Innehållsförteckning för August 2024 från Homes & Antiques

Tell us what inspires you in this issue of H&A. Tag @homes_antiques on Instagram or use the email address, right August is here and although the sky is grey as I write, Kiera Buckley-Jones embraces the season with an uplifting selection of wallpapers, textiles and accessories in bright sunshine shades. However, if you want to inject a little colour into your home without embarking on a full-scale revamp, Jenny Oldaker offers some excellent furniturepainting workshops (p11) that are suitable for small upcycling projects or anyone who wants to learn a new paint technique. The country kitchen remains a firm favourite in interiors: relaxed and welcoming, it’s an aesthetic that not only taps into nostalgia for simpler times but is also easily achieved, whatever your budget. Turn to page 21 for our selection…

Sir William Burrell and his wife Constance, Lady Burrell, were among the earliest Scottish collectors to buy art by Edgar Degas. They bought 23 pieces, far more than any other UK collector, spanning the artist’s entire career. This sumptuous exhibition is the first time visitors will be able to see the Burrells’ original collection, alongside 30 more paintings, works on paper and sculptures from other UK and international galleries and museums. Pippa Stephenson-Sit, curator of European art at Glasgow Life Museums, who co-curated the exhibition says: ‘Discovering Degas promises to be vibrant and engaging… we hope a whole new audience will discover Degas through this exhibition. This is also an important opportunity to better understand Degas in his entirety, both as a brilliant artist but also as a man whose…

The name Peggy Guggenheim might be more familiar in the context of Venice, and the internationally renowned museum of European and North American 20th-century art on the Grand Canal, which bears her name. But before she made the move to Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Peggy Guggenheim spent five years at Yew Tree Cottage, near the town of Petersfield in southern England, in the 1930s. With paintings, prints and sculptures by leading British and European artists such as Henry Moore, Max Ernst and Yves Tanguy, as well as photos, fashion items and literature, this exhibition is a fascinating insight into Peggy’s interactions with a multitude of writers, artists and intellectual figures during her time in and around West Sussex. petersfieldmuseum.co.uk…

Rambling rose The Brambles, part of the new Rewilding range from Divine Savages, not only celebrates the plant’s prickly nature, but is also a nod to a more relaxed and ecologically sensitive approach to the natural world. The exuberant design is available as an eco wallpaper, £150 per roll, and a luxury recycled velvet, £110 per m, and comes in four colourways (shown in Antique Rose). Fringed lampshades, from £415, and cushions from, £125, complete the collection. divinesavages.com…

The romantic Emma Bridgewater rose – the result of a collaboration between the beloved designer and David Austin Roses – has been 12 years in the making. With its nostalgic scent of rosewater with notes of tea and toast, and a beautiful pink hue that gives way to an orange button eye that softens to mauve and lilac over time, it’s easy to see why the creative process has been so painstaking. The partnership also sees the launch of the Roses All My Life collection from Emma Bridgewater, inspired by old-fashioned tea roses, Wemyss Ware and 1890s fashion prints. davidaustinroses.co.uk; emmabridgewater.co.uk…

‘We favour vintage pieces because they are unique and have a story. Our collection always moves with us and finds its place in a new home’ Sandrine van den Abeele and Marc-Antoine Parmentier have a habit of moving into houses they’ve admired from afar. In the past 11 years, they have changed homes five times. ‘I always enjoy unpacking the moving boxes quickly and breathing new life into a house,’ Sandrine says. And that’s precisely what they’ve done here in their most recent home: a 1930s bay-fronted villa in Brussels, filled with an ever-evolving collection of vintage art and objects with a story to tell. It was, says Sandrine, a case of love at first sight. ‘We saw the house online and called the estate agent, thinking we could view…

