Antiques & Interior Design Diary

See The Influential Battersea Antique & Textile Fair

We have made a little video to give you some of the flavour of the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, filmed in January 2010 at Battersea.

Sculpture & Fantasy Garden At The Spring Decorative Fair

As already mentioned, the Battersea Park marquee lobby at the next Spring Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair will be designed and populated by Robert Barley. Robert has long been an exhibitor at the Decorative Fair being an art dealer, historian and classicist as well as beng a celebrated sculptor.

You can get a little flavour and contact detail from the Robert Barley website (though I had some trouble seeing the illustrative pictures).  Obviously as far as the Decorative Fair is concerned, we want you to come back to the Fair in April.  Details from the Decorative Fair visitors page.

The sympathetic reaction of his peers to Robert’s early sculpture when he first took it up seriously several years ago, encouraged Robert, and his ‘hobby’ started to be a passion. His small output was rapidly snapped up and gradually his pieces have found their way in to many major private collections around the world.

When Robert works on his sculptures, he finds he writes creatively at the same time, the two complementing each other. Robert lists some of his hero writers as Edith Sitwell, Denton Welch, JRR Tolkein, Evelyn Waugh and EF Benson. He has also been profoundly influenced by the Surrealists. Subjects he finds himself returning to time and again, and which permeate all his work, are Memento Mori, The Crucifixion, flowers and birds.

Robert Barley’s work will be displayed in the Foyer of the Decorative Fair.  All sculptures will be for sale.

Back Up Of Antiuqe Furniture, Lighting, Carpets, Mirrors And Upholstery To Last Six Days

People rush to get into the first session at the Decorative Fair - to get to all that premiere product on display,  best showing off the exhibitors’ wares.  First impression count.  But there’s always plenty more and every stand is always beautifully re-stocked straight away.  After all buyers and seller want to buy and sell. What sort of an antique fair do you think this is?

Bearing in mind that the weekend at the recent Winter 2010 Fair was visited by record numbers, it’s always wise to be prepared…

Antique Fair Visitors Show Textile Flair

I know what I know and I don’t know what I don’t know and I apologise for both axioms.

I know that this charming lady happily let me take her picture as I so admired the cloth and the style of her suit and the cut & style of her cloth to boot.  I don’t know who she is though…  She was seen on the first day at the spring 2010 Decorative Fair.

She looked fabulous and quite at home at the antique and textiles fair that designers prefer!

Good Sales In Antique Furniture And Curiosities

Some good sales were made for traditional oak, country and mahogany furniture, such as a good pair of simulated rosewood Regency bergère chairs, c1820 with a ticket price in excess of £xxxxx. Also selling well at the Fair were large, useful items such as tables, cabinets and commodes, and upholstery, in the main simply decorated or painted. Pale colours, silver accents and unfussy chic was the order of the day. Items on a grand scale continue to be in demand, such as huge mirrors, and rustic or industrial type pieces were popular. Dealers with small pairs of chairs and side tables practically sold out, particularly in C20th design.

Antique French Chair & Sofa Company

Customers were as conscious of pricing as they have been in the past 18 months, but many dealers commented that the clientele were “focused and intent” on finding that special something. John Barkes, specialist in Russian C20th art, said “I sold some interesting, academic works to new buyers, including customers who were buying a picture for the first time ever!” 

David Juran, organiser of the Fair, was delighted with the attendance and strength of sales in many quarters. “To achieve this level of business, and to continue attracting new customers is our aim, and I am pleased we seem to be doing the right things. We realise it was a trying time for many dealers in the run up to the Fair, what with the adverse weather conditions, but our exhibitors pulled out all the stops to get here and put on a fabulous show.” Re-bookings for the April event were strong, with 80% of stands already filled.

Dealers in small or very affordable ‘treats’ faired well, as new visitors were keen to take home a purchase. Exhibitors Church End reported a charming story which unfolded on their stand late on Sunday: “A man and his girlfriend looked at the most expensive diamond ring on our stand. ‘Do you like it?’ said he. ‘Very much’, said she. ‘Will you marry me?’ said he. ‘Yes’, said she…” “First time I’ve witnessed that,” said the dealer!

The chinoiserie Foyer was admired both by visitors and exhibitors and made sales, such as a Georgian lacquered cabinet, a suite of chairs and sofa, a Georgian chinoiserie lacquered mirror, a painted trunk, and a C20th lacquered coffee table.

Decorators & Interior designers (and Celebrities) At London’s Most Intersting Antique Fair

I am reliably informed by Pippa Roberts (our appropraitely initialled Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair “PR”) that the fair was once again an antiques and interior design ”A” list affair. A team from Ralph Lauren flew in from New York and were very happy with their many purchases. There was a strong presence from other decorators (UK and international) who bought energetically ~ including those from Soho House, John Minshaw, Nina Campbell and Nicky Haslam*.

