Antiques & Interior Design Diary

Have You Got Your Tickets for January’s Best Antiques & Decorative Interiors Fair at London’s Battersea Park?

Yes? Good.

No? Don’t worry…

Apply online at The Decorative Fair site/mailing list page and you can receive free tickets (for two) for this up and coming Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair and for the next two – both this year in May and in September. If you’re a fan of our fashionable London antique fair you’ll received them directly from The Decorative Fair or if you have some favourite exhibitors and you’re on their list you might also get tickets from that Decorative Fair exhibitor. Check the list of exhibitors at Decorative Fair Exhibitors page.

Do you know anyone who has an interest in fine decorative design and interiors? Please tell them about the free ticket offer too. We delight in those who delight in the remarkable range of pieces that yu’ll find at every Decorative fair.

The London Decorative Fair Goes “Social”

If you’d like to be social then please visit the new 2012 Facebook page for London’s Decorative Aniques & Textiles Fair and join the group and like us too if you like… as it were.

Great 20^th Century Moments at the 21st Century Decorative Antiques Fairs….

Great British vintage post-war brands that have appeared at the Decoratve Antique Fairs include Ercol, Hille, Knoll and Heals.  More recent furniture designers are starting to appear for sale; early works by John Makepeace for example.

Poltrona Frau of Italy at the Decorative Fair

The Decorative Fair has a particularly strong offering of French, Italian and Scandinavian post war design, by good manufacturers and named designers.  From Italy you will find works by Fornasetti, Gaston Rinaldi, Paolo Buffa, Arflex, Poltrona Frau, and Ico Parisi …

French makers and designers include Maison Jansen, Verner Panton, Rene Herbst, Jean Royere, Maison Bagues …

From Scandinavia, particularly Denmark, well-known furniture designs appearing at the Decorative Antiques Fair include pieces by Fritz Hansen, Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Alvar Aalto, Hans Brattrud, Scandia, and Aaro Saarinen.

Recently the modern furniture dealers at the Fair have brought some exceptional pieces by the Memphis Group, a design collaborative established in 1981 by Italian Ettore Sottsass.  The group designed post-modern furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass and metal objects for about six years only, and was inspired by Art Deco, Pop Art and 1950s kitsch, especially in the use of colour.  Works have been displayed in Museums around the world, and a number of collectors are starting to acquire works, as they are relatively scarce.

1950s, 60s and early 70s design collectables are extremely popular at the Decorative Fair, particularly glass and ceramics.  Continental glass sculptural vases, which make such effective display pieces, can be found by Murano, Vannes, Whitefriars and Holmegaard.  Ceramics by Rosenthal always sell well, and British post-war ceramics by Poole Pottery have become very fashionable.  Ceramic vases designed by the famous florist, Constance Spry, regularly appear for sale, and are snapped up as they really do create great flower displays.

English and Japanese examples of post-war studio pottery, art deco glass vases and decorative panels, unusually dramatic and large scale ceramic pots by early C20th makers all appear and sell regularly at the Fair.

More than 20% of designs offered at the Fair are 20^th century pieces.

I’m suggesting  that a couple of the Decorative Fair exhibitorscould write a piece for the “Diary”, mentioning the makers and designers that they sell.  More on this soon…

(PS For British 20^th century designers, please see the Antiques & Interior Design Diary posts on the Foyer before the last fair in September/October which you can see here…)

Mid-20th Century Design: What Do You Call It?

I asked the question recently of the Decorative Fair’s London team… what do we call the 20th Century antiques and design pieces that sell so well at the antique & textiles fair. Is it “Vintage”? That doesn’t feel quite right to me (which usuallly means it’s fine by others mind)… Should it have the words “mid-century”,  “modern”, “20th century” or “post-war”?  Is it or are they “design”, “style” or “antiques”. And then the more avant garde descriptions like… well “avant garde”!

I was sent various lists and these included the above in various mixes and matches, such as Avant garde design, Vintage design, Vintage antiques, 20th century design - and 20th century decorative arts and Modern decorative arts – right up our street at the Decorative Fair.

Then we had more of the arts! 20th century art/Modern art/Contemporary art. And the moderns… Modern design furniture/Modernistdesign or furniture or style.

And then there are the more specific periods such as 1950s style. Incidentally when does “post war” finish? And when does Post-modern design start – and finish for that matter?

That’s before we got to Retro style (eg “Retro style furniture”) and Retro look and the last loners all on their own such as Minimalist style, Bauhaus-inspired and Architect-designed furniture. Does that cover it?

And finally the question still stands… what is the best way for the “Antiques & Interior Design Diary” call it for short-hand? How about mid-&-late-20th-century-modern-&-post modern-(&-war) -contemporary-design-&-art-style-design. Whatever you’d call it, you’ll find the best examples to be found at the next Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair in Battersea, London in January!

Decorative Antiques Fair 2012 – Three Fairs To Enjoy

Now that the Autumn is in full swing and we’ve had the terrific Autumn London Battersea Antiques & Textiles Fair, which finished up the year for us here, you need to note the diary dates for the London antiques shows for 2012. We have three Decorative Antiques fairs in the Battersea Evolution, London (same place but new name) in 2012.

