Homes & Antiques Magazine - December issue 21

STYLE & DECORATING | FAIRS & AUCTIONS | TRAVEL | EXPERT ADVICE

Dressed for the th h sea season

WIN £1,000 TO SPEND AT CUDDLEDOWN

Colourful homes filled with character

STYLISH & SUSTAINABLE

All I want for Christmas!

Collectors share their wishlists

CAPTURE THE CASTLE: FAIRY TALE ESCAPES

PLUS

ROCKING HORSES THE DELICATE ART OF LACE SIX CLASSIC COCKTAILS

Festive

Flourishes rs Simple, charming and full of joy: our favourite Christmas decorations

Editor’s Letter

lthough 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 unnecessary waste.

Look beyond the baubles, and you will see that the houses are also full of wonderful and surprising pairings: of colour, of texture and of antiques, with

Tell us what inspires you in this issue of H&A. Tag @homes_antiques on Instagram or use the addresses overleaf

contemporary furniture, art and design.

Elsewhere in this issue, Poppy Benner asks antiques dealers and enthusiasts what they would love to receive if money were no object (p94), an impossible question to answer for most of us, but a fun and fascinating read that prompted much debate in the office!

Charlotte Packer, Editor

Wallpaper: Wren by Mark Hearld, £96 per roll, St Jude’s (stjudesfabrics.co.uk)

Portrait: Beatrice Berger

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PIECES THAT CAUGHT MY EYE

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1. I wouldn’t mind finding this ruby-red De Morgan charger under the tree this Christmas. p10 2. Although it’s nearly 350 years old, this beautiful jug wouldn’t look out of place on a contemporary dining table. p99

3

3. Originally intended as a footbath, this wonderful festive design from Copeland would make a marvellous planter. p111

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 3

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS (plus their favourite cocktail and where they like to drink it)

Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST Editorial homesandantiques@immediate.co.uk; 0117 300 8620 Advertising 0117 300 8805 Subscriptions 0333 016 2117

Editorial Editor Charlotte Packer Senior Production Editor Rachel Nott Senior Features Editor Katie Pike Acting Features Editor Poppy Benner Digital & Editorial Assistant Molly Malsom Shopping Editor Rosanna Morris Antiques Writer Caroline Wheater

Design Art Director Christianne Raymer Deputy Art Editor Kirsty Lyons

Advertising Group Advertising Manager Laura Jones Advertising Manager Heather Golden Business Development Manager Sophie Keenan Senior Brand Sales Executive Phil Wallington Brand Sales Executive James Beckett Classified Sales Executives Alex Armstrong, Sophie Roberts Advertising Designer Julia Young

Dan Duchars took the photos for ‘Relaxed Character’ page

Theo Burrell is featured in ‘All I Want for Christmas’ page

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.

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.

‘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.’

‘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 Hammick styled the Christmas shoot at her home (marmoraroad.co.uk) page Rose is a freelance interior stylist who regularly works with top brands such as Emma Bridgewater.

‘Ever since my first Caipirinha in Salamanca 30 years ago it has remained my favourite cocktail, now to be enjoyed at Frank’s rooftop bar in Peckham (on top of a converted multi-storey car park), where you can enjoy a panoramic view of London.’

Additional thanks to Chris Borgman

Marketing & Production Subscriptions Director Jacky Perales-Morris Direct Marketing Executive Emma Hunter Director of Licensing and Syndication Tim Hudson Syndication Manager Richard Bentley Production Director Sarah Powell Production Coordinator Georgia Tolley PR Manager Toby Hicks

Publishing Managing Director Marie Davies Promotions and Partnerships Manager Rosa Sherwood Publishing Assistant Lara Von Weber Group Managing Director Andy Marshall CEO Tom Bureau

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ON THE COVER Photograph Catherine Gratwicke

© Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited, , member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Unsolicited manuscripts and transparencies are accepted on the understanding that the publisher incurs no liability for their storage or return. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced without permission. All prices are correct at the time of going to press.

The publisher, editor and authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, goods or services which may be advertised or referred to in this issue or for any errors, omissions, misstatements or mistakes in any such advertisements or references. Homes & Antiques (ISSN 68) (USPS xxxxxx) December 2021, issue 353 is published monthly with an extra issue in September by Immediate Media Bristol Ltd, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST, UK. The US annual subscription price is $125. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150–15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Homes & Antiques magazine, World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150–15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Immediate Media Bristol Ltd, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST, UK. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently, or where it proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue. Immediate Media Co Ltd is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well-managed forests.

This magazine can be recycled. We abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about our magazines, please visit immediate.co.uk, email editorialcomplaints@ immediate.co.uk or write to Katherine Conlon, Immediate Media Co, Vineyard House, Brook Green, London, W6 BT. Talking H&A For information on an accessible version of Homes & Antiques for blind or partially sighted people, please call RNIB Newsagent on

4 Homes & Antiques December 2021

. If enquiring on someone’s behalf, please consult them first.

CONTENTS Q

Homes

Page

RELAXED CHARACTER Louisa Greville Williams has cleverly reconfigured her Wiltshire home, using bold colours and eclectic design

WIN £1,000 of Cuddledown bedding

WELCOME HOME Built with care and filled with treasured antiques, the charming Dutch home of Baukje Smits has a sense of history that belies its newness

CHRISTMAS IN COLOUR Inspired by the clashing colours of India, designer Emma Deterding’s home is vibrant, welcoming, and full of the joys of the season

SCENES OF THE CRIME Take a glimpse into Greenway, Agatha Christie’s hideaway on the banks of the River Dart

News & Shopping THE MONTH Collectable lustreware, a key auction and exhibition, plus must-see Christmas events

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Rare Mughal spectacles up for sale at Sotheby’s

STYLE.NOW. This season’s must-have homewares plus the antiques to buy and sell now

WISHLISTS Outdoor wall lanterns, Christmas cards, table decor and cutlery

6 Homes & Antiques December 2021

��

�� Chris ianne

Antiques & Collecting Q

COLUMN: LUKE HONEY

��� �� �

Our columnist on collectable rocking horses

A TALE OF TWO WILLIAMS Willa Latham shines a light on two porcelain artists Q

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

The antiques lover’s Christmas wishlist Q

FABRIC OF LIFE

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Celia Rufey on the appeal of antique lace collecting

VINTAGE TOYS Reappraising heirloom toys as objets d’art

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STAR SALES Caroline Wheater’s auction highlights

Features BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM

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A Georgian Christmas at Fairfax House in York Q

A FOREVER CHRISTMAS

Beautiful, sustainable decorations to treasure

THE EDIT A guide to Christmas tablescaping

ANTIQUES MAKE A HOME Key pieces for the dining room

Regulars Q

SPIRITED AWAY!

Classic cocktail recipes Q

TRAVEL

Visit Lincoln, plus six of the best castles to stay in

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LETTERS COMPETITION SUBSCRIPTIONS COMING NEXT ISSUE FAIRS & AUCTIONS

PORTRAIT OF AN ANTIQUE

STOCKISTS

Molly Mahon’s Victorian armchair

Q ON THE COVER

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December 2021 Homes & Antiques 7

Letters

Send an email, message us on Facebook or tag us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you 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

FROM LEFT Pam Sanders’ Orkney chair; the ‘Naturally Green’ feature from H&A’s Special issue.

BELOW The Special issue, dedicated to heritage and sustainability.

Fairer and greener

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 treasures they put in it. It stores quite a lot – I’ve just put in my summer things and taken out my winter woollies.

Catriona Courtier, Edinburgh

BELOW Catriona Courtier’s 400-yearold oak coffer.

Star Letter

8 Homes & Antiques December 2021

I always receive my new copy of H&A with high hopes of an interesting read. Most months this is met, but none more so than in the Special issue. I am a keen ecological activist and have long-believed that antiques are a great way to recycle. Imagine my pleasure at finding your article on this very subject: ‘Naturally Green’. Then on page 21, there was a short piece on William Morris and his belief that ‘there must be more beautiful, less wasteful, fairer and greener ways to live’. This view inspires my love of the Arts and Crafts movement and is further supported by your article, ‘Best Seat In The House’, about British craftspeople using ageold techniques to make exquisite chairs – something I aspire to do.

Then, as a final flourish, there is ‘Visiting The Victorians’, with Morris’s Red House. Thank you for a fab issue. It will be read many times, I assure you.

Michael Birchmore, Portsmouth

STAR LETTER Our star letter winner* will receive a bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve worth £ – taittinger.com

* UK readers aged 18 or over only. Please include a daytime phone number. Please note that there may be a delay on the shipping of prizes due to the current situation with Covid-19. Prizes will be posted as soon as possible.

T HE M ON T H DECEMBER Celebrating the beauty of lustreware, a new exhibition at Tate Modern, festive events around the country, plus a preview of an auction at Bonhams E D I T E D BY C A R O L I N E W H E AT E R & M O L LY M A L S O M

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 LEFT TO RIGHT A striking 1906 Ruskin Pottery kingfisher lustre vase by William Howson Taylor cost £650 at Woolley & Wallis; a fine William De Morgan vase in a gourd shape decorated with mythical birds made £9,750 at Woolley & Wallis; triple-lustre tiles by De Morgan are rare, as the £7,800 price achieved at Woolley & Wallis for this strutting peacock illustrated.

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 a second firing, which leaves a thin layer of pure metal on the pot’s surface. Inspired by Islamic pottery, the Arts and Crafts designer William De Morgan revived the technique in the late 19th century, and his resulting rubyred lustreware bowls, vases and chargers remain highly collectable, along with triplelustre tiles featuring peacocks and mythical animals. Lustrewares were also made by Pilkington’s Lancastrian, the Ruskin Pottery and Wedgwood, which launched its popular Fairyland range by Daisy Makeig-Jones in 1916. Plain lustreware from this period sells at auction for about £100, reaching into the thousands for rare and sought-after pieces.

RIGHT A daisy pattern De Morgan charger went for £4,160 at Woolley & Wallis.

FROM TOP Some of Lubaina Himid’s works which will be in the show at Tate Modern: A Fashionable Marriage; Ball on Shipboard; Between the Two my Heart is Balanced; There Could Be an Endless Ocean.

the EXHIBITION

© Lubaina Himid; A Fashionable Marriage: installation view 2017 © Nottingham Contemporary/photo: Andy Keate/ courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens; Ball on Shipboard: Rennie Collection, Vancouver; Between the Two my Heart is Balanced: Tate; There Could Be an Endless Ocean, courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens.

LUBAINA HIMID AT TATE MODERN UNTIL 3RD JULY 2022 From her pivotal role in the British Black arts movement of the 1980s, to winning the Turner Prize in 2017, British artist and curator Lubaina Himid has been an influential figure on the artistic stage for over four decades.

To celebrate Himid’s immense contribution to the art scene, Tate Modern, in collaboration with Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne/Plateforme 10, is presenting a solo exhibition of her work. Bringing together over 50 of her pieces, the show offers visitors a rare opportunity to view early installations such as A Fashionable Marriage (1984) alongside her more recent large-format paintings such as Le Rodeur (2016–2018), and new works created during lockdown. ‘I have always thought of my work as starting when people get to see it,’ says Himid. ‘For me, nothing starts until then.’