Textile production in Cornwall in the early 20th century was limited to knitting fishermen’s jerseys and socks. Its future prospects didn’t begin in the county either, but in Yorkshire in 1912, when landscape painter Alec Walker, aged 23, inherited his family’s silk mill. Walker knew everything about producing silk, from rearing silkworms to weaving and printing. Keen to promote his silks, he opened a shop in London’s Sloane Street, then advertised for a designer to create a poster and invited Kay Earle from Newlyn for interview. He liked her work, was inspired by news of the vibrant art scene in Newlyn and, ever impulsive, returned to Cornwall with her the same day to see for himself. He later made several visits to Newlyn to paint Cornish landscapes, but was then…

I’m a magazine addict. At the age of 14, my aunt gave me a subscription to The World of Interiors. Forty-four years later, I now have an almost complete run of the magazine, kept in a bedroom cupboard, with serried ranks arranged by date and year. It would be hard to part with them. As a writer specialising in antiques and social history, vintage magazines are an invaluable source of inspiration and information. One of my best buys was a complete set of Discovering Antiques, Purnell’s colourful part-work from 1970, which I found on eBay for a bargain £25. Running to some 80 issues, it’s beautifully illustrated and packed with fascinating articles written by the leading antiques experts of the day. And I’m currently amassing a set of vintage House…

1. A box of surprises Estimate £4,000–£6,000 Sold £37,760 Back in the day, a nécessaire was part of a lady’s toilette, placed on a dressing table or desk for her daily use. Inside the elaborate box were scent bottles and manicure tools, perhaps a pen and a tablet, with rings or pins stored in little drawers at the bottom. This 18th-century example, which sold at Christie’s The Collector: London sale, looks like it is made from agate but is in fact painted rock crystal, with agate feet and finial. The five-inch piece dating to 1760 is finished with luxuriant gold mounts sporting baroque-style scrolls, shells and flowers, and the interiors are lined with salmon-pink silk. Christie’s antique boxes specialist, Isabelle Cartier-Stone, explains that while she couldn’t attribute it to a…

Mostyn Named after Augusta Mostyn, a local philanthropist and art lover, Llandudno’s Mostyn gallery has long been a beacon of cultural nourishment in North Wales. Best known for its ambitious programme of contemporary art exhibitions, the gallery is also a go-to destination for gifts, books, stationery and homewares. Housed within a striking, RIBA-awardwinning extension, the shop works with over 400 artists – around half of whom are Welsh – and hosts pop-up fairs and events. Choose from Collier Campbell’s handpainted silk scarves, delicate ceramic tumblers from Glosters Pottery, and a really top-notch selection for kids. shop.mostyn.org The Courtauld Gallery Set within London’s Somerset House, and best known for its Impressionist and PostImpressionist showstoppers (including works by Manet, van Gogh, Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Monet and Renoir), The Courtauld Gallery is a…

Around 60 antiques, vintage and artisan sellers will gather at Fakenham Racecourse in Norfolk for this new brocante on 4th August. The brocante will be held on the Norton Fields, to the rear of the historic racecourse, which held its first race in 1905. It makes a perfect setting for a rummage through beautiful old pieces. And, as Fakenham is only half an hour from the north Norfolk coast, a spot of antiquing could be tied in with a day at the beach. The Dark Horse Brocante, Fakenham Racecourse, Norfolk, NR21 7NY. ablackdogevent.com…

THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME What first sparked your interest in antiques? My aunt Jane and her husband travelled extensively and lived abroad before returning to London. When they began shipping their possessions back home, they realised their house wasn’t big enough for all their pieces, so my dad, her brother, took in deliveries. I remember a pair of huge, hand-stitched mid-century leather beanbags from Rio, an English Victorian dumb waiter, and a large slab of green marble from Madrid. The tea chests and boxes themselves were exciting, marked with stamps and battened up so we had to open them with hammers and pliers. This experience stayed with me, and I still get excited remembering the wonder of what each delivery would bring. Tell us about the first antique you…

