the innovations that began in the 18th century that will interest the antiques collector. It was then that designers, including Josiah Wedgwood, began to popularise ornate planters in ceramic and metal over more functional options. Of course, utilitarian styles have their own appeal, as modern pots of plastic and concrete design prove. OLD Terracotta pot, c1900, by Liberty, £890, Spencer Swaffer. 01903 882132; spencerswaffer.com…

Kate Kaemena has been fascinated by all things vintage since she was a child. With an antiques restorer for a dad, and a part-time antiques dealer as a mum, it’s no surprise that she caught the bug at an early age. ‘Even at school, aged 15, I had a stall at Chertsey market,’ she says. ‘I used to buy Victoriana at local jumble sales and sell it every Saturday morning.’ So began a lifelong love of buying and selling vintage products and furniture, but Kate found her niche when a friend started taking her along to commercial demolitions eight years ago. ‘Demolition sites opened up a whole new avenue for me – I absolutely loved them,’ she says. ‘This stuff is just being put into skips, so it’s a great…

1 GET YOUR GARDEN GLOWING Create a beguiling atmosphere with fuss-free solar-powered illuminations beside clusters of flickering flames and lanterns. Light strings and lamps are ideal for brightening dark corners or highlighting social and dining spaces, while illuminating architectural features or foliage can add an air of enchantment. 2 BE PRETTY PRACTICAL  What better way to enjoy hazy summer days than relaxing with family and friends over a late lunch, indulgent afternoon tea, or leisurely supper? And at the heart of any successful outdoor dining experience is carefully thought-out furniture that can withstand the rigours of year-round weather. While generous dining sets provide a one-shop solution, don’t dismiss mixing things up for a more eclectic aesthetic. For families and large gatherings, extendable tables offer versatility, and if you’re likely to…

We asked L&T’s Nick Curnow for his choice – if money were no object. He picked Iona, June by Francis Cadell. ‘Painted from the White Strand at the north end of Iona, the view looks towards Loch na Keal. This wonderful example not only depicts Cadell’s gift for colour but also best captures his muse, the Hebridean island of Iona. With few dashes of the brush, he captures blades of grass, rocks emerging from sand, shimmering water and shifting clouds overhead – a typical changeable west coast summer’s day refreshed with the sea breeze and awash with colour.’ Estimated by Lyon & Turnbull at £30,000–£50,000, this piece sold for £73,000 in December 2014.…

Eclectic means individual and unique, rather than conforming to any specific style Eclectic style is particularly hard to define, but experts agree it’s a look characterised by a creative mix of contrasting elements – a menagerie of styles, eras, colours, patterns, textures and cultural influences, brought together to form a layered, interesting and inspiring interior. ‘Eclectic means individual and unique, rather than conforming to any specific style,’ explains Robert Young, Partner at Robert Young Antiques. ‘An eclectic scheme can fuse a wide range of styles – minimal, classical, traditional, modernist – and the result is a personal room filled with juxtapositions – of colour, form and period. If you compare interiors to fashion, eclectic style results in a seemingly effortless ‘boho-chic’ look as opposed to a sleek, ‘haute couture’ finish.’…

‘I am a lover of eclectic style – I’ll always love it, whether it’s in or out of fashion. I used to create interiors with a Scandinavian vibe, but I found them a bit one-dimensional. As soon as I started to reference different periods and styles, my look became more interesting and intriguing. That’s what eclectic is – it’s a borrowing of a variety of styles from different sources, but the trick is to get it to look harmonious. You achieve that by restraining the colour palette – if you stick to a few strong, consistent tones for your background colour, you can put anything next to anything. A beautiful, ornate antique dresser can sit happily next to a sleek black fridge, a vintage Italian armchair next to a wicker…

