Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Homes & Antiques

The rhythm of the school calendar is so deeply ingrained that September always feels like the start of a new year to me. Whatever this autumn term brings, it’s likely that many of us will continue to work from home. With that in mind, Ellie Tennant spoke to the custodians of five remarkable properties, to hear what it’s like for people whose place of work is not only a public attraction, but also their home (p36). This month’s houses (from p45), as varied as ever, include a loft apartment in New York, a live-work space in London and a rambling Italian mansion. In each case, antiques and vintage finds take centre stage – meaningful reminders of family and friends, holidays and past events. Is it this connection with happy memories…

Master Mouseman What a wonderful feature in May’s issue on the legendary craftsman Robert Thompson. My husband is from Yorkshire and I’m from Ireland. A few months before we got married, we were on holiday in Yorkshire and I spotted a mouse carved in the pews of a little country church and I was intrigued by the story behind it. We visited the workshop in Kilburn, and we were amazed to see the piles of English oak seasoning in the sun outside and then the beautiful finished furniture in the showroom with the trademark mouse carving. My husband ordered two little coffee tables for our home as a surprise wedding present. They were £99 each – that was 34 years ago! The tables were loved by our daughters – the…

In the abstract Painterly patterns always have us at ‘Hello!’ and Linwood’s second Omega Prints velvet collection brings us more to covet. The 15 designs range from small geometrics to bold brushstroke styles, inspired by everything from Moroccan kilims to vintage Russian textiles. The Crystal design (pictured in the Sunset colourway) is inspired by the work of British landscape artist John Nash and very much evokes the feel of the Bloomsbury artists’ early 20th-century Omega Workshops, of which Nash was involved, along with his brother, the painter Paul Nash. 01425 461176; linwoodfabric.com Green on green It’s still very much about dramatic blues, earthy pinks and shades of green in the paint world. This autumn, Mylands extends its Colours of London collection, which features shades that connect us to nature and…

Prices of music Canterburys have dropped considerably in recent years, making them a good buy – use them for storing magazines, newspapers, even the TV remote. Skilfully constructed and often made from solid mahogany, walnut or rosewood, they were designed for holding sheet music and became fashionable in England during the 1780s. Plain 18th-century examples can be picked up at auction from £100, while more decorative pieces fetch in the low hundreds of pounds. This pierced Canterbury made £180, while one featuring a wreath motif fetched £300 – both sold for a fraction of their value a decade ago.…

The art historian, Sir Kenneth Clark, once admitted that he started to collect antiques because of a ‘sentimental feeling that [he] must rescue them from neglect’. I know exactly what he meant. I’m writing this at our George III partner’s desk, sitting opposite my wife, Venetia, both of us working from home because of the dreaded lockdown. There are so many books, antiques and objets d’art between us that it’s a lucky day if I can spot the top of Venetia’s auburn locks. We found most of the items, with the exception of an engraved postcard liberated from the desk of Sir Laurence Olivier (a kind present from an understanding friend), languishing in murky corners of country salesrooms. Overlooked and undervalued, they were crying out to be rescued. For years…

Liverpool had a problem: ships approaching the port couldn’t be seen because Bidston Hill was in the way, so a look out tower was incorporated into the 1771 lighthouse. Flag runners were employed to watch for ships from there and then run along the hill and raise the correct company’s flag on a wooden pole, warning of its arrival. It meant supervisors in the docks could get their workforce ready to unload the ship. At one point there were over 100 separate flagpoles stretching for half a mile along the hilltop. This system was replaced in 1826 when a semaphore-based telegraph system was introduced, followed by an electric telegraph system in 1861.…

• Flea and vintage markets ‘I’m never happier than when I’m mooching around a market, picking up pieces that make my heart race, chatting to traders and scooping up treasures. It’s a bonus if the sun is shining and I’m somewhere overseas. Sunbury Antiques Market and Portobello Market on a Friday are regular haunts, but French markets are my favourite.’ • Interior designers ‘I have a lot of favourites but at the moment – Atelier Vime, Anna Spiro Design and the late Jaime Parladé are all providing inspiration for a renovation project that I’m working on. They’re all very different in terms of their style, but I’m drawn to how each makes a room feel grounded and lived in – a space you want to spend time in.’ • Liberty…

Fabric and wooden headboards give a tactile focal point to a room… Modern frames bring the classic four poster up to the moment… There’s so much joy to be had choosing a new bed for a little one ……