THE ANTIQUE Barometers As a weather-obsessed nation, and despite modern high-tech forecasts, there’s still something reassuring about reading the prevailing conditions from a mahogany, oak or metal barometer. Will it be stormy today, or are we in for rain, change, fair or dry? While you could invest in a stylish new model such as a Dalvey hanging barometer (dalvey.com), there are plenty of antique barometers in circulation. Early domestic barometers – commonly named ‘stick’, ‘wheel’, and ‘L-shaped’ barometers – relied on the rise and fall of mercury in a glass tube as it measured the air pressure and indicated atmospheric conditions. Round-shaped barometers were introduced with the invention of the aneroid barometer in France in 1844, which relied on the expansion of vacuum-pumped metal to trigger the movement of the…

This Month COURSES Whether it’s a stained coffee table, shabby stool or bedraggled bookcase, we’ve all got an unloved item of furniture knocking around the house. Rather than slinging these out, a simple lick of paint will give them a different look and fresh appeal. If you’re new to the process it can be daunting, but with a bit of expert guidance from a course or workshop you’ll soon have the confidence to refresh all your worn-out pieces with panache. If you’d like to find one near you, a directory such as Find a Craft or Craft Courses is a great starting point, listing options that are searchable by technique and location. You’ll find that many furniture-painting companies run workshops to share their skills alongside their core services. Try, for example,…

Moorcroft’s 2024 collection, Roses For Henry Cranke Andrews, was inspired by the botanist’s celebrated 19th-century monograph, published between 1805 and 1828, depicting all the known rose species of the time. Designer Emma Bossons has chosen seven varieties with which to decorate nine limitededition, hand-painted vases, coasters and tiles (from £145). The star of the collection is the spectacular Rose Legacy vase, £5,230, which features all seven blooms at various stages of their life cycle, from fat buds to waning flowers. moorcroft.com…

THE HEIRLOOMIST Shana Novak In this innovative work, New York-based photographer Shana Novak documents 100 treasures. Each one has a story to tell and, as such, can be considered an heirloom, according to Novak, who is a passionate believer in the significance accrued by simple items when they entwine with our personal stories. From the fork gifted to author Nora McInerny by her late husband on their first date, to the narwhal mood rings that cemented a blended family, the objects that run through this book are as disparate as the tales they represent. It’s a heartwarming – sometimes heartrending – work, filled with deeply personal anecdotes, and it also makes an inspiring jumping-off point for the reader to think about their own meaningful items. At the heart of Novak’s…

Sell Now Antique printed maps Charles Ashton, Cheffins Our recent Library sale included a wide array of attractive printed maps, dating from the 17th to the 20th century. Framed maps were often used as decor in years past, and for centuries large old atlases were chopped up for the maps they contained. These were often then coloured in, and mounted for framing or to display in collectors’ cases. Today, fortunately, the really lovely early atlases are left intact and appreciated as books, complete with their map contents. There was plenty to buy in the low hundreds of pounds, but some notable maps in the sale included a c1645 map of Great Britain by Joan Blaeu, a Dutch cartographer, which sold for £845, and a c1612 map of Galicia in Spain…

As well as the works on the walls, there are vibrant and varied collections of ceramics and curios wherever one looks 'Of the two of us, Ottavio was the artist,’ says 93-year-old Rosita Missoni, recounting the story of how their chance meeting on a train not only led to their marriage, but also the creation of the eponymous knitwear brand, famous the world over for its iconic zig-zag designs. Both were in London during the 1948 Olympic Games when their paths crossed while taking a day trip to Brighton. ‘He was a young athlete, and I was on study vacation,’ she explains. ‘The mother of a girl I was travelling with told me there was a beautiful young man who was looking my way.’ Although she remembers blushing with embarrassment…