1 THE CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH HOUSE Stylish, inspirational and historic, 78 Derngate Northampton, is the only house in England designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of Britain’s most influential designers. Open February–Christmas. 78 Derngate, Northampton, NN1 1UH 78derngate.org.uk  // 01604 603407 2 WOBURN ABBEY AND GARDENS Step inside the Abbey to enjoy one of the finest private art collections in the world and find out more about the outstanding collection of porcelain and furniture. Stroll through 28 award-winning acres of beautiful historic gardens designed by Humphry Repton. Woburn Abbey and Gardens, Woburn, Bedfordshire, MK17 9WA woburnabbey.co.uk  // 01525 290333 3 PICTON CASTLE AND GARDENS Picton Castle originated in the 13th century, with a splendid Georgian wing added in the 1790s. A treasured family home for over 700 years, the elegant…

Ceramics specialist Alison Snowdon takes a close look at an 18th-century ‘Black Basalt’ teapot, page 101 Dealer and decorator Robert Kime reveals his secrets to the successful blending of old and new on page 120 Salvage Hunters’ Drew Pritchard reflects on his first forays into antiques dealing and shares his advice on page 29 Lawrences Auctioneers’ picture expert Richard Kay casts his eye over an oil painting bearing a promising mark on p12 Nick Curnow Art specialist, Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh (p114) David Flatt Owner of Circa, Battersea, London (p48) Rebecca Gilbert Auctioneer, Bristol Auction Rooms, Bristol (p21) Brian Goodison-Blanks Maritime specialist, Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (p16) David Macdonald English and continental specialist, Sotheby’s (p132) Judith Miller Co-founder, Miller’s Antiques Guides (p90) Jacqui Shackleton Dealer and owner of Decorative…

TRUE BLUE We spotted this bold blue-and-white floral design on In The Window, the community-driven website that allows design fans to discover new collections by individual makers as well as large brands. This wallpaper by Kim Parker for Clarke & Clarke is hand-printed and part of a collection called ‘Artbook’, which is full of painterly patterns. ‘Caitlin’ (£149 per 10m roll) is Parker’s favourite design. The traditional colourway keeps it classic, while being bright enough to shout summer. * 01706 242010; clarke-clarke.co.uk STYLE STEER ‘Working with salvage, we have become drawn to intense colours and materials. Paler shades are seen as calming but rich colours and textures can be too. Rigorously commit to one material – it will make your scheme more serene than having several competing.’ Maria Speake, founder,…

* Kerry Taylor Auctions Passion for Fashion sale, 14th June. 020 8676 4600; kerrytaylorauctions.com…

BUY Silver-plated flatware often goes for a song at local auction houses. For £20 to £70 you can find a canteen of cutlery with a good name. Look out, too, for matching sets of fruit knives and cake forks, fish slices, berry spoons and serving spoons from the late 19th century to the 1930s. SELL Silver-plated candlesticks and candelabra are popular with restaurants and hotels, and as such make decent prices. Early silver plate (silver fused to copper) known as ‘Old Sheffield Plate’, from the late 18th and first half of the 19th century tends to fetch in the low hundreds.…

Gerald Summers (1899–1967) was an innovative modernist designer whose London company, The Makers of Simple Furniture, produced cutting edge plywood furniture from 1931 to 1940. This stool (design number 871987) dates to 1954, and has a space-age feel with its galvanised metal seat on turned ash legs (estimate £300–£500). * 01279 817778; sworder.co.uk…

• 2nd Mantiques, Fieldings Auctioneers, Mill Race Lane, Stourbridge, West Midlands. 01384 444140; eldingsauctioneers.co.uk • 5th Silver & Jewellery, Sworders, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mount tchet, Essex. 01279 817778; sworder.co.uk • 5th Furniture & Works of Art, McTear’s Auctioneers, Meiklewood Gate, 31 Meiklewood Road, Glasgow. 0141 810 2880; mctears.co.uk • 6th Western Manuscripts & Miniatures, Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions, Bloomsbury House, 24 Maddox Street, London, W1. 020 7495 9494; dnfa.com • 6th Accessories, Sworders (as above) • 6th Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks, Woolley & Wallis, 51–61 Castle Street, Salisbury. 01722 424500; woolleyandwallis.co.uk • 6th & 7th Fine Art, Peter Wilson Auctioneers, Victoria Gallery, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire. 01270 623878; peterwilson.co.uk • 9th Antiques & Collectables, Great Western Auctions, 1291 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow. 0141 954 1500; greatwesternauctions.com • 11th Furniture…