Charity treasure I would be very grateful if you could give me any information about this vase, bought last year in a Manchester charity shop. It’s 26cm at the highest point and I’m sure it’s not valuable, especially as it has been mended, but I just love it and would be glad for any information you could give. Looking at the base, I think it could be Delft. Is that likely? Liz Tyrrell Ceramics experts are obsessed with bottoms, and with very good reason! Looking at the bottom, or base, of a ceramic item will usually confirm a suspicion of authorship. It could be a mark, or simply the colour of the body; it could be the shape of the foot. Some pots give the game away with full disclosure.…

Cream of the crop Antique packaging has real charm, and we love these waxed card cream pots (£15 for two). Use for quirky kitchen storage or as pretty mini vases on the dining table. countryhomeantiques.co.uk Low hanging ›uit Maraschino cherries are perfect for pepping up puddings, or lending a sour tang to cocktails, and these beauties from Hotel Starlino, are a cut above the rest. £10 a jar. starlinocherries.com Andi Oliver: my favourite vintage piece ‘Sometime in 1974-75, when I was about 10 or 11, my dad won £50 on the pools and bought a Kenwood food mixer. I remember the excitement of it arriving, the wonder of the slick accessories – it had a dough hook for heaven’s sake! I was absolutely thrilled to find out recently that, not…

Poet’s Corner For two years this was the home of a prolific 19th-century Romantic poet. Today, it’s a museum. The darling of English literature is said to have penned one of his odes beneath a plum tree in the garden. He fell in love with the girl next door and became secretly engaged to her; she was his muse and is thought to be the subject of Bright Star. Tragically, he died aged just 25 but is immortalised through his words, which are much celebrated today.…

Marco Bertolini photographed ‘Bright and Beautiful’ Marco has been living and working in Milan for the last 20 years. He specialises in interiors, still-life and lifestyle photography for leading architects and design companies. ‘The Glass House in Connecticut, designed by Philip Johnson. Timeless and perfectly integrated into the landscape: a mix of Mies van der Rohe, Malevich and the English garden.’ Francesco Dolfo photographed ‘New Romantic’ Francesco’s grandfather, father and uncle were photographers, so the art form has always been in his life. His subjects span design, fashion and portraits but interiors are his favourite. ‘Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House is a symbol of the modernist era. It’s a simple rectangle in the middle of nature with the feel of an ancient stilt house. It’s simple and…

KEY: OLD / NEW…

What are your backgrounds? Julia and I have very similar backgrounds – we were both brought up by fathers in the forces and spent our childhoods travelling around the country and moving house every two or three years. We’ve been friends since our early 20s, when we both worked in London. We worked on various magazines and both ended up as interiors editors, Julia on Homes & Gardens and me on Woman’s Journal. Why did you choose to work together? We have always had a similar style and have a shared love of nature. Working together was something that evolved and grew. Julia moved to Cornwall around 15 years ago and spent her spare time foraging and pressing seaweeds, while running a successful children’s clothing company. I moved to the…

The elevator door to Brenda Cullerton’s home opens to reveal a kaleidoscopically colourful apartment, with more than a splash of theatricality in its arrangement. ‘A home doesn’t just tell a story, it tells a truth. It should be somewhere you feel safe enough to take risks,’ says Brenda, who is a writer and stand-up comic, and clearly a woman of her word. ‘I detest beige,’ she continues, explaining her attraction to vibrant hues, strong pattern, the beautiful and the unexpected. ‘Some people look and ask, “How did you dare?” and I always laugh because picking a colour isn’t like falling in love. If it doesn’t work out, changing it isn’t a major drama.’ Brenda and her husband bought their second-floor loft apartment some 34 years ago. It’s two blocks from…

Mark Tremlett CEO, The Cornish Bed Company ‘When buying a metal bed, check how the head and foot sections are fitted together. Mass-produced beds are fastened using nuts and bolts, which over time will loosen and weaken, giving you a squeaky, creaky structure. Our beds are held together by a knuckle joint, which won’t deteriorate over time.’ Dhruv Nagpal Manager, The Original Bed Co ‘While they used to only work well in large rooms, modern four posters, with their slimmer design, can work even in apartments and small rooms. Just remember that the bed won’t look right if it’s almost touching the ceiling. However, some designs can be customised, taking off height, usually from the poles.’…

‘I really love chintz fabric. We moved to the countryside last summer and I’ve used more chintz in our home. I really love finding old chintz. I’m sourcing a lot on eBay, especially 1980s and 1990s designs by Laura Ashley, Sanderson and Colefax and Fowler. I use it mostly for curtains. I found a 15m roll of vintage chintz on eBay that I’m using for the spare bedroom. It’s a pale blue stripe with huge dahlias and I’ve designed the room around it. I’ve used it for blinds and lampshades. I’ve always loved the old-fashioned fabrics. When we had a flat in London, the chintz never really worked, but it really does in countryside interiors. It feels informal and traditionally linked to the country. You can echo the flowers growing…