Sound installations – incorporating the artist’s voice, instrumental music, and visual artwork to tell a story – will also be a major highlight of the exhibition. Tickets for the show are currently on sale for dates up to and including 28th February 2022. tate.org.uk

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 11

the EVE NTS

Enjoy a magical light display at 14 sites around the UK, each of which will be offering something dazzling, from blazing fire gardens (above) to colourfully illuminated trees (below).

Welcome the festive season with Christmas Lights Illuminate The Country, hosted in 14 locations around the UK, half of which are new for 2021. An outdoor attraction for all ages, historic sites are transformed into sparkling winter wonderlands draped in lights, accompanied by seasonal music and street food stalls. Visitors can expect illuminated trails depicting a fire garden, a Christmas cathedral, and a neon tree, although each location will be offering something unique.

In previous years, My Christmas Trails has hosted the event at Blenheim Palace, Stourhead, Bedgebury, Kew Gardens, Belton, Dunham Massey and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, all of which are to be transformed again this Christmas. This year, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in Belfast hosts the first ever trail in Northern Ireland, and visitors will be treated to twinkling light tunnels and giant baubles.

The North of England boasts the most new arrivals, though.

Christmas at Gibside, Delamere Forest, and Temple Newsam have all joined the list of locations. Visitors in the South and South West can also enjoy some fresh scenery, with trails introduced at Killerton in Exeter and Kingston Lacy in Dorset.

While in the East, The Wimpole Estate is offering its grounds to the illuminations. mychristmastrails.co.uk

12 Homes & Antiques December 2021

Sony Music

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ILLUMINATE THE COUNTRY 2021

Shop in splendour at Blenheim Palace’s artisan Christmas Market. BELOW Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market is the largest authentic German market outside Germany and Austria.

the EVE NTS

BLENHEIM PALACE CHRISTMAS MARKET

Richard Haughton © Sony Music; Jason Woodroffe/Getty Images

UNTIL 19TH DECEMBER This time of year marks the return of Blenheim Palace’s artisan Christmas Market in Oxfordshire after it was cancelled in 2020. A key date in any Christmas calendar, the festivities welcome over 50 market stalls in traditional wooden chalets, offering everything from seasonal gifts and festive bakes to artisan food and gins from Colonsay.

A festive family day out, this year’s event includes an enchanting retelling of the story of The Nutcracker inside the palace walls, while the extensive grounds will be transformed into the Illuminated Trail.

Visitors can enjoy the sights whilst tasting artisan beers or flavoured rum and sampling British cheeses, sweet treats, and award-winning sausages – just a small selection of the food and drink options on sale.

Blenheim Palace’s Artisan Christmas market started on 19th November and will remain at the palace for a month. Access to the market is free and tickets for the Story of the Nutcracker and the Illuminated Trail are available to purchase via the website. blenheimpalace.com/Christmas

AROUND THE UK 5 more Christmas markets to visit…

• 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

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 13

,’ Says Charlie Thomas, Bonhams director of house sales:

the AUCTION

COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING THE CONTENTS OF STANLEY HOUSE BONHAMS KNIGHTSBRIDGE, 14TH DECEMBER

14 Homes & Antiques December 2021

so perfectly above a verdure tapestry console table which Nicky designed, together with a huge stag pediment.

Or the collection of plaster and bronze medallions which hang on trompe-l’œil ribbons.’

Find out more at bonhams.com

M. Krienke

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT This Chelsea house has all the marks of designer Nicky Haslam; a large 19th-century composition stone stag, probably an architectural pediment in another life, is estimated at £2,500– £3,500, while the 18thcentury giltwood mirror behind it is estimated at £3,000–£5,000; a set of 12 18th-century-style dining chairs, designed

by Nicky Haslam and upholstered in chenille, are expected to fetch between £5,000 and £7,000; a George II painted side table in the manner of William Kent is estimated at £3,000–£5,000.

Stanley House on the King’s Road in Chelsea is one of the grandest homes in the SW10 postcode, sitting within an acre of grounds. Grade II-listed and built in 1691 as a semi-rural retreat, the eightbedroom mansion once belonged to Sir William Hamilton, Lord Elgin’s private secretary, and plaster reliefs of several Elgin Marbles are inserted into the walls of the east hall. Much more recently, interior designer Nicky Haslam was commissioned to decorate and furnish Stanley House in luxurious style, deftly blending antiques with unique modern designs. Now, the principal contents are coming up for sale, with 200 lots on offer, and estimates from £200 to £30,000. ‘The sale consists of fine art, sculpture, furniture, carpets and all the treasures that you would expect to find in Chelsea’s grandest home,’ says Charlie Thomas, director of house sales at Bonhams. ‘With everything chosen and placed by Nicky Haslam, there are many standout lots. For example, the magnificent giltwood mirror that sits

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ABOVE Sarah’s favourite object in the collection at Fairfax House is this painting, originally thought to be by William Etty, but now believed to be Emblems of Love by James Sant. FACING PAGE Grinling Gibbons’ ‘King David Panel’ is a star attraction for visitors to the Georgian townhouse.

Behind the Scenes AT THE MUSEUM Rachel Nott speaks to Dr Sarah Burnage, curator of the York Civic Trust’s Fairfax House, about her favourite object in the collection 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 a private residence, home to the Friendly Society, a gentlemen’s club, and a cinema and dance hall.

Lockdown has given us time to explore how these fascinating moments in the history of the house can be creatively articulated to our visitors.

Another challenge is to keep the environmental conditions within an ideal range. Fairfax House struggles to maintain good humidity levels, with the dryness impacting on our historic furniture, especially those with veneers. Interestingly, one of the best ways to increase the moisture in the environment is by having visitors in our rooms.

During the national lockdown, evidently the house missed our visitors just as much as we did.

Visitors to Fairfax House are drawn to the magnificent Grinling Gibbons ‘King David Panel’ c1670. It’s one of the earliest known works by Gibbons, made during his time as a journeyman in York between c1668 and 1670. The panel measures just 37x24cm and recreates Peter Candid’s c1589–1593 painting The Performance of a Motet of Orlando di Lasso. Visitors often ask what the original purpose of the panel could have been. It seems likely to have been an object of vertu – an example of fine craftsmanship and valuable for its own sake.

My favourite object is a painting from Noel Terry’s bequest. Terry understood that it was a work by the York-born artist William Etty RA, entitled Woman with Doves, and there was little reason to doubt this; until last year, when we received an email from a

gentleman in Russia, who confirmed the work was in fact by the later Victorian artist, James Sant RA. The gentleman’s mother had a print after the work, of which there was also a copy in the British Museum.

Further research proved this to be the case, and we discovered the original title – Emblems of Love. I’ve always loved this painting for its sentimental subject matter and painterly style, but it has been a delight to uncover its true identity.

This Christmas we’ll be giving thanks to those who have made a significant contribution to the work of York Civic Trust and Fairfax House over the last 75 years, with a whole-house exhibition entitled ‘A Season for Giving’. Visitors will journey back in time to meet Noel Terry for a 1940s seasonal gathering, before joining a raucous Georgian dinner party to see our stunning collection of silverware, purchased with bequests from Arthur Smallwood and Leslie Boothman. Antique porcelain, 18th-century costume and historic clocks – set to chime in unison – will also be on display. This festive journey ends in the Saloon, where we will raise a glass to our donor John Butler, with an installation of his collection of over 400 pieces of Georgian glassware. fairfaxhouse.co.uk

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 17

These exquisite spectacles, named Gate of Paradise, have lenses carved from emeralds and carried an estimate of £1.5m–£2.5m.

News

In the Spotlight

michael-bowles.com

RARE 17TH-CENTURY SPECTACLES 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 over 200 carats.

The second pair, Gate of Paradise, features teardrop-shaped emerald lenses from a stone of 300 carats, perfectly cut with a bevelled edge and well matched in their deep green saturation and colour.

The frames, which represent something of an upgrade, are dated to the 1890s and are made with rose-cut diamonds set directly into metal

– silver for the emerald lenses and gold for the diamond lenses.

Much has been made of the technical skill and extreme precision needed to cut and carve such immaculate and perfectly matching lenses from a single gemstone – the excess would be unheard of today and no comparable examples are known to exist. ‘They are undoubtedly a marvel for gemologists and historians alike, and it is a real thrill to be able to bring these treasures to light and to offer the world the opportunity to wonder at their brilliance and the mystery behind their creation’ says Edward Gibbs, head of Sotheby’s Middle East and India department.

However, despite huge interest in the spectacles, which have been exhibited in New York, Hong Kong and London, they failed to find a buyer. Sotheby’s feel sure a buyer is out there somewhere. ‘Anyone who has laid eyes on them is in no doubt that they are indeed something very special, and we have every faith that the huge interest we have seen will translate into a different result later down the line,’ said a spokesperson for the auction house. sothebys.com

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 19

S T Y L E . N O W. Our monthly guide to DECORATIVE accessories, unique ANTIQUES and beautiful textiles that will add CHARACTER and colour to your home ED IT ED BY RO S A NNA M OR RI S & CAR OL I NE W HE ATE R

Swedish style 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.

© Anders Kylberg

nordicknots.com

S T Y L E . N O W.

What to Buy Now

SILVER MUSTARD POTS James Nicholson, Dreweatts

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. Hana, based in Batcombe, Somerset, not only makes the shades but also the bases, since experimenting with clay early last year. Each lamp is totally unique, with every component carefully considered. The ceramic base is hand built in clay and the vibrant glaze colour is chosen to complement the vintage pleated fabric. Prices are from £350 and Hana also accepts commissions. hanaandgeorge.co.uk

FESTIVE FLARE With Christmas tablescaping at the front of our minds, candles figure hugely. These handfi marbled, tapered candles from online store By Alice will be mesmerising. Be quick, they sell fast. £12 each.

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 pot of 1807 by William Abdy II, at £104.

ABOVE The oval silver l mustard d pot

by William Abdy II and the octagonal example by Hester Bateman.

by-alice.co.uk

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 21

All the trimmings

There’s no better time to introduce more colour and pattern into your home. Lose yourself down the rabbit hole poring over the collections of hand-blocked wallpapers and historical textiles from Watts of Westminster. And then there’s the passementerie with all the spangly tassels, fringes, braids and trims you can imagine… an alternative, heirloom garland for the mantelpiece, perhaps? watts1874.co.uk

What to Sell Now

EAST ANGLIAN SCHOOL PAINTINGS James Flower, Sworders 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

22 Homes & Antiques December 2021

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).

Lucy Harwood’s Traction Engines Resting (right) and Allan Walton’s Bawdsey End, Old Felixstowe (above) fetched high prices at auction recently.

S T Y L E . N O W.

ROSE UNIACKE AT HOME Devoted to the London home of architectural interior designer and antiques dealer Rose Uniacke, the pages of this grand tome give intimate glimpses inside her home. Her 19th-century house, which started life as Scottish portraitist James Rannie Swinton’s home, studio, and art gallery, eventually became an art school before being bombed in the Second World War and abandoned for decades. Rose and her husband took on the house in 2006 and painstakingly restored it. In the book, she discusses her countless design decisions behind the restoration and furnishing of this noble property.

