Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i Homes & Antiques

Although I always hold onto a childish hope that I’ll wake up to snow on the 25th of December, it’s a green Christmas we’ve been dreaming of at H&A . And Rose Hammick, who styled ‘A Forever Christmas’ on page 39, spent much of the summer sourcing beautiful, sustainable decorations that you will want to use year after year. While some are a little more expensive than their high street equivalents, they certainly won’t cost the Earth. As you might expect, this month’s houses are also beautifully dressed for the season. Each one offers a different and very personal approach to decorating for Christmas – from spectacular leafy swags and floral displays to clever use of decorative antiques – all offer inspiration for anyone trying to avoid tinsel, plastic and…

1 the ANTIQUE LUSTREWARE ART POTTERY As December ushers in the muted tones of winter and heralds the coming of Christmas get-togethers, it’s time to dress your home with some additional glimmer and gleam. Lustreware art pottery from the late 19th and early 20th centuries is an ideal candidate, beautifully reflecting the flickering light of candles, the fireside and Christmas lights. These collectable ceramics are all united in their use of jewel colour glazes and patterned decoration topped with an iridescent finish. The silvery look of lustreware was developed in the Middle East over 1,000 years ago. The effect is achieved by applying metal oxides – usually copper or silver, sometimes platinum or bismuth – to a glazed pot after its initial firing, then returning it to the kiln for…

Two pairs of extraordinary 17th-century spectacles, which have been part of a single collection for almost 50 years, were offered for sale at Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World & India auction in London this October, each with an estimate of £1.5–£2.5m. Although the identity of the original commissioner (believed to be a prince) remains a mystery, it has been said that the spectacles originate from Mughal India during a period of great wealth and artistic achievement. Research points to the Muzo mines of Colombia as the origin of the emeralds, while the diamonds most likely came from Southern India’s famous Golconda mines. Both pairs show incredible craftsmanship, one of them earning the name Halo of Light for its flawlessly carved diamond lenses, derived from a stone that was originally…

The market for modern British art, especially artists associated with the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, has never been more buoyant. One of the founders, Cedric Morris, now has international acclaim and prices for his work continue to soar. His understudies have long been overlooked, and collectors priced out of bidding on works by Morris are looking to his pupils. If you have paintings by Lucy Harwood, Allan Walton or Joan Warburton, they may be worth a great deal. Sworders has set new world auction records for all three: Harwood’s Traction Engines Resting (£9,750), Walton’s Bawdsey End, Old Felixstowe (£7,150) and Warburton’s Cats with Milk (£8,450).…

Following last month’s introduction to some of the key porcelain decorators of the 18th century, today we shine a light on two particularly interesting artists, whose skill and influence were far-reaching. William Billingsley, born in 1758, was a brilliant but difficult man, leaving behind a trail of debts alongside some important innovations in British porcelain. Encouraged by his mentor, the king of landscapes Zachariah Boreman, who we met last month, Billingsley developed a free, flowing style of flower painting, presenting flowers playfully from all perspectives with shiny highlights. These highlights were a novelty at the time: instead of painting around a white spot in order to create the effect of light on a petal, Billingsley applied his paint thickly and then wiped it out, creating a stronger, wet-looking effect. This,…

Baukje and Anton Smits are true treasure hunters, regularly trawling flea markets, antiques shops and charity shops, searching for anything that appeals to their aesthetic, which is best described as French farmhouse. And if any of their new-found treasures are in need of repairs, Anton, who is a carpenter, is able to oblige. The items they love tend not to be especially ‘chic’ Baukje explains; rather, they are serviceable pieces made for everyday use: ‘a bit sturdy and sober. Like old Grès pots – we always buy those – and antique rinse bowls, especially the whites. I think I’ve got 20 of those, which I use for desserts, peanuts, or even a little piece of soap, so number 21 will come home with me as well!’ But it’s not just…

Christmas is a time for indulgence, and what better way to satisfy our love of antiques than indulging in a little bit of fantasy shopping? We’ve asked some familiar faces to tell us – if money were no object – what would be at the top of their Christmas list this year... the perfect piece to make the festive season that little bit more wonderful. Brought to you by experts in the fields of ceramics, glass, art, books, textiles and more, this fun and festive compendium encompasses coveted items from different eras, from museum-quality pieces to quirky collectables that promise to bring the family together. Fascinating, and sometimes unexpected, these choices give a glimpse into the lives and loves of our experts, and a sense of what Christmas means to…