A DISPLAY OF RURAL ENGLAND Little evokes Britain more than its rural landscapes. It is celebrated in the work of artists from Gainsborough to Hitchens in a show at Pallant House. 01243 774557; pallant.org.uk BEFORE STUDIO CERAMICS Scottish polymath Henry Taylor Wyse founded the Holyrood Pottery in 1917. The largest collection of Holyrood works goes on display this month. 0131 529 4143; edinburghmuseums.org.uk CAPITAL ART The theme for this year’s London Art Week is art and connoisseurship, so a good chance for collectors to learn from international experts and gallery owners. londonart week. co.uk…

OLD Teak and brass ship’s wheel c1900, £950, Georgian Antiques. 0131 553 7286; georgianantiques.net OLD Vintage oars, from £34 each from a selection, Dee Puddy. 01794 323020; deepuddy.co.uk NEW ‘CR’ mirror, £199, In-Spaces. 07860 773691; in-spaces.com NEW ‘Acre’ table lamp, £119, DAR Lighting. 01295 672 200; darlighting.co.uk NEW ‘Industrial Pyramid’ pendant light with hanging rope, £59, Cult Furniture. 020 8185 6960; cultfurniture.com OLD 1940s wooden boat coffee table, £1,900, Koisten at 1st Dibs. 0333 344 1749; 1stdibs.com NEW ‘Magdalene’ cushion, £40, Sofa.com. 0345 400 2222; sofa.com NEW Nautical bunting, £15.50 for 5m, Cotton Bunting Company. 01245 363310; cottonbunting.co.uk OLD Vintage sailing handbook, £6, The OK Corral. 01983 568175; theokcorral.co.uk OLD English pond yacht c1920, £200, Spencer Swaffer. 01903 882132; spencerswaffer.com NEW Scrapwood rocking chair by Piet Hein Eek, £520, SCP.…

Every block they carve and piece they print is imbued with a deep understanding of pastoral life Tucked inside their crooked Georgian home in rural Dorset, Cameron Short and Janet Tristram of Bonfield Block-Printers create award-winning artworks. Every line they draw, block they carve and piece they print is imbued with a deep understanding of pastoral life and the heritage of England’s countryside. But, up until seven years ago, they both lived and worked in London. Partly prompted by a eureka moment, when Cameron first saw the creations of the British block-printer Marthe Armitage (‘It hit me between the eyes; it was my way out’), the family upped sticks and broke free from the city. From that moment on, it was all about printing… WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND? Cameron: I was…

David Flatt, owner of Circa and Marmorea, has three London showrooms packed to the rafters with mid-century lighting, which he sources from a network of contacts across Europe. ‘A lot of lighting from this time was influenced by the Space Race and atomic research,’ David says. ‘Glamorous Sputnik chandeliers from the 1950s and 1960s are bestsellers and anything brass is popular at the moment. The Germans and French made Sputnik lights but the nicest in my opinion are the Italian ones – they’re more avant-garde.’ Prices for Sputnik chandeliers start at £1,500. Italian lighting designer Giovanni ‘Gio’ Ponti led the way at this time. ‘Everybody aspired to what he was doing,’ reveals David. ‘I’ve got a pair of chandeliers from the 1960s that were manufactured in Italy by Cristal Arte…