© Rose Uniacke at Home by Rose Uniacke, Rizzoli New York, 2021. ©François Halard

Rizzoli New York, £150

A LONG LIFE The heirloom stockings from Velvet Linen, handmade by Liz Poole’s team in Sussex using the finest Liberty-print velvets and silk linen, are intended to be treasured and passed down as family heirlooms.

We like to imagine how they’ll age into antiques, brought out every Christmas for decades to come. £250. velvetlinen.co.uk

World of Colour For the first time, Little Greene’s paint colours have been beautifully translated into tiles. The Bert & May x Little Greene collection features eight colours on two signature tiles – soft, chalky cement squares, and rich, glossy glazed herringbones.

The colours include the moody, bluegreen-grey Livid, delicate, chalky pink Chemise, earthy, deep-ochre Bassoon, the Pale, Light and Mid variations of Aquamarine, and Purple Brown, a dark, velvety sumptuous brown that is an original Victorian hue. bertandmay.com

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 23

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DECO DRAMA

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4 Martini Divine Savages’ Deco

Geometrics, smooth lines, exuberant florals and lashings of gold against a moody palette is always a winning formula

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� Hawksmoor wallpaper in Inca, £74.35 per m, Lewis & Wood � Allcroft fabric in Copper Moss Black, £248 per m, Watts of Westminster � L.A. Sunset wallpaper LW071/004 Onyx, £147 per 10m roll, Linwood � Deco Martini wallpaper in Midnight Gold, £150 per 10m roll, Divine Savages � Paisley Damask Forest printed velvet, £95 per m, Warner House � Abelino fabric in Camel & Black, £156 per m, Schumacher � Morris Seaweed fabric in Ink/Woad, £67 per m, Morris & Co � Gatsby wallpaper in Green, £175 for three 3m rolls, Mind The Gap 24 Homes & Antiques December 2021

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His Dark Materials Choose rich shades, abstract patterns and velvet for a textured interior with substance

� Stella pendant, from £165, Pooky � Coco & Wolf x BeauVamp Tiffany Shade with Silk Liberty Strawberry Thief (Straight) £355, BeauVamp � Web of Dreams, large framed antique 1880s Swedish embroidered textile panel, antique butterflies and beetles by Hunter & Collector, £2,500, Owl Gallery � Gatsby-style Art Deco black and gold drinks cabinet, £1,440, Vinterior � Alwinton 2.5 seater sofa in textured velvet lichen, £2,273, Sofas & Stuff � ARTIO Velvet Nile Lampshade – Noir, £415, House of Hackney � Fornasetti Farfalle Black Tray, £680, and Fornasetti Rosone Gold Centrepiece – No. 6, £420, both Amara � Dusk Scape and Midnight Scape velvet cushions, £110 each, Susi Bellamy 26 Homes & Antiques December 2021

S T Y L E . N O W.

M GIC L MAGICAL MUSHROOMS Talking Shop

COACH HOUSE BROCANTE Julianne Cronin is a familiar face at many UK antiques fairs, where she sells soupières and other French finds…

I was born in London and would holiday at my grandparents’ home in Westgate-on-Sea on the Kent coast. Mum and I would visit junk shops and go to markets and jumble sales. Those days were my first experience of looking for treasures.

In my teenage years both my brothers would be off fishing, watching football or scuba diving, leaving me with mum and dad most weekends, so I would go with them to antiques fairs around London.

Our favourite fair was at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster. Mum collected silver spoons, netsuke and antique buttons, and dad would collect military badges and buttons. These visits started my first collection, which was, and still is, perfume bottles.

In December 2014 we went on a short holiday to France and I bought lots of small items at the brocantes and markets. I came back and sold them at a local antiques fair. It went quite well so we went again and

again. We sell mostly French brocante finds with influences from Belgium and Holland.

Our items range from porcelain broody eggs, various ironstone white dishes, and old handmade escargot pots at £2 to soupières at £20 to £85, and ironstone cake stands from the 1850s at £150.

We believe we are the number one supplier of soupières dating from the 1800s to 1920s in age.

We normally take about 40 soupières to each fair and they are our signature look. We seem to be drawn to all ironstone china – jugs, plates, bowls, sauceboats, ladles, and plates or drainers with holes in.

We also love embroidered French linens.

We live in Derbyshire in a Victorian house, which has a small detached coach house. We plan to extend and develop it into a showroom for our ironstone and linens to be displayed and stored. It will be exciting to welcome customers to visit us here at the Coach House. coachhousebrocante.com

Year after year enchanting toadstools make appearances on our Christmas trees. London store Choosing Keeping has an amazing range of handblown glass mushroom ornaments to choose from this year. Produced in Europe, in towns and areas that have been historically involved in the production of Christmas decorations, these beautiful pieces of traditional cottage industry are true heirlooms of the future. choosingkeeping.com

Itts’ a wrap

The wrapping on a present can often be as joyful as the gift within. Seeking out beautiful and sustainable wrap, the patterned papers from Wanderlust Paper Co tick all the right boxes.

Designed with joy by artist and designer Lucy at her studio in Hove, East Sussex, who also prints Christmas cards on a vintage printing press, the floral patterned papers are printed in London. wanderlustpaper.co

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 27

Competition

WIN

A £1,000 voucher to spend with Cuddledown We’re excited to be teaming up with Cuddledown to give you the chance to win a complete bedding set up to the value of £1,000*

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WIN £1,000 TO SPEND ON ONE FULL BEDDING SET*

o celebrate the launch of Cuddledown’s latest bedding range, we’re delighted to be offering you the chance to win £1,000* to spend across the company’s website. Choose duvets, pillows and a full set of bedlinen from across the extensive range.

Committed to delivering beautifully simple, high-quality bedroom essentials at a fair price, Cuddledown is known for its fantastically comfortable bedding, from cloud-like pillows to impossibly soft and squishy duvets. And customers can sleep soundly in the knowledge that Cuddledown products are fully certified

by Oeko-Tex, which ensures that no harmful chemicals are used at any stage of the manufacturing process. And their down duvets and pillows also carry Nomite certification, which means they are suitable for anyone with a house dust mite allergy. To explore the full range of duvets, pillows and bedlinen and to learn more about Cuddledown, visit cuddledown.co.uk THE PRIZE: One winner will receive a voucher for £1,000* to spend at cuddledown.co.uk *to comprise one duvet, up to four pillows and one full set of bedlinen

Enter Now Where are Cuddledown’s Edelweiss duvets made?

A) Canada B) Switzerland C) Hungary HOW TO ENTER Please enter online by visiting homesandantiques.com/ competitions Closing date: 1st January 2022 at . pm

Terms and conditions 1 The Promoter is Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited (Company Number 05715415), Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST. 2 Entrants must be UK residents (including the Channel Islands) aged 18 years or older, excluding employees of promoter or employees (and their immediate families) of the prize supplier or any other companies associated with the draw. 3 Entrants should enter by answering the relevant question at homesandantiques.com/Competitions. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered. By entering, you agree to be bound by all the rules of the promotion. 4 The Promoter may share the details of the winner with the prize provider for the purposes of fulfilling/delivering the prize. 5 The Promoter excludes liability to the full extent permitted by law for any loss, damage or injury occurring to the participant arising from his or her entry into the promotion or occurring to a winner arising from his or her acceptance of a prize. 6 The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or to cancel, alter or amend the promotion at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control. 7 Only one entry will be permitted per household, regardless of method of entry. Bulk entries made by third parties will not be permitted. 8 No responsibility accepted for lost, delayed, ineligible or fraudulent entries. 9 There is one prize in total. 10 The prize is non-refundable, non-transferable and not for resale. The prize cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers, promotions or discounts. The prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There is no cash alternative. The Promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize with another prize of the same or greater value. 11 Closing date for entries is 1st January 2022 at 11.59pm. 12 One winning entry will be chosen at random from all correct entries. 13 The winner will be notified of their win within 28 days of the closing date by email. 14 The winner must claim their

prize within 28 days of notification by placing orders with Cuddledown for a duvet, pillows and bedlinen, up to the value of £1,000. Delivery charges will be charged at the prize supplier’s standard rates. *There will be no cash return for any orders placed below the value of £1,000. In the event that a winner does not claim their prize within 28 days, another winner will be drawn at random. 15 The Promoter’s decision as to the winner is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 16 Terms and conditions governed by English Law. 17 Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited (publisher of Homes & Antiques) will hold your data in accordance with its privacy policy.

For details, please see this policy at policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/. 18 The surname and county of residence of the winner will be available upon request by sending an email to homesandantiques@immediate.co.uk within two months of the closing date of the competition. The Promoter will contact the winner before releasing this information and provide the winner with the opportunity to object or limit the amount of information shared.

28 Homes & Antiques December 2021

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Wishlist

Light the Way Illuminate your outdoor space

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Dusk wall light in aged brass, £119.40, Där Lighting Vintage copper wall lantern c1960, £1,037.06 for two, 1st Dibs Vapour 2 light coach lantern in light weathered brass, £238.80, Där Lighting Benson bronze wall lantern in antique verdigris, £1,650 (+VAT), Jamb Eichholtz Monticello lantern, £460, Sweetpea & Willow Scallop-edge wall lantern in antique brass, £888, Hector Finch Boswell cast brass lantern in verdigris, from £1,450 (+VAT), Jamb Florentine porch lantern in distressed brass, £982, Besselink & Jones

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December 2021 Homes & Antiques 29

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Wishlist

Glad Tidings Joyful ways to send festive wishes

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Embossed die-cut St Nicholas Christmas card, £3.50, Choosing Keeping Rifle Paper Co. Snow Globe card, £4, Anthropologie Merry Christmas – Snowglobe Cottage card, £3.75, Wildflower Illustration Co Gracie Dahl Mince Pie Man Christmas cards (pack of 6), £7, Tate Shop Colours of Christmas by Susannah Garrod, Christmas card pack of 10, £8.95, Royal Academy Shop Christmas Tree Mini card, £2.75, Wanderlust Paper Co Concertina stick back chairs card, from £3, Hadley

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LUKE HONEY’S

Cabinet of Curiosities Our columnist considers the compulsion to collect and shares his latest obsession

Lorfords Antiques; LJW Antiques at The Hoarde

This Month: Rocking Horses

About 20 years ago, I was lucky enough to inherit our family rocking horse. He’s called Neddy and was manufactured by F. H. Ayres in the 1920s. The story goes (no doubt apocryphal) that my grandmother, passing by a house in Chelsea in the 1950s, spotted him from the street and was cheeky enough to knock on the door and ask if the rocking horse in the window might be for sale. Our horse has been repainted several times over the years. In the early 1970s, my grandmother commissioned the distinguished fairground artist, John Pockett of Cookham, to give him a paint job, and, these days, Neddy gallops to the evocative dance of the traditional merry-go-round.

Children have played with toy horses since the days of the Ancient World. A simple wooden rocking horse, given to the future King Charles I in 1610, is thought to have been the first one ever made. Early rocking horses from this period have a naive charm and feature carved heads mounted onto flat, half-moon rockers.

