Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i Homes & Antiques

Unlike most of the H&A team, I love this time of year. As evenings draw in and the air turns crisp, nothing captures that autumnal magic quite like a cosy evening wrapped in a blanket, with chunky knitwear and a steaming mug of tea. The only thing missing from this picture – aside from a gripping film or a page-turning book – is the soft glow of layered ambient lighting, bathing the room in warmth and calm. If your own home lighting isn’t quite there yet, Sophie Warren-Smith has gathered this year’s ultimate edit on page 29 – packed with fresh finds and timeless pieces to elevate every space. Prefer something with a little history? Explore Emma Longstaff’s take on the enduring allure of Tiffany lamps (p74), or discover Rosanna…

Bright and bohemian Step into a world where English charm meets Italian flair, with Pelican House’s zig zag jute runner (£598), created in collaboration with renowned interior designer Camilla Guinness. Available in three sizes, or custom dimensions. pelican-house.com CURATED COMFORT Offering a refined take on home heating, the Everhot electric stove (£1,625) pairs efficiency with thoughtful design. A thermostatically controlled element gently warms the room, while its cast-iron construction continues to radiate heat even after it’s switched off. Behind the door sits a 20-litre oven – perfect for simple dinners and slow comfort cooking. With 21 colours to choose from, it’s a piece that brings lasting warmth and atmosphere to everyday living. everhot.co.uk Elegance in every flicker Made from real wax and wrapped in a mix of fabrics, Tinkalink’s LED…

Think of decorating with metallics the way you would consider accessorising an outfit Metallic interiors can conjure images of gaudy Seventies nightclubs, or the excessive opulence of the Palace of Versailles. But there’s a subtler, more sophisticated approach – a middle ground where, as the Bard reminds us, ‘all that glisters is not gold’. Here, metals serve as accents, and different finishes can be layered to create interest. Used cleverly, reflective touches are a way to amplify light, keeping interiors feeling warm and open throughout the cooler months. 1 HINT OF BLING Think of decorating with metallics the way you would consider accessorising an outfit. Head-to-toe silver might leave you looking more ‘mermaid’ than modern, but a few well-chosen pieces will elevate your look. In interiors, that might mean a large…

A liminal time between living and dead, Halloween has long been seen as an opportune time for ghost-spotting. Raise your eyes from the candlelit pumpkins illuminating the country’s doors and pavements to gaze at the buildings above them, however, and you may glimpse spectres of a different kind. Because, with stormy late autumn weather peeling flimsy modern signage off shop fronts and cracking render on walls, this is also a good time of year for spying new ghost signs. Though ghost signs can also mean reverse glass signs uncovered after decades under boards, or shadow marks left by metal lettering long-since removed, the term traditionally refers to fading hand-painted advertisements, or signs, on the sides of buildings. Enjoying particular longevity in the UK thanks to our relatively mild climate, and…

For Jules Haines, the Victorian townhouse in Royal Tunbridge Wells that she moved to eight years ago is more than just bricks and mortar. ‘It might sound strange, but I feel like I have a relationship with the house – it has a real presence,’ she says. Since moving in, each room has been reimagined. She and husband Ollie reinstated dado rails in the hallway, stripped layers of black paint from marble fireplaces, and introduced a thoughtful mix of colour and texture. ‘The idea of painting over marble breaks my heart,’ she shudders. From the outset, Jules’ approach was rooted in her long-standing enthusiasm for antiques. She grew up surrounded by them, spending her early years in a Victorian terraced flat in London and much time at her grandmother’s Georgian…

For buyers outside of the US, one of the biggest hurdles in buying Tiffany glass lamps is their scarcity. Perhaps because of the challenges in transporting glass, or local demand, most Tiffany lighting remains in the country where it was originally made. But there are possible European alternatives, thinks Derya: ‘Tiffany was very influential in his own lifetime. He exhibited at various important international exhibitions. In my opinion, you can see his aesthetic in the work of European glassmakers like Gallé and Daum Frères. Even though the precise glass-making techniques they employ might be different, they use glass to convey a mood, very much like Tiffany.’…

Dame Laura Knight Dame Laura Knight – by the 1930s, recognised as a nationally important artist – was commissioned by the WAAC to document women in munitions factories, operating searchlights and serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Knight’s most famous wartime work, Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breechring (1943), featured a 21-year-old who mastered a technically demanding aspect of anti-aircraft gun production. Doris Zinkeisen ‘Doris turned down an official commission from the WAAC,’ notes Mehzebin Adam-Suter, ‘and instead offered her services to the British Red Cross. She offered to work for free, in return for the cost of art materials and for their help in travelling with a neutral status. She was one of the first artists to enter the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after its liberation and spent several weeks…

‘I have been fascinated by automata for as long as I can remember. Especially so since my first viewing of the 1972 film Sleuth (a perennial favourite), starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. The film features an extraordinary collection of antique automata from the collection of Grace Thomson, many of which have subsequently resurfaced for sale at Christie’s, Skinner’s, and Bonhams. Long before the advent of robots, artificial intelligence, and the discovery of electricity, European craftsmen were creating intricate automata – marvels of whimsical charm and mechanical ingenuity that, at the time, must have seemed miraculous. Today, the best automata are not only relatively scarce but highly desirable, and actively sought after by enthusiasts. Automata were known in the Ancient World. The word ‘automaton’ comes from the Greek word for…