‘For my family, having so much white is no big deal. Slipcovers can be removed and washed, and vintage furniture only gets better with a few knocks and scrapes along the way’ The Sussex cottage that Lois Cox shares with husband Robert and daughters Dulcie, Coco and Beau, lies on the edge of the historic Ashdown Forest. Acres of fields and ancient woodland gently give way to the rolling chalk escarpments of the Downs. It is a landscape of real beauty, only marginally eclipsed by its literary counterpart. ‘Pooh Sticks Bridge is just down there,’ explains Lois, pointing out of the kitchen window and over the fields. Anyone familiar with AA Milne’s tales of Christopher Robin and his favourite bear will know the fictional landscape of Hundred Acre Wood, with…

Collecting Bound in gilt-embossed black leather, the book’s pages are a pick ‘n’ mix of pretty sherbet shades marked with musings from friends and family. Ranging from small sketches and ditties to messages of advice for the years ahead, most were inscribed in the early 1930s, when the book was given to my grandmother by her parents on her 13th birthday. Coming across it during a recent house move, a turned-down corner on one of the pages caught my eye. On the folded flap was written The course of many a silent tear… I turned it over, expecting a confession, and was hit instead with a punchline: onions. The joke is typical of the tone of vintage autograph books. These personal, pocket-sized albums were commonly given to teenagers – especially…

Collecting When almost everyone has a decent camera phone in their pocket or bag, what’s the appeal of collecting old cameras? Austin Farahar, head of the Photographica department at Chiswick Auctions, suggests that the history of photography is part The most valuable cameras now tend to have been made in the 20th century, with blue-chip German firm Leica achieving the highest prices, says Austin. Made in small numbers and handcrafted to the highest standards, Leicas have been used to take some of the most memorable photographs of all time. ‘It’s not just a camera, it’s an iconic example of 20th-century design and a beautiful piece of engineering,’ Austin explains. ‘The form informs the type of photography possible – the quiet shutter; minimalist design. There is nothing provided that isn’t necessary,…

You’re ambling along a street in Tuscany, perhaps eating an ice cream or digesting a spectacular lunch. Out of the corner of your eye you spot something in a shop window: the exact painting, or mirror, or even wardrobe you’ve been trying and failing to find at home for months. This leaves you in a quandary. How are you going to get the object of your desire home? Are you mad to even try organising international shipping? What about the import duties, and the risk of spiralling costs? Or perhaps you’ve spent years going on predictable, safe holidays, children in tow, to hotels or campsites with excellent facilities, but zero cultural appeal. But now you have the opportunity to do something entirely different, to indulge your love of history and…

Francesca Gentilli Francesca buys and sells beautiful vintage and antique textiles from around the world from her base in Hertfordshire. Among her collection of dhurries, kanthas, suzanis and rugs, she sells cushions made from kantha quilts, kilims, and embroidered textiles. Some are made from early-20thcentury Anatolian dresses; others from old skirts from Gujarat. All have colour and texture and are one-offs. francescagentilli.com; @francescagentilli Parna Long-established dealer Kath Griffiths is well-known for her collection of old folk fabrics from central and Eastern Europe, mostly Hungarian and Romanian. As well as panels, tablecloths and embroidered pictures, she sells cushions made from pieces of vintage embroidery in a variety of styles, patterns and colours. parnaramarama.com; @parnaramarama Penny Worrall We are often drawn back to Penny’s exquisite collection of handmade cushions, as there is…

Standing elegantly on slender legs and topped with timeless Carrara marble, the Victorian Washstand from deVOL is a functional, luxurious bathroom staple with a softness and lightness that makes it a fitting addition to any romantic and relaxing bathroom sanctuary. This piece marks a new era for the brand, which is best known for its handcrafted kitchens. As such, it felt important to get it just right, and the final design was a long time in the making. ‘We have always wanted to design, make and sell bathroom furniture, but we took our time,’ says deVOL’s creative director, Helen Parker. ‘We knew we didn’t want a boxy type of cupboard unit. We wanted something more delicate and elegant and loved the old original Victorian washstands with marble tops. But, as…