But it was in the 19th century that the rocking horse came into its own. Of course, the real flesh-and-blood horse was very much part of the daily working life of the Victorians – paradoxically, the growth of the railways required more horse transport to take goods to and from the stations – and children’s toys tend to reflect the everyday world of the grown-ups around them.

In 1851, Queen Victoria visited the Liverpool workshops of J. Collinson & Sons and admired a dapple-grey rocking horse. As ever, prosperous middle-class society followed suit, and dapple-grey rocking horses became the English staple. By 1877, there were 11 different makers of rocking horses in London. Frederick Henry Ayres of Aldersgate is, perhaps, the most famous of the British makers. In 1887 they produced their first tricycle horse, and in 1916 they patented a new type of rocking horse, actioned by springs attached to a pillar stand. Another famous maker was G. & J. Lines – at that time the largest toy manufacturer in Britain. From 1910, Lines horses bore an embossed plaque with a thistle. Lines sold their horses at Hamleys, Gamages and Selfridges.

Before the introduction of the ‘safety stand’ in the 1880s, horses sat over sweeping bow rockers – more exciting for the adventurous child, perhaps, but unstable and

ABOVE G. & J. Lines nursery rocking horse, £3,450, Lorfords Antiques. RIGHT A late Victorian/early Edwardian children’s rocking horse, £495 from LJW Antiques at The Hoarde.

undeniably dangerous. The ‘safety’ or ‘swinger’ stand was the invention of Philip J. Marqua of Cincinnati, Ohio and patented in 1878. The horse’s body swings inside a frame, making it harder for curious little fingers to get crushed.

Today, rocking horses are prized by collectors as valuable antiques, and a nostalgia for the Never Never Land of the Victorian nursery is very much part of the appeal. In order to retain its antique value, an early rocking horse in original condition is best left alone, however tempting a repaint may be. That said, rocking horse restoration is a highly specialised field and expert restorers, such as Stevenson Brothers (stevensonbros.com), can take a damaged horse back to its original condition and historic colours.

Identifying horses is a tricky business. Not all makers used a mark, and over-painting can obscure a stamp. But F. H. Ayres horses had turned pillars on the stand and four holes to the brackets on top. Similarly, Lines horses had turned pillars, and three holes to the brackets, while Collinson horses had square pillars, small diamond brackets affixed to the top, and swing irons painted scarlet.

As ever, it’s the rarer rocking horses that attract the highest bids. However, as with other antiques, prices at auction can vary considerably, and may depend on size, condition, quality, and – if, say, secured on a languid, lazy August afternoon – the luck of the draw. In 2017, a large, early horse on a bow rocker fetched a healthy £5,000 at Duke’s Avenue Auctions in Dorset, while a rare Lines horse with side-saddle and wicker seats to either end made £5,500 at Lyon & Turnbull in 2005. At the more affordable end of the market, a smaller, repainted or distressed 20th-century horse – still delightful – might be had for a few hundred pounds. In June of this year, a 1920s Ayres horse, restored and repainted by Stevenson Brothers, fetched £500 at Gorringe’s.

Luke Honey is an antiques dealer and writer.

Find out more at lukehoney.co.uk

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 31

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ABOVE FROM TOP Derby plate painted by an anonymous artist in the style pre-dating William Billingsley, c1790, at the Royal Crown Derby Museum; another plate in the same design painted by William Billingsley, c1790, at the Royal Crown Derby Museum. ABOVE MIDDLE A sketch of a thistle by William ‘Quaker’ Pegg, c1813, at the Royal Crown Derby Museum. ABOVE RIGHT FROM TOP Derby plate by William Billingsley, c1790, sold at Bonhams; a Derby dish painted by William ‘Quaker’ Pegg, c1813, at the Royal Crown Derby Museum. BOTTOM ROW FROM LEFT Detail of the thistle sketch by William ‘Quaker’ Pegg; pair of Derby dishes by William ‘Quaker’ Pegg, c1815, sold at Bonhams.

FACING PAGE Coffee can from the Pinxton factory painted by William Billingsley, c1796, sold at Bonhams.

Column

A Tale of Two Williams

deanwhiting.com; Royal Crown Derby Museum – to see these items, book your museum tour now at www.royalcrownderbymuseum.com

By the mid 18th century, individual talents began to be recognised; none more so than Messrs Billingsley and Pegg, says Willa Latham 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, as well as the flowing style, was to become the quintessentially British style of porcelain painting, contrasting with the more restrained Continental style. He painted a ‘prentice plate’ with a border of running roses, each one from a different angle, that every Derby apprentice had to successfully copy as part of their training.

Billingsley is often called the ‘most wrongly attributed painter in the history of ceramics’ and you can find his name all over eBay! His style can be confusing as he occasionally painted some more contrived designs, depending on what was required; it is wise to mistrust the attribution of any Billingsley piece you find.

But Billingsley had bigger dreams than flowers; his true passion was making porcelain. English porcelain was still rather crude compared to the fine Continental porcelains, and Billingsley became obsessed with finding a British equivalent. He started the Pinxton factory in Derbyshire, which produced some beautiful porcelain but, due to the high kiln wastage, the business couldn’t survive. He then ran a decoration studio in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, but mysteriously disappeared. In fact, he had walked hundreds of miles and renamed himself William Beeley to escape creditors, finally reappearing penniless in Worcester in 1808, where he was hired to improve the factory’s porcelain body.

Billingsley’s recipe caused so much kiln wastage that it was too expensive for commercial use and the savvy Worcester factory never adopted it, but paid Billingsley £200 for keeping it secret. Instead, he ran off to Nantgarw in Wales, using the money to set up another factory. The result was a short-lived but defining experiment of the finest British porcelain ever made. However, at 90 per cent kiln wastage (of every 10 items fired, only one

survived) money ran out quickly and Billingsley absconded yet again, this time walking a further 100 miles to Coalport, Shropshire, where he remained.

The story of the Welsh porcelain factories deserves a whole feature of its own, so I’ll leave that for a later date.

Instead, let us turn to another great genius, William ‘Quaker’ Pegg, regarded as the greatest porcelain painter of flowers of all time. Pegg’s flowers are large, naturalistic and exuberant. Apprenticed to the Derby factory in 1796, the year of Billingsley’s departure, Pegg developed a passion for flowers that took what was now Billingsley’s tradition to a new place.

But Pegg became a Quaker and in 1801 he gave up painting, burned his sketchbooks and turned to making humble stockings at home. His talent couldn’t be constrained forever though; in 1813 he returned for another wonderful stint of painting flowers, and thankfully the sketchbooks of this period still exist.

Pegg’s almost abstract style was ahead of his time; his flowers are draped over the porcelain as if the universe isn’t large enough to hold them. There is a wild, sensual quality to them; he celebrated God’s Creation through his flowers. There is a sketch of a thistle that he showed to his mother, who couldn’t make head or tail of it as it seemed so outlandish to her. The Derby factory, however, gave him a dish to paint it onto, and this became the famous ‘thistle dish’, which would be used as a ‘prentice plate’ for many years.

Pegg returned to the Derby factory looking odd, with a thick beard; his colleagues teased him that he didn’t have the money for a barber. The truth was that, although he had been living in poverty, he didn’t care about his appearance and he defiantly painted a wonderful, strange-looking self portrait in his sketchbook. In the years following, he threw himself into painting his ecstatic flowers. Later he wrote about his new sketchbook in his diary: ‘I had once burnt all my Drawings and Drawing Books. Thus I built up that which I had once destroyed; but this I suffered for.’

Pegg eventually returned to a strict interpretation of his faith and stopped painting again, opening a corner shop with his wife and providing assistance to the poor around him.

With these two men, who changed the course of British porcelain, we are peeking into a new century with new porcelain enterprises… but more about that next time!

Read Willa’s blog gentlerattleofchina.com or follow her @gentlerattleofchina

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 35

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Winter Style

A FOREVER F RE

Christmas s s

From simple advent calendars to beautiful baubles for the tree, we celebrate the rituals and traditions of the season with our round-up of the greenest decorations for your festivities – pieces you will treasure forever...

S T Y L I N G ROS E H A M M I C K PH OTO G R A PH S C AT H E R I N E G R AT W I C K E

Winter Style

Winter Style

One of the loveliest traditions of the season, the advent calendar can take many forms: from shop-bought treat to homemade creation, choose something that can be used year after year.

elcome 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 the end of the bed or hung from the mantelpiece? That’s to say nothing of the presents under the tree; are they from family and friends or Father Christmas? But when it comes to decorations, we hope everyone is in agreement that a little festive flourish here and there is all part of the fun... and as you can see, a green Christmas doesn’t mean one that’s dull and dreary; it can be full of colour and merriment.

In a household with children, the countdown to the big day will undoubtedly begin with an advent calendar. These can be made easily enough using little numbered jars, or perhaps tiny treats arranged in an old printer’s tray; readymade, reusable options are widely available and likely to become beloved items that will be passed on to younger generations as children grow up. Purists, for whom only a paper calendar will do, should look to artists such as Angela Harding, who brings out a new and beautiful design each year. The calendars are robust enough to be reused and likely to become future collectables.

The appearance of wreaths on front doors is always cheering from early December, so we’ve gathered a selection that you can buy to keep forever. And for those of you who like to make your own, we offer inspiration in the form of several we’ve made ourselves, including a clever kit featuring bright fabric scraps. While not essential, if you choose well, crackers and crowns will add to the festive cheer – crackers look pretty heaped on the table and can be useful as place settings, and, if you avoid the limp tissue paper versions, crowns can be surprisingly jaunty if not necessarily glamorous! And talking of the Christmas table, candles and beautiful candlesticks probably rank as nonnegotiables in most people’s books. Where possible, look for candles that are made from beeswax or soy.

The joy of paper chains, garlands and tree ornaments – from baubles to fairies and tree toppers – speak for themselves, and just as we love antique and vintage Christmas decorations, if you are buying new, choose decorations that might become collectables of the future.

The decorations you will find on the following pages were all chosen with this idea in mind: buy well, buy once and reuse as much as you can.

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Winter Style

Not just for the front door: wreaths look wonderful in windows, on mantelpieces and even on the hat stand!

Christmas wreaths are a cheering sight throughout December: make your own with seasonal greenery, dried flowers or foraged pine cones, or choose a design in metal, paper or fabric to use again.

42 Homes & Antiques December 2021

Winter Style

Crackers and crowns are as central to the Christmas feast as the turkey or nut roast! Choose designs that can be easily recycled or, better still, kept for use in years to come...

Winter Style

Paper decorations have an ethereal charm and, despite their delicate appearance, they can be used for years if handled with care.

Traditional paper chains are also the perfect way to keep children occupied in the lead-up to the big day.

Winter Style Festoon your rooms with simple homemade paper chains or fabulous super-sized stars for instant festive cheer

Winter Style

Buy one or two really special decorations each year, and soon you will have built up a collection to treasure

If you are a fan of vintage and antique baubles, snap up some of these handmade beauties, any one of which, if treated well, will doubtless become an antique of the future. Look for quirky, unexpected designs, such as these beaded bugs, or focus on a theme to which you can add, piece by piece.