‘Victorian boxes, exquisite antique clothes, ostrich feather boas… I wasn’t into the sorts of things that other girls my age were,’ says Louise Convert of her childhood obsessions. Louise goes on to explain that when she was growing up, her bedroom was something of an ever-expanding museum. ‘When I was eight years old, I remember going to an auction with my mum and going bananas for an antique laundry basket. She couldn’t understand why on earth I wanted it,’ she says. Louise’s antiquing habit clearly started young – the result of many weekends spent ‘traipsing around every antiques shop going’ in the Cotswolds with her parents. Today, her love of antique and vintage pieces – for items that ‘tell a story and have patina’ – translates into a home filled…

About Judith JUDITH MILLER is a leading antiques expert. She is one of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow experts and has written more than 100 books covering antiques, collectables and interior design. Here, we ask her to choose her favourite room from the houses featured in the issue and explain what makes it so interesting. PAIR OF PILASTERS The pair of flat columnar forms (known as pilasters) flanking the head of the bed were bought in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, the small town near Avignon famous for its antiques shops and markets. They are fashioned from reconstituted stone, probably date from the late 18th or early 19th century, and have been considerably antiquated by exposure to the elements. They instantly evoke classicism, being one of the original elements of classical…

1 Fellows Auctioneers Fellows holds over 100 auctions each year. As specialists in a variety of fields and with an auction to cater for every need, its continually changing inventory makes Fellows a hub of excitement for lovers of watches, jewellery and antiques. Forthcoming sales: 16th June – Antique & Modern Jewellery 20th June – Silver & Plated Ware 28th June – The Watch Sale Augusta House, 19 Augusta Street, Birmingham, B18 6JA fellows.co.uk 0121 222 7666; 020 7127 4198 2 Midland Furniture Auctions Midland Furniture Auctions holds one of the UK’s biggest weekly furniture auctions every Wednesday in the heart of the country. Packed to the brim with the latest ranges and types of furniture, bidders can expect a fantastic choice and great prices. Conveniently located off the M1…

STOCKISTS • 1stdibs 1stdibs.com • All Things Brighton Beautiful allthingsbrightonbeautiful.co.uk • Cake Stand Heaven 01925 290587; cakestandheaven.com • Cake Stand Land 01824 780573; cakestandland.co.uk • Clarke and Clarke 01706 242010; clarke-clarke.co.uk • English Salvage 01568 616205; englishsalvage.co.uk • Fatboy fatboy.com/gb • Galerie 01892 700730; galeriehome.co.uk • Garpa 01273 486400; garpa.co.uk • Guinevere Antiques 020 7736 2917; guinevere.co.uk • Historic Royal Palaces historicroyalpalaces.com • Holloways 01886 884665; holloways.co.uk • House of Fraser 0345 602 1073; houseoffraser.co.uk • House of Hackney 020 7613 5559; houseofhackney.com • Indian Garden Company 01491 575367; indiangardencompany.com • John Lewis 0345 604 9049; johnlewis.com • Laura Ashley 0333 200 8009; lauraashley.com • Linen Me 020 8133 3853; linenme.com • Mabel & Rose 01993 878861; mabelandrose.com • Marks and Spencer 0333 014 8000; marksandspencer.com • Michael Wright Kitchens…

‘Include one standout element. Whenever I design an interior and include a large antique piece in the room, such as a bureau or marquetry desk, it intrigues and I notice people naturally gravitate towards it. You cannot beat the patina of old polished wood and good craftsmanship, but I do not want my rooms to look like a pastiche of the past. They have to speak for now. It is this balance – between old and new – that is fun to achieve. A good project to start with is to take an old chair and put a contemporary fabric onto it to add a bit of zing. Be careful of too much passementerie (fringes and tassels) which can look old-fashioned. The line of a piece of furniture is important…