Fabric Wallpaper…

Steeped in nostalgia, cosy and informal, it’s easy to understand the enduring appeal of the country-style kitchen. Incorporating natural materials, with plenty of scope for vintage accessories and practical finishes, the look can be interpreted in myriad ways. If your taste leans towards cottagecore, this is a chance to indulge a love of gingham and frills, and to fill shelves with pretty sprigged china. For a more traditional, working farmhouse look, let the Welsh dresser and scrubbed pine table take centre stage. When it comes to accessories, seek out worn chopping boards and cast iron or copper pots at antiques fairs or from vintage dealers online. Meanwhile, smart, Shaker-style cabinetry and salt glazed storage jars paired with industrial-style details, salvaged from schools and factories, should satisfy those with hearts in…

I trained as a Western Asian archaeologist at university, specialising in Iraq, but the First Gulf War put paid to my hopes of further study. In 1997 I joined Sotheby’s as a porter, where I quickly found my way into the Islamic, antiquities and carpets department. After a couple of years there, I’d had enough of London and got a job in garden statuary at Sotheby’s country house saleroom, Summers Place in Sussex, becoming head of department a few years later. Then, in 2007, the saleroom became an independent business, Summers Place Auctions, which Sotheby’s asked me to run. Since that time, we’ve dealt with some extraordinary things, particularly in the field of natural history, which is my favourite subject. Our Evolution sales offer everything from fossilised dinosaurs, to dodo…

The Flower Loft that adjoins Trereife, an 18th-century country house near Penzance, has been home to designer and decorative artist Lyn Le Grice for the past 25 years. Lyn and her late husband, Jeremy, first met in Cornwall and the county was the backdrop for many happy and creative years together. ‘We did settle in the Cotswolds for several years but, having grown up in Cornwall, Jeremy was always happiest living near the sea, which was the focus of much of his work, so back we came,’ says Lyn. His paintings, ingrained with the emotional pull he felt for Cornwall’s landscapes and dramatic coastline, hang in every room alongside works by Cornish friends and contemporaries such as Roger Hilton, Romi Behrens, Karl Weschke and Peter Lanyon, as well as numerous…

CONTAX II (1936) War photographer Robert Capa went ashore with the first wave of Allied troops when they landed on Omaha Beach. He carried with him the technically advanced Contax II camera. Most of the resulting images were ruined by a darkroom technician, but the surviving 11 are an important record of the D-Day landings. NIKON F (1959) British photojournalist Don McCullin’s Nikon F famously saved his life when it stopped a bullet during the Vietnam War. It was valued for its resilience and fast action, and was taken on the Apollo space missions and by American mountaineers up Everest. Designed by graphic designer Yusaku Kamekura, it looked good, too. POLAROID SX-70 (1972) On holiday in 1943, Edwin Land’s threeyear-old daughter complained they’d have to wait days for their photos…

• Travellers returning from overseas can bring goods into the UK worth up to £390 without paying duties or taxes in this country. • The rules on shipped goods are different, and UK customs charges are complex. Taxes and duties are levied on the cost of the goods and the price paid for shipping and insurance. A lower 5 per cent VAT applies to antiques and works of art over 100 years old. For full details visit: gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/ tax-and-duty. • The import of materials connected to endangered species, such as coral, some timbers and ivory, is tightly regulated. Any item that falls into this category, such as a chest with ivory inlay, will require a permit or certificate under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna…

Andrea inherited a deep-seated appreciation for all things old and intriguing from her grandparents. Working in banking and retail throughout her adult life, she later became a vintage seller and regularly exhibited at Cotswolds Vintage Fair, her favourite event. When the previous organiser decided to throw in the towel, she jumped at the chance to take it over. Tell us a bit about the history of the fair Cotswolds Vintage Fair has been running since 2010, and is consistently held at the same venue in Toddington, although it has changed curatorship several times over the years. I first attended as a buyer, eventually taking a stall as a seller in 2015. It has always held a special place on the calendar for me. When the previous organisers decided to step…