The South Downs National Park might not be the most obvious part of the UK for spotting cultural icons, but the West Sussex village of Fittleworth has a surprising amount of connections, and its former coaching inn plays a starring role. Sitting between historic Petworth and Pulborough, Fittleworth was home to the late, great actress Maggie Smith, and Sir Edward Elgar, while JMW Turner and John Constable both painted the area in their time. The 14th-century Swan Inn lies just beyond the village centre, with 12 bedrooms named after illustrious visitors: Rudyard Kipling and Emmeline Pankhurst were among the guests immortalised here. Our lodging for the night is the Dors room, which references actress Diana Dors (marketed as Britain’s Marilyn Monroe), who lived nearby in Billingshurst. She filmed scenes at…

BUY NOW Contemporary silver I believe it is an excellent time for collectors to invest in contemporary silver, a fascinating branch of a long-standing collecting category in which interest continues to grow. There’s increasing attention on prominent makers, with knowledgeable enthusiasts not only supporting innovation but also the acquisition of beautifully made pieces. Today’s silver represents the evolution of a material prized for millennia, valued for its exceptional craftsmanship, aesthetic qualities, and inventive design. Notable silversmiths such as Stuart Devlin, Christopher Nigel Lawrence, and Junko Mori are among the most coveted and respected names in the field. Their work underscores the genre’s enduring appeal and significance in the thriving decorative arts market. SELL NOW Studio ceramics This section of the design world has long been established, yet it remains very…

Pearl Lowe’s new book, Faded Glamour in the City, was inspired by the move into her 880sq ft Notting Hill flat. With its dusky hues, faded florals, gilt chandeliers and vintage and antique pieces, her home embodies the book’s feminine, romantic aesthetic. She extends this sensibility across 10 more interiors, each offering its own take on timeless style. Highlights include artist Jonathan Yeo’s London studio and Helena Christensen’s Manhattan apartment. Lowe notes of Christensen’s stylish space: ‘As with all the best homes, you can tell it has been decorated and furnished with objects collected and curated over time, by someone with a real eye.’…

Fabric Wallpaper This wallpaper is a twist on a classic toile print. With its metallic highlights, plus the chalky shade of the woodwork, fireplace and exposed stone flooring, the room is sophisticated, rather than over-the-top…

You know it’s been a successful house renovation if, at the end of it, you forget the pain and just feel privileged to live there. And for Gonnie van Veluw-Heeren and husband Arie, the 11-year project at the Maaihoeve – a 16th-century Dutch farm house – gave them everything they hoped it would. ‘It was worth every minute of the work,’ says Gonnie. They were lucky that their unique home also came with a rich history. ‘In the past, the Maaihoeve was a monastery farm and the monks kept a written record of everything,’ she says. Although Gonnie was born and raised an hour’s drive away, Arie spent his early life nearby and was aware of the farmhouse, located in Giersbergen, near the Loonse and Drunense Duinen National Park. After…

Having previously built their own farmhouse from scratch, Sheila and Jan van den Berg felt more than ready to take on a wonky former mayor’s house in the village of Goudriaan in the Netherlands. It wasn’t without its challenges though. Likening it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one end was almost 45cm (18in) higher than the other, which had caused massive cracks to open up in the façade. ‘We had to convince the estate agent to even let us view the property. He was fed up with showing people around, only to have them run a mile when they actually saw it. We did, however, manage to convince him that we knew what we were getting ourselves into,’ explains Shelia. They ended up buying it, with the plan being…

Unknown designs by Arts & Crafts master pattern maker William Morris and his assistant, John Henry Dearle, claim the spotlight among this autumn’s launch of textiles and wallpapers. It begs the question: where on earth have they been? The answer dates back to 1999, when the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in California won the bid to purchase a privately-owned section of Morris & Co’s archive – the company William Morris reorganised in his sole name in 1875. The contents of this archive were not widely known, so the Huntington’s recent proposal for Morris & Co to put some of these unfinished designs into production came out of the blue. It also made perfect sense. It would bring Morris’ work back home – where Morris & Co (part…

IWM The Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries display many works by female war artists. British Red Cross Museum and Archives Remarkably, almost all the artworks in the Red Cross collection are by women. In 2026, they plan to feature paintings by Doris Zinkeisen in their exhibition space at the charity’s central London headquarters. Doris Zinkeisen and the British Red Cross: Brushstrokes from the front lines by Mehzebin Adam-Suter Women War Artists by Kathleen Palmer (now out of print) © IWM; Liss Llewellyn (3)…

