Antiques & Interior Design Diary

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.

Rob Blacks (above, left) 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.

This one (right) is Molly Hogg, who has a superb collection of textiles from around the globe.

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 Antiques & 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.

Up To The Minute News Or Antique News…

from the front line…

To which I look forward as unfortunately some of us can’t get to the Decorative Antiques Fair until later on in the week.

Hamptons Antiques: Regulars and Returnees to the Autumn Decorative Antiques Fair…

We’re open any minute at the London antiques and decorative arts extravaganza this morning ~ otherwise known to the world as The Decorative Fair! Please come along to see us and our 130 exhibiting dealers. You can see the whole list of exhibitors at this Decorative Antiques & textiles Fair here.

Meanwhile here is one such: Hamptons Antiques have done our fairs a number of times over the years. We love their choice selection of collectable tea caddies and boxes, all of which make excellent decorative items.

This exceptional Anglo-Indian Vizagapatam sewing box (top left), inlaid with engraved bone and radiated starburst top, dates from around 1820 – it has a typical Regency shape. The coastal Indian city of Vizagapatam was a major trading port in the 18th and 19th centuries and this style of decorative inlay, made in India and exported to the UK & Europe, has become synonymous with the local region.

Hamptons also bring a lovely tea caddy, which was recently featured in the BBC2 quiz, Antiques Master (above right). In the shape of an urn, this too is Regency, dating from around 1820, and was made in the Spa Town of Ischl in Austria.

It’s Opening Day Tomorrow At London’s Decorative Antique Textiles & Arts Fair. Where Will You Be?

The Battersea, London Decorative Fair opens tomorrow and the queues will be outside the doors… We’ll bring news after the doors open.

In the meantime, another featured returning exhibitor to mention…

Anthony Cole used to exhibit at every Decorative Fair, before he moved to the South West of England. So we’re extra delighted he is joining us again at this autumns Antique Fair. he’ll be there with a good mix of affordable, C17th to C20th stylish traditional English furniture, some decorative antiques (mirrors lamps and miscellany) and with some great 20th century art, such as this painting by Reginald Bass.

It shows a view of St Paul’s cathedral seen across the Thames during the blitz, and dates from around 1950. Approx 30″ x 40″

It’s Go Go Go At London’s Antiques & Textiles Fair…

Only two days to go to opening and we though that we’d also highlight some of our regular exhibitors and returnees to the Decorative Fair.

Most of the exhibitors at The Decorative Fair come back time and again ~ they love the relaxed atmosphere and our great crowd of visitors… and buyers, obviously! From affordable 20th century design accessories to fine English furniture, our dealers have the knack of finding chic and interesting stock, and always seem to know just what the professional interior design crowd want and need right now.

First up in our “returnees” is Fine furniture specialists Wakelin & Linfield can be relied upon for good quality antique English and Continental furniture, mixed with some decorative and later pieces. They plan to bring this rather lovely Art Deco period desk to the Fair… this would look very glamorous in any smart home. In solid maple, it has decorative ebony mounts, and has a distinctive Continental look.

Come and see it!

Vintage Seekers Showcases The Decorative Fair

As I’ve said before it’s always good to get mentions on other websites and great when they focus on one of the specialist areas of our antiques fair (and in this case not so antique). Vintage Seekers which covers everything collectible from Design to Fashion to Motoring to Watches to Wine thought fit to mention our “fashionable” fair. We hope to see a few new faces in the pursuit of the fashionable and the collectable.