Well known faces spotted at the Fair were Helena Bonham Carter, Bryan Ferry, Bill Nighy, Jeremy Irons, City business-woman Marjorie Scardino, fashionista Karen Millen, also Patsy Seddon (founder of Phase 8 stores), Lord & Lady Bamford (JCB and Daylesford Organic), Alan Rickman and Nigel Havers.

* I reported in my immediate fair posting last week that I was too nervous to photograph Nicky Haslam.  However, when I looked through my photographs, who should I see first through the doors as they called  ”they’re off” at 12 noon on the dot!  I was too busy capturing the scene to look at what I was capturing!

Date: January 2010.  Place: Battersea Park, London.  Outcome: A Great Success

The Winter 2010 Decorative Fair showed no signs of a freeze!  As the first outing of the year of the Antiques Fair’s 25th anniversary held from 19-24 January at the Marquee in Battersea Park, showed no signs of the recent ‘big freeze’ in London & England this January.

Sales at the Decorative Fair were many and buoyant. The exhibitors, our lovely dealers, commented on how impressed they were with the footfall and that they met and sold to many new customers.

Visitor numbers were again up on any previous fair and the weekend, which is usually not as busy as the opening day, was incredibly busy, with as many visitors on the Saturday as the opening day on Tuesday.

The next Fair is the Spring event which takes place 20-25 April 2010, and will feature a fantasy garden foyer courtesy of long-term Fair exhibitor & sculptor Robert Barley.  Check the website page Visitors: Decorative Fair.

Robert has been an exhibitor at the Decorative Fair and many other leading Fairs for over 25 years, but his pastime has long been creating sculptures using found objects and precious artefacts. He has always loved the idiosyncratic collectors and Kunstkammers of old, and after a youthful visit to the Pitti Palace in Florence he was inspired to create his own pieces using small precious and curious objects collected over the years, which he combines with found objects from beachcombing the world.

You Learn Something Every Day At The Battersea Decorative Fair

At the Fair In January I managed to spend a little bit of time talking to a lot of the exhibitors ~ trying not to get in the way of customers.  And when the exhibitors have the time… I ask questions.  It’s one of my annoying habits, but it does mean that I know a little more than I knew before - and it means that they know no less - so why not.

One thing I know very little about is mirrors (especially Venetian) but I did manage to squeeze a little extra knowledge into the grey stuff, thanks to the On-Reflection stand. So thank you to them.  And naturally when this happens, you like the things that you’ve talked about more than before. Next time I might even buy one.  And On-reflection will be at the next Decorative Fair with their decorative, Venetian, painted and classic antique mirrors, in April 2010.

January’s Antique Fair Attracts London’s Good & Great…

There were about 400 people in the queue at 12 noon yesterday, to be amongst the first to get into London’s biggest & best decorative antiques fair.  They snaked around the lobby (I believe in the Spring and Autumn the queue usually takes the air, snaking outside) with another 100 or so folk taking coffee & pastries in the cafe at the other end of the lobby, preferring to be amongst the second wave.

I followed the first ones in, it always being rewarding to ride the crest of a popular wave.  And by the time I had my first coffee there were people leaving with bubble wrapped items (and later a wrapped dog - I said I’d look out for dogs for sale) and one five foot painted round mirror was being wheeled out…  Well it was made from a giant wooden wheel.

The prize for the most quirky item I spotted was a walking stick made from a stingrays tail. I’ll come back to the walking sticks…  What do you buy the man who’s got everything?   Exactly!

Amongst the celebrities spotted- all of which I was too slow (or too polite?) - was Nicky Haslam from the design world and Griff Rhys Jones from the entertainment world.  So we were in good company.  If you’ve not yet planned a visit, then change your plans and visit the fair, which is on until Sunday.

…STARTS TOMORROW! 

Tuesday, tomorrow, sees the start of this year’s three Decorative Fairs in London’s Battersea Park.  Everyone involved is in the Marquee at Battersea Park now dealing with the finishing touches - to the Pagodas & Pavillions Lobby and all the exhibitors are busy finessing their displays.  Well at least we hope that they are!

Of course with an antiques fair like this - where people buy on the day and either take it away or have it delivered/shipped (there is a shipping company on site) you have to have a lot of stock behind the scenes.  Quite a big square footage is set aside for this at the Decorative Fair, right at the back of the marquee, ready to replenish the exhibitors’ stands and to keep them fresh and interesting.  Of course I always wonder how they decide what to put up first and then later.  I shall investigate when I’m there this week.  I wonder how much it depends on who they think will be coming on the first day versus later…

See you in Battersea!