Winter Style

Winter Style If you have access to fresh greenery, there’s no better way to decorate the house at Christmas. But, if not, then invest in a handmade garland that can be passed on to future generations. Choose from fabric chains, strands of baubles made from recycled glass, cut paper garlands that mimic Christmas greenery, and strings of brightly coloured vintage gaming chips...

48 Homes & Antiques December 2021

Winter Style

The soft glow of candlelight is one of life’s simplest pleasures, and especially so at Christmas, but choose your candles with care. Look for soy and beeswax candles rather than paraffin.

A group of mismatched candlesticks amid fronds of trailing ivy creates a fun alternative to the traditional Christmas tree

Winter Style Without a doubt, the stocking is everyone’s favourite part of Christmas, and every family has its own tradition: on the mantelpiece, under the tree or at the end of the bed. A beautiful stocking that can be handed down through the generations will only make their annual appearance on the 24th so much sweeter.

Winter Style Look to the stars! Create mini vignettes on any available shelf, mantelpiece or window sill, using brightly coloured trees, angels and a scattering of baubles

Whatever you prefer, be it a Christmas star or a festive fairy, no Christmas tree is complete without a topper of some sort. And if you decide to eschew the tree, simple miniature versions in bright colours can be used to decorate the mantelpiece, evoking a woodland scene from a fairy tale.

Where to buy

Find all the information you need for everything in our Christmas shoot

Mark Hearld Wren wallpaper in Ultramarine, £96 per roll, St Jude’s Fabrics. Ship bauble, £28, Rockett St George. Giant Antiqued Nari bauble, £19.50, Nkuku. Squirrel eating nuts decoration, £12.50; Egyptian glass candle holders, £35 for set, Raj Tent Club. Angela Harding Christmas Cottage advent calendar, £8.50, Cotswold Trading. The Creative Crafts Tree, £36, Bloom & Wild. Little Red Fox, £16, made to order from Paper Pine Tree, Etsy. Star Vine paperchain garland kit, £22 for 10m, The Shop Floor Project.

Drawers, saucer and tri-handled loving cup, all stylist’s own.

From top: golden advent numbers, £44, Curated Living. Printer’s drawers, £118; filing chest, £500, both Vinterior. Townhouse wooden advent calendar, £39.99, Lights4fun. Marbled paper, £12 per sheet, Compton Marbling.

Cardboard advent houses, £18 for kit, Head in t’Clouds. 3D conifer advent calendar, £12, V&A Shop.

From top: large Talini wreath, £49.50, Nkuku. Metal berry wreath, £42, Curated Living.

Paper sprout wreath, £26.99, Gisela Graham. Wallace and Sewell felt wreath kit, £30, V&A Shop. Wooden wreath, £25, Poppy Treffry. Vintage holly wreath, £39.95, Sarah Raven. Dried flower wreath, £60, Yolly.

Ready-made pine cone wreath, £30, Porters Foliage. Homemade fern and honesty wreath, and apple wreath, both made with foliage from Porters Foliage. Metal olive wreath, £18.50, RE. Stripe Haverford runner, £60 per m, Ian Mankin. Wall painted in Slate III Architects’ Matt emulsion, £28.50 per 750ml, Paint & Paper Library.

Hat stand in Amsterdam Green, £21.95 per litre, Annie Sloan.

Butterfly and bird crowns, £36 for set of four, The Shop Floor Project.

Felt star crown, £36, shiranihamilton, Etsy. Gold and pearl party crown, £16.50; laurel

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wreath crown, £14, both Meri Meri. Recycled Christmas Chorus cracker; Leaping Hare cracker; Secret Forest cracker, all £15 for six, RSPB Shop. Oak leaf cracker, £36 for six, V&A Shop. Pine cones cracker, £36 for six, Nancy & Betty. Linen Aubusson verdure 3m panel, £250; Cody Foster Louis XIV bust, £55, Angel & Boho.

Plaster woman’s bust, £150, The Long Room. Black Deco bust, £48, Rockett St George. Cerise candle, £6 a pair, True Grace. Pewter candlestick, £40 a pair, Stephen Foy Antiques. Dog, mirror and table all stylist’s own, find similar at Stephen Foy Antiques.

Green paper streamer, £11.50; pink snowflake, £4.50; teal fan, £2.50; purple globe, £4.50, all RE. Strip paper garland, £15 for 3m; paperchain kit (on right end of bed), £5 for 4m; paper angel decoration, £8.50, all Ding Ding Design. Scalloped Christmas paperchains at back of bed, £10, Meri Meri. Star Vine paperchain garland kit, £22 for 10m; parchment-coloured paper snowflake, £12, both The Shop Floor Project. Honeycomb decorations, £40 for set of six, OKA. Single Waterloo bed, £749; single ticking mattress, £349, The Original Bedstead Company. Wall painted in Celestial Blue Absolute Matt emulsion, £48.50 per 2.5 litres; doors painted in Dark Lead Colour Intelligent eggshell, £68 per 2.5 litres, both Little Greene.

Vintage bolster, stylist’s own.

From left: large larkspur bauble, £5, V&A Shop. Patterned stag decoration, £18, Raj Tent Club.

Ship bauble, £28, Rockett St George. Papier-mâché dog, £19.50, Angel & Boho. Atlantic blue velvet cushion cover, £60, OKA. Paradise Lost/Blue 3m panel, £275, Angel & Boho.

Red and gold lantern decoration, £5.50; mini arabesque bauble, £3, both V&A Shop. Gold pressed bird, £4.50; beaded beetles, from £10.95, RE. Toucan and parrot, £15 each, So Just Shop.

Honeycomb decoration, £12.50, Gisela Graham. Beaded clock face, £12.50, Angel & Boho. Varese velvet in Alchemilla, £79 per m, Designers Guild.

Where to buy

From left: natural foliage garland made from English sourced foliage, including eucalyptus, from £7 a bunch; blue pine, £13.50 a bundle; berries, £25 a bundle; and long asparagus stems, £40 for 50 stems, Porters Foliage.

Fabric chain, £10 per m, The Cotton Hare. Red vintage fabric star, £585; pink vintage star, £650, Tobias & The Angel. Ekiti bauble garland, £44.50, Nkuku.

Jai recycled glass bell garland, £44.50, Curated Living. Dried flower garland kit with red velvet bow, £48 per m, Mary Elizabeth Flowers. Flower bouquet paper garland, £20.50; festive foliage paper garland, £15; gold knitted star garland, £32; gold sparkle star chandelier, £45, all Meri Meri. Colourful string of betting chips, £245, Tobias & The Angel.

Straw stars, from £6, Raj Tent Club.

Vintage-style mannequin (centre), £195, Angel & Boho. Mannequin legs painted in Emperor’s Silk, £21.95 per litre, Annie Sloan.

Walls painted in French Grey 113 Absolute Matt emulsion, £48.50 per 2.5 litres; woodwork painted in Slaked Lime 105 Intelligent eggshell, £68 per 2.5 litres, both Little Greene. Fabric from left: dress in Vintage Stripe fabric 04 Black, £37.50 per m; ruffles round neckline and waistband in Ticking Stripe 1 Black, £29.50 per m; dress on right made from Ticking Stripe 1 Black, £29.50 per m; left skirt made from Ticking Stripe 2 Navy, £29.50 per m, all Ian Mankin. Mannequins dressed by Grace Cargill.

Feather wall sconce, £30; Bungalow pink zigzags recycled cotton wrapping paper, £4.50, both Curated Living. The Lion candleholder, £185; green oak leaf lady candelabra, £265, both The Shop Floor Project. Pewter candlestick, £40 per pair, Stephen Foy Antiques. Blue Egyptian glass candlesticks, £20 per pair; green Egyptian glass candlesticks, £20 per pair; Egyptian glass candle holders, £35 for set; vintage brass candlestick, £80 per pair; vintage Moroccan candlestick, £70; green ceramic Zagora candlestick, £45; vintage brass angel snuffer, £20, all Raj Tent Club. Small Monte Carlo candleholder, £82; brass Talon candleholder, £155, both Jonathan Adler. Green glass short candlestick, £7.95, Sarah Raven.

Antique gold peacock candlestick, £85, Rockett St George. Brass bedside candlestand, £29, Angel & Boho. Metal floral candlestick, £8.50, RE. Brass chamberstick, £3.50, St Christopher’s Hospice charity shop. Rose and Oud recycled octagon candle, £15, The Recycled Candle Company. Bow made from Ticking Stripe 2 Navy, £29.50 per m, Ian Mankin. Green trolley, £1,898; scalloped rug, £396, both Vanrenen GW Designs. Leaf green, sage and holly candles, £6 a pair, True Grace.

From top left to right: long wooden stockings, £35; short wooden stocking, £20; long printed stocking, £85; vintage baubles from box, £85, all Tobias & The Angel. Climbing rose sock (on wooden stocking), £22, by Minju Kim at The Shop Floor Project. Rose long socks, £30; deer long socks, £30; robin socks, £20, JoJo Knits.

Muse Eyes stocking, £128, Jonathan Adler. Rose stocking, £48, Tori Murphy. Red corduroy stocking, £17.50, The Cotton Hare. Karru velvet stocking in Charcoal, £32.50, Nkuku. In basket: snowflake and labrador patterned top shooting stockings, £60, Almost Unwearoutable.

Wooden zigzag airer, £40, Garden Trading. Small Thai household broom, £9, RE.

From left to right: brush trees, £45 for set of six; gold star tree topper, £20, both Rockett St George.

Vintage baubles, £85 for box; fairy made from antique fabrics, £295, both Tobias & the Angel.

Gold star mini garland, £8.25, Meri Meri. Straw star, from £6, Raj Tent Club. Tin golden bear, £16; angel, £44 per pair; Red Riding Hood puppet, £28 for kit, all The Shop Floor Project. Talini wire star tree topper, £19.50, Nkuku. Dried flower garland kit, £48 per m, Mary Elizabeth Flowers. Wall painted in Indigo Blue Active emulsion, £47 per 2.5 litres, Sanderson.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 53

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LIVING WITH ANTIQUES Four homes all beautifully dressed for the season, from a 16th-century Norfolk priory to a whitewashed new build in the Netherlands

At Christmas, Baukje Smits enjoys using antiques in elegant abundance in her light-filled home in the Netherlands.

Find out more from page 66.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 55

The doubleheight galleried hallway adds grandeur to the house and allows for an impressive Christmas tree.

The blind fabric is Sunda by Louisa’s business partner Sarah, available through Penny Morrison.

