House and Garden December 2015

CHRISTOPHER GIBBS Dealer and collector Where do you live? ‘I have two rooms in London, circa 1800, designed by the architect Henry Holland. Otherwise I live in Morocco – in Tangier, where there is an accumulation of a lifetime’s collecting, which I ceaselessly rearrange and occasionally add to.’ A fascination and appreciation for beautiful objects has guided the working life of Christopher Gibbs. He is one of the best-known names in the antiques world, making a mark as both a dealer and collector. He also spent 10 years as a contributing editor at Vogue and was a key figure in men’s fashion in the Sixties. ‘I’ve never wanted to work in interiors, but always wanted to own and enjoy beautiful things and to pass them on to people who are equally delighted by…

One of my highlights of last Christmas was putting out a plate of food by the fire with my niece for Father Christmas and then, once she had gone to bed, making it look as if he really had paid a visit. Spurred on by my brother-in-law, we went to great lengths – taking bites out of mince pies, spreading the crumbs in an artistic trail, swigging his whisky and, to my mother-in-law’s slight horror, making big sooty footprints over her rug. Happily, our subterfuge was met by shrieks of excitement in the morning. What it would be to still believe in the wonder of Father Christmas. Although I have to admit that I do still get a stocking – my husband is a brilliant present giver. Here at House &…

Straw wreath, by Elaine Lindsay, from £105, from The New Craftsmen. Bespoke glazed porcelain whippet-stamp side plate, 21cm diameter, and porcelain ‘J’ letter-stamp dinner plate with unglazed border, 27cm diameter; both from £393 for a set of 6 side plates, 6 dinner plates and 6 bowls, from John Julian. Alphabet necklaces: silver ‘S’ and ‘M’, £30 each, and gold-plated ‘L’, £34; with chains, £28 for sterling silver, and £35 for 9-carat gold; all from Darkroom. Porcelain ‘Monogrammed Mugs’, £6 each, from Anthropologie Personalised calligraphic letters to and from Father Christmas, £34.90 as shown, from Polar Post. PVC ‘Retro Peg Board’, 46 x 31cm, £95 including detachable characters, from The Letteroom. Aluminium and iron stationery embosser, £59.99, from City Co Seals. Bespoke ‘Pencil Box’, £10; ‘A5 Decorative Boxes’, available in a range…

1 Foiled-card pinwheel ornaments, from 38cm diameter, £14.50 for a set of 4, from SCP. 2 Digitally printed wallcovering, ‘Wabi’ (cloud), £227 a square metre, from Calico Wallpaper. 3 Brass, painted steel and porcelain table light, ‘Lab Light’, by Andrea Kleinloog for Karakter, 70 x 14cm shade diameter, £450, from Viaduct. 4 Jesmonite coffee table, ‘Nim’, 41 x 100cm diameter, £4,350, from Pinch. 5 Walnut ‘Lounging Chair’, covered in ‘Patterned Rag Rug’ (indigo), cotton, 82 x 79 x 106cm, £2,125, from Ralph Lauren Home. 6 Bone china mugs, ‘Mark’ (from left: wheat, fern, poppy, nettle, thistle, twig, lavender), by Welovekaoru, £20 each, from Luna & Curious 1 Ceramic decorations, from £4.20 each, from Broste Copenhagen. 2 Cotton double duvet covers, ‘Odette’ (from top: iode, dijon, biscuit, marsala), €159 each, from La…

Mobiles have delighted the eye of many a beholder since antiquity and the earliest examples were wind chimes in Rome and Asia, where they were used to ward off evil spirits. Today they are more associated with children’s nurseries. Somewhere in between, however, the American sculptor Alexander Calder began to explore the medium, and although he wasn’t the first to work in kinetic art, he certainly became its most famed exponent. A reminder of why is provided by Tate Modern this month, as it stages an exhibition of the modernist’s work exploring suspension and balance. But the Tate isn’t alone in reassessing Calder’s work – some designers have applied his ideas to interior accessories. One of the highlights of the Milan Furniture Fair earlier this year was the elegant hanging ‘Screen…

1 WINTER CRAFT SHOWS Visit the Craft Centre in Leeds to see works by local up-and-coming makers. Zoe Hillyard’s vases, pictured right, will be on show this month, and would make excellent Christmas presents. Until January; admission, free. craftcentreleeds.co.uk 2 SELECTED 2015 Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios is running its selling exhibition, Selected 2015, for the third time this year, presenting the work of makers with Scottish connections, including silversmith Eileen Gatt, whose hare miniature is pictured left. November 21–December 23; admission, free. dovecotstudios.com 3 SHORT COURSES AT WEST DEAN Set in the rolling South Downs, West Dean College offers creative short courses, including learning to make a wreath using foliage from the gardens. Spaces are limited, so book ahead. Creating Christmas Wreaths and Garlands, December 12; £140. westdean.org.uk 4 PETWORTH HOUSE AND PARK FAIR…