After the last couple years, we think everyone needs a joyful lift! Our festive theme this year is Abundance – of colour, texture, print or pattern – and the freedom to choose what brings the most joy into our homes. Christmas menus are rich, and this is the time for those bold flavours and textures to be reflected in your colour scheme. It’s maximalism all the way – a once-a-year occasion to impress and show off that artistic flair. A touch of gold is far more sophisticated than an entirely gold tablescape, so choose wisely and go for delicate gold-printed table linen, or statement gold accessories like candlesticks balanced with coloured taper candles. Along with the traditional red-and-green or white festive decor, berry and plum tones, as well as blues,…

FESTIVE DINING There’s only one thing better than a ride on vintage rails – fine dining along the way. Happily, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is offering just that on its Christmas Moorlander services (from £149 for two). Running from Grosmont and Pickering stations in December and early January, the trips pair travel through the scenic moors with feasts of chestnut, parsnip and bacon soup, roast beef, orange and cranberry cheesecake and more. nymr.co.uk ALL THINGS SPICE Few nations embrace festive culinary traditions as wholeheartedly as the Germans. Especially where baking is concerned. From cinnamon-dusted lebkuchen to marzipan-spiked stollen and dinky hazelnut and lemon hearts, the advent season is celebrated in every house by the offering of bunter teller – colourful plates of seasonal baked treats. Thanks to Welsh-German food…

I always enjoyed visiting museums and stately homes with my parents and read History at university, where I enjoyed the cultural modules with people as the focus. I then took an MA in the History of Dress at the Courtauld Institute, specialising in Stuart portraiture. I’d never thought about becoming an auctioneer, but a family friend was in that world and I liked the idea of a job that mixes history with fast-paced business. I joined Christie’s in 2008 – my first job – and learned the ropes from the bottom up. Now I’m head of sale for British and European Art, specialising in British Victorian and Impressionist painters and the Pre-Raphaelites such as Edward Burne-Jones and John Waterhouse. We hold two regular sales every year, in June and December,…

Almost Unwearoutable almostunwearoutable.com Amara amara.com Angela Harding angelaharding.co.uk Angel & Boho angelandboho.com Annie Sloan anniesloan.com Anne Fowler annefowler.co.uk; 01666 504043 Anthropologie anthropologie.com BeauVamp beauvamp.com Besselink & Jones besselink.com Birdie Fortescue birdiefortescue.co.uk Bloom & Wild bloomandwild.com Bloomingville bloomingville.com Bombay Sprout bombaysprout.com Boråstapeter borastapeter.com Bonhams bonhams.com Burford Garden Company burford.co.uk Burleigh burleigh.co.uk Choosing Keeping choosingkeeping.com Chorley’s chorleys.com Christie’s christies.com Cole & Son cole-and-son.com Compton Marbling comptonmarbling.co.uk Cotswold Trading cotswoldtrading.com Curated Living curatedliving.co.uk Daisy Park daisypark.co.uk Där Lighting darlighting.co.uk David Seyfried davidseyfried.com Decorative Collective decorativecollective.com Designers Guild designersguild.com Ding Ding Design dingdingdesign.com Divine Savages divinesavages.com Dreweatts dreweatts.com Duke’s dukes-auctions.com Faro Home farohome.com Farrow & Ball farrow-ball.com Fieldings fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk Fileman Antiques filemanantiques.co.uk Freya Mitton freyamitton.com Garden Trading gardentrading.co.uk Gentle Rattle of China gentlerattleofchina.com Graham & Green grahamandgreen.co.uk Hadley hadleypapergoods.co.uk Halls fineart.hallsgb.com Hand of Glory…

Dan is an award-winning and prolific London-based photographer shooting UK and internationally based commercial and editorial campaigns. He specialises in interiors, portrait and lifestyle photography. ‘My favourite cocktail is The Homerton, a twist on the Espresso Martini, and my favourite place to enjoy it is leaning on the 1950s cocktail bar we have in our house in Homerton, east London.’ Theo is a specialist in the Fine Furniture & Works of Art department at Lyon & Turnbull, with a special interest in European ceramics and glass. In 2018 she joined the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. ‘Favourite cocktail? Mojito! This sounds a bit indulgent, but the best Mojitos I had were at the Hansar hotel, Koh Samui. Closer to home, Dishoom does Mojitos, or Treacle. Both in Edinburgh.’ Rose is a freelance…

• Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market (until 23rd Dec) offers traditional German delicacies, festive gifts and seasonal ornaments. thebfcm.co.uk • Glasgow Christmas Markets returns to St Enoch Square (until 23rd Dec), featuring over 50 chalets. whatsonglasgow.co.uk • Winchester Cathedral’s Christmas Market (until 22nd Dec) renowned as one of the best in Europe will be selling gifts and treats. visitwinchester.co.uk • Stratford-upon-Avon’s Victorian Christmas Market begins on 9th December for four days, offering Christmas stalls, entertainment, and Victorian dress. stratford.gov.uk/markets • Manchester Christmas Markets (until 22nd Dec) will showcase local and European producers selling jewellery, gifts and food. visitmanchester.com…

Swedish Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey of design studio Campbell-Rey have created a beautiful collection of three hand-knotted rugs for Nordic Knots, merging bold, maximalist, and Art Deco-influenced sensibility with traditional Scandinavian patterns of the Gustavian era. The design duo took inspiration from Abraham Werner’s Nomenclature , a little volume on the classification of colour to describe the natural world, which was first published in 1814. They also looked to the late 18th-century Gustavian style, the Swedish take on French neoclassicism, and incorporated traditional Gustavian motifs such as the wreath and the folding ribbon. From £645. nordicknots.com The whole caboodle Traditional upholsterer and maker Hana Reynolds, who has worked on pieces for hotels The Bradley Hare and Number One Bruton, has made a collection of beautiful lamps using vintage fabrics.…

Welcome to Christmas as it used to be! From the traditional paper-and-card advent calendar to beautiful baubles and garlands that can be put up year after year, we’ve sought out decorations made from recycled, upcycled, natural and sustainable materials, created by craft and artisan collectives and charities. While some items might have travelled long distances, we hope this is mitigated by the fact that they are decorations you will keep forever – this is not a throwaway Christmas, it’s about indulging in favourite rituals and making memories that will last a lifetime. Aside from its religious roots, which can either mean everything to you or nothing at all, Christmas is a festival in which family traditions take centre stage and are often hotly debated: Christmas lunch or dinner? Stockings on…

Like her grandparents before her, Emma Deterding has an enduring love for India. Its influence on the interior designer is clear to see in the vibrant colours and richly embellished fabrics she has laid down over the more sedate framework of the 1530s Grade II-listed flint and brick priory that she shares with her husband Nicholas, a farmer. Emma and Nicholas bought the house in 2011, attracted by its quirky features, generous spaces and great sense of history. ‘The original part of the house is the wood-panelled hallway on the ground floor, which I believe would have led to one big open room with a massive fireplace; now our dining room,’ explains Emma. ‘The house was gradually extended over time and the sitting room and kitchen are certainly later additions.’…

‘I love any lace that tells a story,’ says Anne Swift, an antique lace dealer for 40 years. And stories there are, of how lace first wove itself into society through fashion and, above all, the countless hours women worked to create it. Lace first appeared in 16th-century Italy, probably Venice, where early lace pattern books were published; in Belgium, too, which grew the best flax for linen thread. Lacemaking began as a noblewoman’s pastime but, from the early 17th century, travel and European intermarriage between kings and noble families made it such a profitable trade that smuggling was rife. Lurid tales of its illicit transportation also tell of women crossing borders with lace hidden in their sleeves. Through the 17th and 18th centuries, costly lace was the nobility’s essential…

REFINED STYLE This elegant, late 18th-century sofa covered in blue damask upholstery and fitted with brass castors, came from the collection of an Edinburgh doctor. Estimate £1,500–£2,500 WISHFUL THINKING The Victorians loved novelty, as this silver cigar lighter illustrates. Modelled as an Arabian Nights oil lamp, it dates to 1853 and was made in London. Estimate £100–£150 DINING IN A set of Regency mahogany dining chairs – two elbow chairs and six standard chairs – with over-stuffed seats came from a Herefordshire country estate. Estimate £400–£600…