R Relaxed

character Interior designer Louisa Greville Williams, one half of Vanrenen GW Designs, combines a love of art with an eye for fabric and furniture to create an elegantly eclectic home FE AT U R E SA R A B I R D PH OTO G R A PHS DA N D U C H A R S/ T H E C O N T E N T E D N E S T

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Louisa with her Jack Russell, Evie; she has transformed the house beyond recognition, adding a double-storey extension with a gallery hallway. The walls are painted in Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball, which is a lovely warm neutral. The light fitting is the large Skipper pendant by Tom Raffield. The botanical prints came from OKA; from outside it’s hard to imagine this as a 1960s bungalow. Louisa’s friend, florist Claire Lloyd, produces spectacular wreaths for Christmas and runs courses for her charity, Team Archie, which is in memory of her son Archie, who died on his gap year; the lampshade on a glass base on the antique ‘green man’ console table came from Vanrenen GW Designs, as did the scalloped rug.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 57

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The previous owner installed the panelling, fitted cupboards and recessed doorways that are such a feature of the house; the snug is Louisa’s sitting room, offering a quiet retreat of her own; the walls are painted in Garden by Little Greene and the ceiling is a shade of yellow from Papers and Paints. The portraits are Louisa’s sons, painted by Tom Hoar, and the taxidermy was bought at auction. Louisa has kept the curtains that came with the house, and the upholstery in this room is an ongoing project that started with the wing chair she bought at auction and had covered in velvet from Lelièvre. The bespoke cushions are from Vanrenen GW Designs and the ottoman is by David Seyfried. The striped rug is Indian.

58 Homes & Antiques December 2021

ouisa 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, we normally have another family for lunch, too. It’s the time in the year when I really have a chance to enjoy cooking and entertaining. Although next year I’m hoping to run away to somewhere hot!’

With its six bedrooms and four bathrooms there’s no shortage of space, but it’s a far cry from the cramped 1960s/1970s bungalow Louisa bought back in 2011. ‘It was horrible in parts,’ she admits.

‘The previous owner had a joinery shop, hence the panelling and the detail on the stairs, which I love.

But there were also ‘built-in’ beds and furniture everywhere, which didn’t always work, and there turned out to be annoying problems like rotten windows that slowed down renovations and ate up my decorating budget.’

Louisa had bought the bungalow with planning permission for an extension, but decided to take it back to the planning stage to create a more dramatic two-storey extension to the rear, which has improved the layout of the whole house. She cast a fresh eye on the original part of the house, changing rooms such as the bathroom and bedroom within her master suite. ‘It was quite bizarre,’ she explains. ‘The bed was built into the window where my bath is now, and most of what is now my bedroom was given over to a dressing room, including the two lovely big sash windows with the only decent view of the garden.’

Due to the necessary remedial work, the building and decorating didn’t always happen in Louisa’s preferred order. ‘In many ways I had to just throw things together, so it’s a very underplanned house, but it works,’ she says. The furniture and accessories are a real mix of styles and eras, encompassing bric-a-brac finds, pieces Louisa has inherited from her mother and grandparents, and other gems hauled back from

her travels; this is a house where traditional botanical prints sit happily alongside bright Bollywood posters, faded florals next to kilim rugs.

‘I really don’t get too precious about genres,’ she admits. ‘I choose things because I love them rather than to collect, per se. And, if it’s not auction finds, it will be something from a buying trip abroad where we’re filling a van.’

Most of the sofas in the house are hand-medowns that have been lovingly reupholstered.

And when it comes to reupholstery, the fabric designers Louisa turns to, among many others, include Sarah Vanrenen, her business partner in Vanrenen GW Designs, as well as Penny Morrison. She is careful to mix things up, avoiding anything too matchy-matchy, and adds in cushions in vintage fabrics from the stash she has collected over the years.

It’s a design style she describes as traditional English country with a twist, although there are also many American designers whose work she admires as well: ‘They tend to be brave with where they put furniture and brave in their colour choices,’ she adds. ‘Because of the slightly chaotic way I’ve had to work here, this place is certainly more haphazard than anything I would do for a client, but the boys and I love it.’

The house had been painted white throughout when Louisa bought it, and the fabulous colour palette here evolved over time. Louisa gives a nod to her art training and the fact that her parents were great maximalists, covering every wall with paintings – a passion she has inherited – but, she can also be moved by the beauty of her surroundings. ‘Driving home one day I passed the most incredible field of yellow rape next to a green pasture, with a great expanse of blue sky above, and I knew right then I had to go home and paint the ceiling in the green sitting room yellow!’ The house is still a work in progress, she says. ‘It’s always changing, always evolving, it doesn’t stay the same for very long.’

Year-round, Louisa fills the house with plants and fresh flowers, but she sees Christmas as an excuse to go ‘completely over the top’, gathering greenery and berries from the neighbourhood hedgerows and enlisting the help of her friend, local florist Claire Lloyd (kitcatandflo.com), who garlands the fireplaces and stairs. ‘I’m not that great at arranging anything bigger than a vase,’ she laughs. And as she prefers to decorate the house with real flowers and greenery, she tends to take it all down a little earlier than Twelfth Night. ‘It’s all looking rather droopy by then, which is rather how we feel at that stage!’

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 59

60 Homes & Antiques December 2021

The extension has improved the flow of the rest of the house, with rooms opening into each other on the ground floor. The generous dining table was a great auction find and the pendant lamp above has been updated with new shades from Vanrenen GW Designs. The rug is from OKA. RIGHT TOP & BOTTOM Louisa has a collection of Indian handblocked tablecloths that she uses in rotation, and they suit all occasions.

Her collection of fine glassware and silver is used regularly, but comes into its own at Christmas. The wine glasses are from William Yeoward.

The placemats were a present from Sarah Vanrenen.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Louisa is playful with colour, creating vibrant connections between rooms; the panelling is ‘what sold the house to me’, says Louisa. It’s taken quite a while to decide on the colour for the dining room but she has recently painted it a vibrant yellow by Papers and Paints. The blinds with ikat borders are Linara by Romo and the lamps are from Pooky; Louisa has kept the kitchen that came with the house, updating it by painting the cabinetry in Slipper Satin by Farrow & Ball and adding glass handles to the cupboards; tableware includes majolica plates, heirloom silver and vintage baubles from Burford Garden Company. The silver dish was a birthday present.

62 Homes & Antiques December 2021

Louisa couldn’t find the right shade of red for the walls so mixed this colour herself – it’s a great backdrop for a collection of lively Bollywood posters.

The armchair was a gift from the late Margot Dent, Louisa’s former sculpture tutor, and has been covered in a Roger Oates striped fabric. The demi-lune table was a family piece and the lamp and shade are from Vanrenen GW Designs.

‘In many ways I had to just throw things together so it’s a very under-planned house, but it works,’ says Louisa

LEFT Louisa’s bedroom is papered in Will ‘o’ The Wisp by Knowles & Christou, which provides a wonderful backdrop for her works of art and antiques.

On the walls are a pencil sketch by Nick Johnson, a portrait of her friend as a child, and a copy of an old family picture. The chest of drawers was inherited from her mother’s godmother. Lampshades and lamps from Vanrenen GW Designs. The rug is from The Rug Company. ABOVE In the bathroom, the raised platform on which the bath now sits was once part of a built-in bed. The walls are painted in Euphorbia 545 from Paint & Paper Library – the perfect foil for Louisa’s collection of pink lustreware, which she has been adding to since the 1990s when she was starting out as a designer.

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Welcome HOME

Decorated with love and care, the Dutch home of Baukje and Anton Smits comes into its own at Christmas time F EAT UR E & STY L I N G M O N I QU E VAN D E R PAU W PH OTO GR AP H S TON B O U WE R /COCO F E AT U R E S . COM

ABOVE FROM LEFT Red is permitted in the kitchen at Christmas time, when vintage decorations are hung around the room; Baukje dresses the table simply but effectively with twinkling tealights and a centrepiece of ivy, pine cones and papier-maché mushrooms. FACING PAGE The dining table is laid for festive feasting with Baukje’s mix-and-match crockery originating from France, England and the Netherlands.

aukje 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 practical stuff that catches Baukje’s eye; she is also drawn to elegant frames, antique silver and glassware, and handmade lace.

Evidence of their antiquing can be seen wherever one looks in the couple’s house in the Frisian village of De Westereen in the north of the Netherlands. Designed with the help of Anton’s architect father, and built in 1989 by Anton himself, the house feels much older than its 30-odd years. By incorporating traditional features such as visible beams, panelled walls and a carved fire

surround complete with antique tiles, Anton gave the house a sense of history that belies its newness.

Whitewashed walls, chosen by Baukje because of their timeless appeal and light-reflecting effect, are the perfect backdrop for all their treasures, which she uses to create charming vignettes throughout the house.

Baukje rarely visits contemporary interiors shops, ‘only Ikea once in a while for a new sofa’. Everything else in the house is vintage, second-hand, antique, or it has become weathered through the decades, like the dining table that Baukje and Anton bought 30 years ago.

Her love for antiques was born 25 years ago, when she inherited an enamel teapot from Anton’s grandmother.

‘Such a pretty thing, with a nice nostalgic look. I started collecting enamel and, after that, earthenware, which combined beautifully with the enamel...’ And then, one day, she simply threw out all the plastics and new things she owned and replaced them with beautiful old objects and items made from natural materials. ‘I even got rid of the dish brush,’ she adds. The country pine furniture also underwent a metamorphosis and was painted white, although recently Baukje has painted the kitchen doors a smart off-black and added some soft neutral shades elsewhere. ‘Just enough to add some contrast,’ she explains, having decided that an all-white scheme felt a bit too ‘pretty-pretty’.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 67

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Shelves in Baukje’s kitchen are filled with red and white crockery picked up from Maastricht and French brocantes; pieces from Digoin in France and teacups from England; ivy, pine cones, apples, a bird decoration and papier-mâché mushrooms make a simple yet stylish table decoration; large open shelves draw the eye upwards to Baukje’s pleasing array of ceramics in this all-white scheme.

68 Homes & Antiques December 2021

The weathered dining table is dressed up for Christmas with a linen tablecloth and a mixture of French, English and Dutch crockery, ready to welcome home the couple’s adult children. Old school chairs provide rustic yet functional seating.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 69

The Christmas decorations start to go up in early December, a few things at a time – a bit of greenery, a few branches of eucalyptus and lights to brighten up dark corners

Christmas is a favourite time of year, and Baukje enjoys dressing the house for the season, creating her alternative to the traditional Christmas tree, and adding a bit of romance to the bedroom in her preferred palette of white and silver, with sparkling touches of red and the natural charm of weathered and whitewashed wood.

The decorations start to go up in early December, a few things at a time – a bit of greenery, a few branches of eucalyptus and Christmas lights to brighten up dark corners. ‘Other decoration is slowly added, but not too much; I like to keep it calm,’ says Baukje. The best part of decorating the house is kept until last: hanging antique ornaments on the old bedstead doors that lean against the wall in the living room, which is Baukje’s take on the traditional Christmas tree. ‘I once had a beautiful bauble from my mother, decorated with poetry and a picture of snow, but unfortunately the cat hit it from the tree!’ The doors are her clever, cat-proof alternative, ‘and the ornaments are not as hidden as they are in a tree,’ she observes.

The festive kitchen table is a lovely mix of styles and colours: classic stencilled plates from France take centre stage and are combined with vintage ornaments; fine crystal gleams next to white earthenware; weathered baking moulds are used as candle holders; and a traditional baguette basket stuffed with ivy, apples and pine cones forms a centrepiece alongside a fruit-filled Christmas bread on an antique serving bowl. It’s a table full of love and care, created to welcome Baukje and Anton’s adult children home for a happy brunch. ‘I always look forward to Christmas,’ Baukje says. ‘It’s a wonderful time, a special time. A time for reflection on the year that has gone by, and for nostalgic memories.