Colour & Texture at The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair

While the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair is on and we’re there NOW, we’ve spotted a couple of really cheerful stands full of colourful textiles. This one (above) is Molly Hogg, who has a superb collection of textiles from around the globe.

Rob Blacks (right) stand is full of beautifully-upholstered chairs and sofas, using antique and vintage textiles. He has enjoyed a number of sales on opening day and since, but has a good supply still available.

Hurry hurry…

Post War Furniture & Lamps & Wallpaper… For Sale

As mentioned in the last post in the Antiques & Interior Design Diary, the Festival of Britain themed foyer has been extremely well received.

So far sales have included the c1960 Terence Conran-designed wicker chairs (the table is still for sale), pictured here.

On the right, another item sold from the foyer on opening day was this ‘Festival’ floor lamp, designed for the Festival of Britain, offered by 52 Meters.  Many items are still for sale… Such as the Hillestack bentwood chairs in the foreground (four of them) were designed by Robin Day for Hille in the 1950s and are offered for sale by Tim Smith-Vincent priced very reasonably at £975.  The metal-rimmed tables (dining and coffee) aluminium and holoplast-veneer from the BA range are by Ernest Race, and formerly owned by the Race family, offered by James Strang.  The 1950s painting on the wall by John R. Smith is from Darnley Fine Art.

On the left, another corner of the foyer, this time showing in the foreground a beautiful rosewood table designed by Robert Heritage for Archie Shine, offered by Holly Johnson.  On the wall to the left is the Graham Sutherland wallpaper.  The set of eight dining chairs are in rosewood by Andrew J. Milne, and are for sale from 52 Meters.

See Visitor Info at The Decorative Fair

Opening day at the Autumn Decorative Fair 2011…

… enjoyed a significant rise in visitor numbers – with over 500 more people than  the Spring Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair. And the good news is that this is accompanied by a tremendous level of business being done by the majority of dealers.

Selling well were all items of decorative and painted antique furniture such as display cabinets, bookcases, large tables and mirrors.  Twentieth century accessories – lighting, mirrors and art – also sold very well.  Comments from exhibitors ranged from “a feeding frenzy” to “bumper sales” and “best opening day ever”.  A number of dealers sold practically every item displayed on their stand… (Fully replenished of course.)

Here we show some examples of large mirrors sold on opening day….

And below left is exhibitor Lee Wright who had a very successful opening on Tuesday. Here he is busily re-stocking his stand at 8am this morning!

The Festival Foyer feature has been extremely well received, and plenty of sales have included these c1960 Terence Conran-designed wicker chairs (the table is still for sale)… More on this later…

If you don’t have visitor details check the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair main site. Come to the festival…

1950’S Britain at The Autumn Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair, site of the 1951 Festival of Britain

Did you know that the Battersea venue for the Decorative Antiuques & textiles Fair is on one of the sites of the Festival of Britain?

Please see our last post on the Festival of Britain at the Decorative Antiques Fair… and for some extra bonus points, some more information…Gordon Russell, chairman of the Utility Furniture Advisory Committee*, was a key mover in the formation of The Council of Industrial Design (COID), which was set up to improve standards in industrial design.

Under Russell’s chairmanship, only furniture which met with the requirements both of the functionalist and pared down principles,  were commissioned.

Good examples can be purchased in the foyer display at The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair at Battersea Park ON NOW.

* Do you think 1950’s humour picked up on the acronym for this?

Festival Of Britain Spritual Home In Battersea For Antiques Fair

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Board of Trade believed that design would lead the economic recovery for Britain and thus germinated the idea for the Festival of Britain.

This Autumn’s Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair, whose Battersea Park venue is on one of the original sites of the Festival of Britain, is featuring in its foyer display the best of British design from 1951 to 1961, with stock drawn from some of the C20th dealers at the antiques fair.

Items of note will include several original pieces from the 1951 Festival of Britain such as:  the Maquette commissioned for the Festival of Britain – “Root Bodied Forth” designed by Mitzi Solomon (also known for designing the famous Bafta Maquette) displayed at the entrance to the Festival (shown above left); a Garden chair by AJ Milne designed for the terrace; a vellum table with the festival star ~ designed by Abram Games c. 1951 ~ provenance; estate of Sir Robert Matthews, the architect of the Festival Hall) (shown above right); a Festival of Britain lamp (as shown on the left).

Other key items for sale will include important pieces from designers such as Gordon Russell (see the walnut and mahogany sideboard ~ right); Ernest Race (see the Gold Medal winner, 1954 Milan Triennial Fair Ernest Race BA3 Chair, below right); Lucienne Day; Archie Shine (see the elegant rosewood drum table, designed by Robert Heritage in 1959 for Archie Shine, left)  and Howard Keith.

Have you been yet to the Decorative Antiques & Ttextiles Fair?  Open until and including Sunday this week.

Don’t forget that courtesy transport to the Battersea Park venue is available from in front of the Sloane Sq. Hotel.  We hope to see you there this week.