BUDGET: £1,500 BILL: £1,450 Midwinter is a time for feasting and renewing bonds with family and friends, a season when the dining room comes to the fore. The dining table is the focal point and there are hundreds of styles to consider, from early English gateleg tables to oval Victorian tables to chunkier Arts and Crafts examples, all to be found at surprisingly good prices. A round table is inclusive and encourages easy chatter, while a rectangular or extendable table will accommodate more people. Sets of elegant dining chairs are easy to find in salerooms and some of the best bargains date to the Regency and Victorian periods. Once you have the furnishing basics, layer up the antique style with meat plates, serving tureens, cutlery, napkin rings and coffee cups.…

The weeks before Christmas are a special time to visit Lincoln. From miles away, your eyes are drawn to the extraordinary cathedral, soaring against the skyline, where Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus for nearly 1,000 years. John Ruskin, the eminent Victorian art critic, called Lincoln Cathedral ‘out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles’. Walking around the cobbled streets that surround the cathedral feels like stepping into a fairy tale. On aptly-named Steep Hill, with its knee-aching gradient, Christmas trees twinkle outside the ancient buildings, and the shop windows are bedecked in traditional style. Stock up on Christmas goodies at the numerous gastronomic outlets in the historic quarter, including a prize-winning butcher, cheesemonger, pie shop, whisky and wine merchants, and chocolatier. Or pop…

"I inherited this chair from my grandmother and had it reupholstered in my Leaf fabric, I love the idea that generations have sat in the same exact spot. The fireplace is stone and I found it very grey and heavy looking. Inspired by the Bloomsbury Group’s decorations at Charleston I have painted it, bringing a lighter and more charming patterned effect to the whole surround. I really love it now and the colours and patterns glow when the fire is lit. My house is a real mix of my modern fabrics and wallpapers and lots of antiques inherited from grandparents. I am a big fan of dark mahogany furniture and love how it sits against my lighter, brighter wallpapers – to me it brings a real balance of the old…

Homes & Antiques, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST homesandantiques@immediate.co.uk facebook.com/homesantiques twitter.com/homes_antiques instagram.com/homes_antiques pinterest.co.uk/homesantiques Orkney’s finest I very much enjoyed the article on handmade chairs, especially as you mention one of my favourite pieces of furniture, the Orkney chair. I am the very happy owner of one of Kevin’s beautifully crafted chairs, in my home in Kirkwall. The fabric panel is an original patchwork from the 1930s–1940s, which I have backed and hand-quilted. The 2021 Special issue is, indeed, very special. Pam Sanders, Kirkwall, Orkney Storage with history I loved your article on antique oak coffers. Here is mine at the foot of my bed. This modest little chest survived for 400 years in Scotland – I like to think of all the other women who have touched it and daydream about the…

“I started as curator at Fairfax House in 2020, though I have worked at the house for around five years. My role is incredibly varied and includes researching and curating a rolling programme of exhibitions, caring for our historic collections and giving talks to a range of audiences. I also have a broader remit within York Civic Trust to collaborate across the city on projects that preserve and protect York’s heritage. Since it was restored by York Civic Trust in the 1980s, Fairfax House has been presented as the Georgian townhouse of Viscount Fairfax and his daughter Anne, who spared no expense to transform the building into their sumptuous town residence. However, the house has a rich and varied life beyond the departure of the Fairfaxes in 1773, serving as…

In the early 18th century the use of mustard paste as a condiment took off, consigning dried mustard balls to history. In response, all the leading silversmiths of the day designed pots to keep the paste in, creating drum, cauldron, barrel, octagonal and other shapes that remained in production until well into the 20th century. The recent trend for more formal dining has driven a renewed interest in dining silver and, with auction prices for antique mustard pots ranging from under £50 to over £300, they are an inexpensive and undervalued buy. At Dreweatts lately, we’ve sold mustard pots by some highly collectable silversmiths such as a 1789 octagonal pot by Hester Bateman that made £455; an urn-shaped pot dating to 1791 by Richard Crossley, price £286; and an oval…

Louisa Greville Williams still smiles every time she walks through the door of her Wiltshire home: ‘It’s like coming home to a warm embrace,’ she says. ‘It’s a house filled with my treasures and I love its quirkiness and colour.’ The designer is keen to extend that warm welcome to friends and family over the holidays. Her sons, George and Ned, now in their 20s, still live at home so, come Christmas, the house is filled with their friends as well as her parents who live in the village and are constantly popping in and out. ‘We like socialising and regularly invite lots of friends and families for drinks or dinner over the week or so between Christmas and New Year, and in the years I actually ‘do’ Christmas Day,…