But, most of all, it’s a time to enjoy being together.’

Baukje sells vintage and antique treasures from France, Belgium and the Netherlands @de_ franse_slag

LEFT Baukje uses weathered doors to hang delicate ornaments on, as a quirky alternative to a Christmas tree. TOP RIGHT Antique jewellery is displayed alongside vintage books, figurines and glassware in Baukje’s glass-fronted cabinet. RIGHT Gradually, Baukje has introduced more colour and contrast to her original all-white scheme. ‘This old cupboard has already had four different colours! I don’t think it will stay black either,’ she says. The interior remains white to show off her collections.

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Baukje has added linen covers to the Ikea sofas and painted the large cupboard in a neutral shade that adds warmth to the living room; pearls once belonging to Anton’s mother and others worn by Baukje on her wedding day sit amongst the couple’s treasures; vintage frames with photos of Baukje’s mother and Anton’s father; ‘I love old pewter candle holders: simple and sober,’ says Baukje.

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Wooden panelling adds a rustic country feel to this modern home, which was designed and built by Baukje and her carpenter husband, Anton

In the master bedroom, whitepainted furniture is paired with linen and cotton fabrics, while a garland with little lights adds subtle festive decoration.

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Christmas in COLOUR Interior designer Emma Deterding goes big and bold, with colourful accessories that add warmth and a sense of fun to her Norfolk priory home FE AT U R E SA R A BI R D PH OTO G R A PH S DA N D U CH A RS

The ancient panelling in the hallway frames the view of the dining room. The chairs are from OKA, and Emma covered them in Wemyss Sahara Suede and faux leather from Designers Guild. FACING PAGE The dining table is dressed in sari silks which are used as tablecloths, while place settings are decorated with baubles, pom poms and flowers in zingy shades.

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ABOVE FROM LEFT The hall, with its original Norfolk pamments and panelling, is one of Emma’s favourite parts of the house. The chest in the hallway was inherited from Emma’s grandmother and turned out to be filled with mementoes of her life in India. The newspaper image was found up in the roof of the house. The lamp came from Kelling Designs. BELOW The former priory was once a satellite for the Carthusian monks at Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire.

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ike 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.’

Several outbuildings added to the attraction: the couple had experience of rentals and the hospitality market and could see the potential. As Founder and Creative Director of Kelling Designs, Emma is well-versed in whole-house projects, having created schemes all over the world including a big project in India that ignited her passion for the country. ‘There’s no such thing as clashing colours in India,’ says Emma. ‘Anything and everything go.’

The starting point for this house was to paint all the walls grey: ‘It’s a good neutral base,’ she says. ‘Looking back, I’ve added the odd coloured wall here and there and have since painted the sitting room and one of the bedrooms, but most rooms have stayed that same grey. Any impression of colour is all coming from the furnishings.’

The barns attached to the house are of long-standing interest and are mentioned in the Pevsner Architectural Guides. The couple now let them as holiday accommodation (priorybarns.com).

The central chandelier was an antique find.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Every year Emma puts the Christmas tree in front of the original front door, which is the formal entrance, but rarely used since the couple added a new entrance, fondly referred to as ‘the bus shelter’. Walls are painted in Pelt by Farrow & Ball. The grandfather clock was inherited from Nicholas’s grandfather; Emma Deterding, founder and creative director of Kelling Designs, uses sari silks to add colour to the table at Christmas; striking mirrors are a feature throughout the house and this panel of small convex mirrors is one of a pair, both of which hang above matching console tables in the dining room; cushions from Bombay Sprout in eye-catching Indian fabrics make the sitting room feel relaxed and welcoming.

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The ottoman in the sitting room was designed by Emma’s company, Kelling Designs, and is covered with a spectacular piece of handwoven fabric from Pakistan. The sofas are from Made and the cushions are from Bombay Sprout. The walls are painted in Marble III and IV from Paint & Paper Library.

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The dining room walls are painted in Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball.

The landscape paintings above the fire are by local artists, and the extra-wide Riva woodburner from Stovax in the dining room is affectionately known as Big Bertha.

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BELOW Emma loves to inject a bit of fun at every opportunity, using colourful napkins and bright flowers to decorate the place settings. RIGHT The striped console is typical of Emma’s style – she had graffiti artist friend, Tony, spray it with vivid stripes.

The painting on the wall is by Evelyn Binns and the lamp is by KDLoves.

ABOVE The barns attached to this house are of longstanding interest and are mentioned in the Pevsner Architectural Guides. The couple let the Dairy and one of the barns as accommodation. Walls painted inxxxx.

Panelling in xxxx. Central chandelier, xxxxx. Chair, xxx.

‘The house combines old panelling and pillars from the original building. Its interesting quirks are fascinating, making it a delight to live in – it is a constant source of inspiration’ Emma has been fortunate to inherit some fabulous pieces of furniture and also has great antiques shops on her doorstep, along with skilled craftspeople such as upholsterers to help revive tired pieces. Mirrors are a favourite and she uses all shapes and sizes to create effect throughout the house. ‘In a dark home, it is an easy and affordable way to open up spaces and create playful reflections and light,’ she says. Walls are filled with prints she has collected on her travels, as well as works by emerging Norfolk artists.

Of the furniture she has inherited, much dates from William and Mary and has come down through her grandparents. ‘Our bedroom furniture came from them and there is a wonderful antique chest in the hallway that came from my grandmother.’ It was full of pictures charting their lives together, she recalls. ‘None of them were labelled or dated, but it was fascinating to see their time in India before the war.’ Above it is a framed cutting from an 1851 edition of The Illustrated London News, showing a reproduction of The Reception in Full Durbar, at Wuzeerabad, of the Maharaja Goolab Sing, by the Governor-General of India. ‘Incredibly, we found that in the roof here and it was just so appropriate,’ marvels Emma.

Family is very much at the heart of this house. Having developed the barns as holiday lets, the additional accommodation comes in handy at Christmas. ‘The barns make amazing entertaining spaces when the house can’t cope,’ says Emma. One is very much a party space: ‘If you’re a decorator, you really can’t have a normal barn, can you?’ she laughs, explaining how the dramatic stag heads were a cost-effective decorating solution. ‘They came from a friend who was paying a fortune to keep them in storage and I thought “I’ll have those thank you!” They’re perfect here.’

Back inside the main house, seasonal decorating is a riot of colour, with vivid saris used to dress the table; there is nothing staid or formal about the celebrations here. ‘We can’t pretend to be a stately home, so what are you to do?’ says Emma. ‘You just have to let it all hang out, don’t you? It’s about being fun and joyful and not too boring.’

Things really get going after the 26th, when the couple hold a party for friends between Christmas and New Year.

‘We love having people here. A home should be warm and welcoming – it should invite people to sink in and relax,’ she says. ‘And a house becomes a home when it holds things and memories that have travelled with you through the generations; things that have a story to tell.’

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP In the blue guest bedroom, Emma cites designer Kit Kemp’s bohemian but beautifully structured style as a big inspiration.

The cushions and upholstered headboard are both from Kelling Designs. The blue lamps are from Pooky and the kantha throw from Bombay Sprout. The bedside tables were family pieces; Emma had the chair reupholstered in a tree of life fabric from India. The rug is from KDLoves; the collection of Queen’s Silver Jubilee mugs in the bathroom started as a bit of fun. ‘Nicholas got so cross when I sent my mug to the charity shop, I started collecting them for him,’ Emma laughs. The walls are painted in Light Blue by Farrow & Ball.

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The master bedroom is furnished with a clever mix of lucky junkshop finds, inherited pieces and stylish design, such as the headboard covered in a fabric from Rapture & Wright.

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Open House

Scenes of the

CRIME Holiday home to Agatha Christie for more than four decades, Greenway is filled with a vast collection of treasures amassed by the famous author and her family FE AT U R E JA N E T G L EES O N

PH OTO G R A PH S A N D RE AS VO N EI N SI ED EL

Open House

Aside from providing a place to relax, Greenway was a showcase for Agatha’s passion for collecting

A view of the entrance hall from the half landing. The brass-studded chest by the front door was purchased in Baghdad. FACING PAGE Family portraits brought from Christie’s home in Torquay line the walls.

Open House

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Furnished with an 18th-century mahogany pedestal table and Chippendale-style chairs, the elegant dining room at Greenway is one of two reception rooms added in the second building phase and was used for family celebrations and large Christmas parties; a selection of Mauchline Ware transfer-printed treen boxes used for sewing and a darning mushroom are among hundreds of items on display throughout the house; a selection of Tunbridge Ware boxes, decorated with designs made from mosaics of different-coloured timber. These small wooden wares were made in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells during the 18th and 19th centuries and were popular with visitors, who bought them as souvenirs.

Open House

any homeowners might raise more than an eyebrow if an uninvited visitor painted a mural on their wall without first seeking permission, but not so Agatha Christie.

During the Second World War, Greenway, her holiday home overlooking the River Dart near Galmpton, Devon, was occupied by 40 crew members of the US Coast Guard preparing for D-Day in 1944. Officers used most of Greenway’s rooms as bedrooms, but the library became the officers’ mess, and it was here that one of the landing craft captains, Lt Marshall Lee, left an unusual record of his stay. In his civilian life, Lee was a commercial artist, and he took it upon himself to adorn the walls with a frieze that depicts the Coast Guard flotilla’s travels over the preceding months. When the house was decommissioned and returned to Agatha on Christmas Day 1945, the US commander offered to have the mural painted out. ‘But Agatha saw it and said she wanted it kept, because it was part of the history of the house,’ recounts Laura Cooper, collections and house officer of Greenway. In time, younger family members also grew to appreciate Lee’s painting. ‘We know it was a favourite room of her grandson, Mathew Prichard, who recalled his grandmother sitting in there reading the paper every morning.’

Greenway’s story begins in the late Georgian period, when Harris Roope, an affluent 18thcentury gentleman, replaced a Tudor mansion with the elegant, stuccoed building that we see today. Roope may have overspent on his building project because, soon after its completion, he went bankrupt, and the house was sold on to a Bristol merchant, Edward Elton. Two wings flanking the central structure, housing the dining room and drawing room, were added by his family. Later in the 19th century, under different ownership, a billiard room and more bedrooms were added in another large extension. ‘When Agatha came here in 1938, one of the few changes she made was to have the Victorian part removed. She said it didn’t look right – and she didn’t want a billiard room or the extra bedrooms,’ explains Laura.

Agatha grew up in nearby Torquay and knew Greenway from her childhood. Having become disenchanted with her hometown’s development, she decided to look for somewhere quieter in the area. In her autobiography she describes her rediscovery of the house: ‘One day we saw that a house was up for sale that I had known when I was young… we went over to Greenway and very beautiful the house and grounds were. A white Georgian house… with woods sweeping down to the Dart below… the ideal house, a dream house.’