Sanitisation station with soul We thoroughly enjoyed the June issue of Homes & Antiques, especially so as it has given us the inspiration for creating our sanitising station. Like many businesses, we were looking at ways to increase safety when we reopened our shop in Carlisle. We wanted a place for people to sanitise their hands when they came in, but didn’t feel that something modern would look right. On reading the article on the French country home (p98) and seeing the photo on page 104, we were inspired to give a card table a shabby chic look and we are delighted with the result – it’s just what we needed! Martyn & Jen Nichol, Carlisle Feast for the eyes I love H&A, it is a complete feast for the…

Although an established collecting field, French art glass has performed well judging by recent sale results. Top-quality pieces from the golden age of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are particularly sought after, especially with uncommon decoration. Expect to pay upwards of £1,000 for a Daum landscape cameo vase and between £500 to £1,300 for a piece bearing the name Amalric Walter. Recent results at Sworders include a Daum landscape cameo vase (£2,000), a pair of Amalric Walter pâte de verre bookends (£1,250), and an Émile Gallé Persian-style vase (£4,000).…

ANTONY SMITH, CUSTODIAN The Priest House North Lane, West Hoathly, West Sussex ‘I’ve known this house all my life. My grandparents lived over the road. When my cousin rang up one evening in 1988 and said the custodian job was available, it seemed like a good idea, so I applied, and here I am over 30 years later. It was meant to be. Built in 1430, the house has nearly 600 years of history. Henry VIII gave it to Cromwell and it was owned by Anne of Cleves, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I before it was sold and became a family home. In 1908, local landowner John Godwin King restored it and opened it as a museum. He gave it to the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1935. I live…

Growing up in Yorkshire in the mid-1980s Mark Hampshire and Keith Stephenson led parallel lives. ‘We never met as teenagers but we did all the same things. We watched 1960s films and went to junk shops. Our pocket money was spent on retro wire fruit bowls and painterly, mid-century curtains, which we’d turn into shirts for Saturday nights out,’ reminisces Keith. Their paths crossed in 1997 when they landed jobs in the same design agency where they bonded over 20th-century design. They have been together ever since, in life and business, as co-founders of the vintage homewares brand Mini Moderns. The house has become a testing ground for their designs featuring graphic prints Life and work also converge in their south London home. In a perfect world, say the chatty…

The primary thing to look out for is the use of natural versus synthetic materials. As with clothing, natural materials allow your body to breathe, wick away moisture and regulate temperature naturally. Synthetic materials create an artificial build-up of heat and sweat, proven to be a leading cause of sleep disturbance. Secondly the mattress needs to fit… in every which way. Having a narrow stairwell doesn’t necessarily mean you have to resort to a smaller bed. If your space can fit a larger bed, think about a zip-and-link option. This also means that you can have varying tensions on each side of the mattress, should you and your partner have different preferences. When zipped together, the mattresses become one seamless piece. Remember that a ‘double bed’ in the UK is…

‘Vintage and antique chintzes have become highly sought after recently, so can be difficult to come by. Lots of chintz is coming out of big townhouses in London and Bath as the interiors are updated. It means more people can afford the chintz look as it is so much cheaper second-hand. The price is reasonable compared to what you would pay for new chintz today. Famous vintage designs by firms such as Colefax and Fowler, GP & J Baker and Warner & Ramm can be found at auction. ‘Like with anything second-hand, you should take a good look at it first before you commit to buying. Look for major damage or staining. It can sometimes be faded and holey but the imperfections are part of its charm – worn and…

TOME TREASURE This 20th-century book carrier was inspired by a much older design, from a time when libraries and books were a status symbol. Estimate £80-£120 ORIENTAL EMINENCE An early 19th-century Chinese bowl decorated with cherry tree blossom and bamboo carries a mark indicating it was made for a private hall of contemplation. Estimate £600-£800 CAPTURING A MOMENT This full-length pencil and chalk study of a nude was attributed to Augustus John (1878-1961), one of the best-known artists of his time. Estimate £200-£300…

What was the inspiration behind Rustica ? Rustica was inspired by my mum’s childhood growing up in a Cypriot village. It was that notion of frugality and families living off the land, with diets predominantly made up of vegetables, fruits and legumes: things that they grew in the garden or were locally foraged. Fresh fish was bought from the fisherman, and meat was a luxury that was eaten maybe once or twice a week. Which recipe from the book is your favourite to cook for friends at home? There’s a whole chapter dedicated to small bites and there are simply too many delicious recipes to mention, but I often enjoy serving the Goat En Papillote. It’s a beautiful recipe that combines the French technique of cooking en papillote (in paper)…