1 CHANGE THE CONTEXT OF YOUR OBJECTS Part of the art of achieving an eclectic scheme is about taking items out of their familiar or expected setting and re-contextualising them. ‘For example, you could take a salvaged garden gate that comes from an outdoor setting and hang it on an interior wall so you can appreciate its great shape,’ suggests Robert Young. 2 HAVE FUN PLAYING WITH SIZE AND SCALE Use small items in large spaces and large items in small spaces to introduce curious juxtapositions. In his own home, Robert Young has hung a huge clock face on a small interior wall to achieve this eclectic effect. 3 BE IMAGINATIVE AND OPEN The most beautiful eclectic interiors are filled with rich mixtures of personal finds – inherited, found, bought,…

A diamond and ruby butter y brooch Dating from the 1880s, this sweet little brooch was one of many pieces of insect-shaped jewellery given to Debo by her husband. It sold for £62,500 – not far off three times the £25,000–£35,000 estimate A pre-publication copy of Brideshead Revisited Given to Debo by the author Evelyn Waugh, this book about the demise of an aristocratic era had resonance with the Devonshires’ own lives. Inscribed ‘Debo & Andrew with love from Evelyn’ and then ‘a very old fashioned story’, it fetched £52,500, over an original estimate of £15,000–£20,000 A pair of hen tureens and covers Over 100 chickens featured in the sale. They were something of a passion for the Duchess who bought this 19th-century pair in 1980. The combined total of…

Covering five counties – Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire – the Cotswolds is defined by rolling hills and villages and towns of honey-coloured stone that seem to bake a deep gold in the summer sun. In Gloucestershire, the sleepy beauty of the market towns of Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold belies a varied and exciting history that includes Roman engineering, medieval trade and English Civil War violence. On Moreton’s high street, King Charles I hid out at what’s now the White Hart Royal Hotel during the Civil War – his unsettled bill hangs framed in the lobby to prove it. The Curfew Tower overlooking the Victorian market hall is Moreton’s oldest surviving building in this 1,000-year-old town. Once a lock-up for local carousers, it now clings to the edge of newer…

1 B2B Events Antiques fair B2B Events run the very best in antiques and collectors fairs, vintage, flea and retro fairs. • 18th & 19th June 2016: Detling Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair. Kent County Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3JF. Admission – Saturday 8.30am – £6pp: 10am–4.30pm – £5pp: Sunday 10am–3.30pm – £4pp. • Sunday 26th June 2016 – Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair. Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW. Admission 7.30am–3.30pm – £4pp. B2Bevents.info 01636 676531 2 Dorking Halls Antiques Fair Antiques fair On 19 June, one of the longest-established and highly regarded monthly antiques fairs, ‘Dorking Halls Antiques Fair’, is celebrating its 40th anniversary! 50 plus friendly stallholders offering a fantastic variety of antiques from the sublime to the wonderfully weird and useful too! Catering to…

A Alfies Antique Market 020 7723 6066; alfiesantiques.com Amara 0800 587 7645; amara.com Amy Kent 07979 594651; amykent.co.uk Anthropologie anthropologie.com Aram 020 7557 7557; aram.co.uk Argos 0345 640 3030; argos.co.uk Aston Matthews 020 7226 7220; astonmatthews.co.uk Attic 020 8943 9626; discoverattic.com B Branching Out Antiques 01227 721792; branchingoutwingham.co.uk Browser’s 01424 436455 Bykato bykato.com C Carl Hansen 020 7632 7587; carlhansen.com Circa 020 7223 3919; circabattersea.com Classic Textiles 0141 353 4742; classictextiles.com The Conran Shop 0844 848 4000; conranshop.co.uk D Debenhams 0344 800 8877; debenhams.com Decorative Antiques UK 01580 860317; decorativeantiquesuk.com Decorative Modern 07969 495482; decorativemodern.co.uk Designs of Modernity 07966 285694; designsofmodernity.com Dulux 0333 222 7171; dulux.co.uk E Elemental 0207 247 7588; elemental.uk.com English Salvage 01568 616205; englishsalvage.co.uk F Fabrics & Papers 01273 495500; fabricsandpapers.com Farrow &…