She’s the most famous woman in France, one of the most celebrated royals ever, and, by all accounts, gracefulness personified. Marie Antoinette had beautiful hands, played the harp well, and collected Sèvres porcelain and Japanese lacquer objects. She put on opulent balls and acted in comedies with friends inside her own little theatre built at the Petit Trianon, her personal retreat in Versailles. Cake was the very least of her lavish tastes and in 1793, during the French Revolution, she was put to death by guillotine, vilified for her extravagant lifestyle. Almost immediately, she became a martyr-queen, idolised for her good taste and demeanour captured in marble busts, portrait miniatures, prints and paintings throughout the 19th century. Born Maria-Antonia, an Archduchess of the Habsburg court in Vienna, ‘L’Autrichienne’ or ‘the…

The Wheatsheaf Inn The 14 uniquely designed bedrooms at this lovely Cotswolds getaway present a stylish and soothing modern aesthetic, artfully complementing the heritage details that have been lovingly retained at this 17th-century coaching inn. From the exposed brickwork to wooden beams, a sense of the building’s long past is ever-present. However, these architectural touches of old rub shoulders with thoroughly modern luxuries – Bramley toiletries, fluffy bathrobes and Nespresso machines are standard in each room, and provide comforts to enjoy while you bask in the hotel’s history. Rooms start from £135 per night. cotswoldswheatsheaf.com Buittle Castle This grand 12th-century castle in south west Scotland has seen its share of turbulent Scottish events play out around its sturdy stone walls over the centuries. Today, however, the seat of the Baron…

On a summer’s day earlier this year, Evan McPherson, senior valuer at Auctioneum, was carrying out a standard valuation at a house clearance in Bristol. Inside, he found the usual collection of furniture, knick-knacks and pictures, and a jumble of books. Among the children’s stories, reference books and veterinary texts, there was nothing remarkable, or so he thought. Then a green cloth cover caught his eye. He pulled out the small tome and saw that it was a copy of The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel published in 1937, which famously begins with a description of the home of Bilbo Baggins in Hobbiton, in the Shire: ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an…

‘Meal times are the gayest moments of the day at La Pausa… You never risk being stuck with a dull table companion, because you are at liberty to sit where you please at the long table and to get up and down as much as you like,’ wrote journalist Bettina Wilson in British Vogue’s 1938 feature, At Home with Chanel. This vignette captures the spirit of La Pausa: The Ideal Mediterranean Villa of Gabrielle Chanel, a book the offers rare insight into Coco Chanel’s French Riviera home. The tome transports readers to 1930s Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, tracing the Riviera’s rise from sleepy coastline to fashionable playground. It examines the architecture and interiors of La Pausa while bringing to life its daily rhythms. A standout chapter on Chanel’s dinner parties shows how she…

Luxe lines The Art Deco movement reigned from 1920-1939. ‘It was a time to indulge post war using materials such as chrome, Bakelite and glass,’ says Clare Wrenn, antique specialist at Fritz Fryer. Lavish embellishment and bold geometric shapes were key aspects of this period that are still impactful today. ‘Art Deco never really goes away – it has this confidence and craftsmanship that keeps drawing people back,’ explains Hanna Russell, head of creative at Heathfield & Co. ‘Right now, I think we’re all craving a bit of that glamour, but in a softer, more liveable way. It’s still about strong geometry and beautiful materials, but we’re swapping the glossy, high-contrast look for calmer colours and tactile finishes.’ There’s also a femininity to this style. Whilst there may be some…

Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the famous jeweller, was born into one of the most prominent families in America. He originally trained as an artist, but developed an interest in the manufacture of glass; in 1887, in his late 30s, he founded the Tiffany Glass Studio in New York, later known simply as the Tiffany Studios. The fledgling firm was launched in the right place, at the right time. So-called Gilded Age America – as portrayed in the television series written by Julian Fellowes for HBO – was hungry for luxury. Tiffany’s stained-glass lighting became symbolic not just of artistic innovation, but the era’s entrancement with beauty, spectacle and status. Tiffany didn’t just create lamps with spectacular glass shades, the objects his name is inextricably linked with today. He designed…

GOOD Design for a Wedgwood Plate, trial lithographic proof by Phyllis Ginger, c1944, £1,600. BETTER A Royal Navy Mine Sweeper in Dry Dock, oil on canvas by Isobel Atterbury Heath, c1940, £5,000. BEST Land Army Girl Ploughing sketch by Laura Knight, 1942, £100,000 (now sold). Knight was particular about depicting only one woman ploughing, as farmers assumed two women were needed to do the work of one man – which Knight disagreed with. All from Liss Llewellyn.…

1 1stDibs For those truly magnificent, iconic Murano chandeliers, browse the high-end online antiques marketplace 1stDibs. The price tags are hefty, but the selections are spot on. Think exquisite, multi-tiered, colourful examples that look like they’re straight out of a Venetian palazzo. 1stdibs.com; @1stdibs 2 3details The odd piece of special Murano lighting comes up at 3details, and one item currently for sale is quite extraordinary. How about a light shaped like a ship? This extremely rare, signed and documented Murano galleon chandelier was made in Italy c1950 and features gold inclusions. It has quite the provenance, too. 3details.com 3 Anemone Interiors Lia Briamonte, who is half Italian, runs Anemone Interiors from her base in West Sussex. Her inventory is sophisticated and stylish, so it’s no surprise it features Murano. Lia’s look is…