By that point, she had been married to her second

husband, the prominent archaeologist Max Mallowan, for almost a decade. The couple had met and fallen in love in Damascus. ‘Agatha went on an archaeological dig and Max was her guide,’ explains Laura. It was also in Damascus that Agatha bought an eye-catching mother-ofpearl inlaid chest that she described as ‘the sort of furniture that reminds one of fairyland’. The chest has long had pride of place in the bedroom. ‘It’s one of my favourite pieces in the collection,’ says Laura. ‘It’s very heavy, and perhaps that’s why it has always stayed in the same place. It’s also probably why Agatha said it cost more to ship than to purchase. There’s a story that she kept waking in the night hearing odd tapping and ticking noises. Eventually, she realised it was woodworm in the chest.’

The guest book at Greenway shows the family spent summers, celebrated Christmases and held family parties here for more than 40 years.

‘Agatha didn’t write when she was at Greenway,’ Laura says. ‘It was somewhere to relax: her writing was done when she was abroad, in London, and sometimes in hotels.’ Even so, Greenway played an important role in her professional career, inspiring bestselling books such as Dead Man’s Folly, a Poirot story that was later filmed here. It was also at Greenway that stories were sometimes first aired. ‘When she’d finished a new book, if the family were staying, they would gather in the drawing room; she’d read the manuscript aloud to them and they’d try to guess what had happened,’ says Laura.

Aside from providing a place to relax, Greenway was a showcase for Agatha’s – and her family’s – passion for collecting. They bought on travels, from auction sales and local artists, and other items were inherited. As you walk through the house, tabletops, shelves, display cases and cabinets are filled with a breathtaking array: European and oriental ceramics, studio pottery, Tunbridge Ware, papier-mâché and straw ware boxes, Stevengraphs (pictures woven from silk), paintings, silver, manuscripts, books, malachite writing implements and African tribal artefacts all jostle for space. Laura has grown to expect public astonishment when visitors take it all in.

‘People often comment on the volume and range of collecting, and they can connect to things they see.

But what I love is that it really gives you an insight into the extraordinary mind of Agatha.’

The house is open every weekend until 19th Dec, then every day from Mon 27th Dec, 11am–3pm. nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway

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Open House

Open House

Aside from providing a place to relax, Greenway was a showcase for Agatha’s passion for collecting

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE The dramatic mural that runs around the library walls was painted during the Second World War by Lt Marshall Lee when the house was occupied by American servicemen. It tells the story of the Coast Guard Flotilla in which he served; Christie chose not to paint over the frieze as she felt it was part of the story of the house; shelves are filled with first editions, including this set published by Collins. FACING PAGE In the drawing room, one of Greenway’s principal reception rooms, comfortable armchairs are arranged around a Georgian chimneypiece on which some of the family’s vast collection of porcelain is displayed. It was here that Agatha Christie sometimes read aloud her latest stories.

Open House

Open House

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The striking chest of drawers in Agatha Christie’s bedroom is inlaid with mother of pearl and was bought in Damascus in 1929; the doors of the wardrobes in the dressing room are thrown open to reveal a fascinating assortment of clothes that belonged to Christie and her husband, including fur coats and fur stoles. The 19th-century étagère to the left is made from papier-mâché; two porcelain figures from the family’s huge collection. FACING PAGE A wonderful collection of Stevengraphs is displayed above a serpentine chest in the hall. The pictures, which were collected by various members of the family, are woven from silk and feature subjects such as trains, horse racing and boating.

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January issue

Last-minute gifts for antiques lovers + Seasonal table settings + Collecting vintage wristwatches + Antiques shopping in Marylebone + Four beautiful homes to explore PLUS Luke Honey is in the spirit of collecting gin!

Catherine Gratwicke

On sale Thursday th December

ANTIQUES & COLLECTING Collecting VINTAGE TOYS, our experts reveal their CHRISTMAS WISHLISTS, plus Celia Rufey explores the rich HISTORY OF LACE

Fabrics brand Warner has an illustrious 150-year history, and looks set to flourish under the management of Lee and Emma Clarke. Find out more from page 108.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 93

CHRISTMAS FEATURE

“All I want for Christmas..”

From vintage board games to collectable art and antique jewellery, our experts reveal the dream Christmas gifts they’ll be hoping to find under the tree this year COMPILED BY POPPY BENNER

C

hristmas 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,

94 Homes & Antiques December 2021

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 them. They may even help you decide what gifts to choose for your loved ones, or indeed, what to put on your own Christmas list this year.

Christmas Feature

Lewis Walduck Horologist, The Clock Work Shop The Christmas gift I would love to receive, but very much doubt I will get, is this rare ebony-veneered table clock by the famous clockmaker, Joseph Knibb. He is my favourite clockmaker as he was very ahead of his time – he also came from Oxford, like me. This clock was made in the late 17th century and features Knibb’s ‘double six’ striking system. His clocks were the best of the best – he made them not only to look good for the people who bought them, but also so that when the clockmakers fixed and serviced them, it was a lot easier to do. That’s why he’s one of the most famous clockmakers ever to live.

Ebony veneered grand sonnerie table clock by Joseph Knibb, c1685, est £100,000–£150,000, bonhams.com

Meg Andrews Antique textiles dealer I would love this ikat panel (detail shown) to use as a hanging in my hall. It’s absolutely stunning. I love the dramatic design and the natural mineral and vegetable colours – the aubergine is particularly unusual and its use was discontinued at the end of the 19th century. This panel would originally have had another life, as a furnishing textile in the house of a wealthy person – perhaps a bedcover. Various strips have now been joined to form a beautiful hanging, lined with Russian printed cotton. The silk and cotton textile was called adras, with warp (vertical) threads of silk and weft (horizontal) of cotton. The warp threads were bound on the loom, before weaving.

This prevented the dye from penetrating the silk threads, producing the cloudy effect.

Silk ikat panel, Uzbekistan, c1890, £1,250, aaronnejad.com

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Christmas Feature

Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley Silver & Jewellery Specialist, Halls I have always wanted a Victorian heart-shaped locket; I even have the right chain just waiting for one.

This particular pearl-fronted example includes a turquoise ‘forget-me-not’ flower motif, which is such a beautiful addition. Turquoise is one of my favourite gemstones and its signature vibrant colour adds a really striking element to this piece. I also love the fact that a lock of hair is still safely enclosed within the locket – possibly put there by the original owner – adding to its unique history.

Victorian pearl, turquoise & diamond heart locket, c1900, £2,250, thomas-glover.com

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Richard Kay Director – Pictures, Lawrences Auctioneers `Tis the season to be jolly, but jollity is rare in art. However, the drawings of William Heath Robinson (1872–1944) are like P. G. Wodehouse stories in art form: beautifully crafted, gently enacted, with endearing personalities and a docile daftness that delights forever. Carrying Out the Correspondence Course for Mountain Climbing in the Home, an absurdly improbable oddity, was a watercolour that we sold for over £20,000 over a decade ago. It was a memorably beautiful construction with numerous delicate and inventive balances. Notice that the ‘summit’ has already been conquered: a reviving pot of tea awaits anyone who dares to sit down atop this teetering tower. Had I ever had deep enough pockets to buy it, I am sure that I would still be chortling at this throughout all the delights of Christmas and the New Year, every year and for ever more. And what more could one seek from any Christmas present? I hope that it will return to market one day, but in the meantime Chris Beetles in Ryder Street, St James’s (chrisbeetles.com) always carries a good selection of Robinson’s original drawings.

I came across this Japanese coffee pot on the website of my friend and colleague, Philip Carrol. The shape looks to me influenced by the Dutch and Portuguese silverware that must have found its way to Japan in the 17th century.

It is such a mix of styles: beautiful Imari colours from Arita but quite a European Baroque style with scrolls and frills. It shows Daikoku, Ebisu and Hotei – quite a phenomenal trio – drinking sake, and there is a wonderful horse. I would love to pour my Christmas morning coffee from that little pot!

Carrying Out the Correspondence Course for Mountain Climbing in the Home, 1928, William Heath Robinson

Japanese ‘Imari’ coffee pot and cover, late 17th-century, Edo period, £2,800, philipcarrol.com

Willa Latham Owner, Gentle Rattle of China

Christmas Feature

Luke Honey Antiques dealer and writer

Serhat Ahmet Meissen ®; Brian Adams, www.coolandcollected.com

Porcelain dealer, Serhat Ahmet Limited As for so many, Christmas is my favourite time of the year. Christmas also lends itself to a porcelain-themed window display in our Covent Garden shop, adding to the magic of the surrounding streets and shops.

As a porcelain dealer, it’s probably not surprising that I often unwrap just that on Christmas Day. If money was no object, I would love to receive this Meissen casket, which itself looks quintessentially Christmassy. It was designed as a world exhibition piece by Ludwig Sturm in and carries panels with pâte-sur-pâte (paste-on-paste) decoration. The corners are adorned by demi-putti, and the cover surmounted by a group emblematic of Juno and the Peacock, all mounted upon black-stained pear wood.

Antique boxes have always felt magical; the whole unknown of what you’ll find inside. I just wonder if anyone loves me enough to part with the nearly £ , price tag this piece carries!

Jewellery case by Ludwig Sturm, 1893,

570,000, meissen.com

Christmas is a time for nostalgia, and I miss those family games of the pre-digital age. Vintage board games are now eminently collectable, especially following lockdown: this American game from 1971 should keep budding Egyptologists out of trouble for an hour or so after Christmas lunch. It’s beautifully designed with terrific graphics, authentic hieroglyphics and a working miniature record-player hidden within a three-dimensional plastic model of Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus: ‘Press the button, and from within the tomb, the mummy speaks!’ It’s now a cult collectable, and difficult to find intact.

Voice of the Mummy, Milton Bradley Games, 1971, approx. £204, available from +(Super Awesome Game Repair Store)+ on eBay

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Lisa Lloyd Owner, Hand of Glory Antiques & Interiors

Freya Simms Chief Executive, Lapada My Christmas choice would be this tapestry designed by the abstract artist and member of the Parisian avant-garde, Sonia Delaunay (18851979), who worked across several disciplines – I would happily own much of her work. Together with her husband Robert Delaunay, she pioneered the art movement Simultanism, which really is an exploration between colours and movement, or rhythm, and how colours change or vibrate when presented against each other. I love the bold juxtaposition of colours and form of this work. In addition, I have long enjoyed making my own very amateur tapestries and embroidered creations, so it would be heaven to have a Sonia Delaunay tapestry hanging on my wall. On a more topical note, Delaunay was the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in 1964.

Hippocampe, modern tapestry designed by Sonia Delaunay, woven by Pierre Daquin, c1970, £86,850, Boccara Gallery, lapada.org

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I have a love of bold s jewellery.

The Scandinavian designers excel in this area, and I particularly like the work of the Finnish sculptor and jewellery designer, Björn Weckström. His designs are typically asymmetrical and organic in form with rough, matt surfaces, often using uncut semiprecious stones. Already highly successful as a designer for the jewellery company Lapponia, Weckström’s most notable success came in 1977 when commissioned to design a necklace for Princess Leia in the film Star Wars. For Christmas, I would love to receive this ‘Mountain Rill’ necklace. The rectangular silver pendant is set with a fancy-cut rock crystal by the lapidary Bernd Munsteiner.

Although one of Weckström’s later designs, it’s a superlative piece of design that combines my love of both sculpture and jewellery.

Silver and rock crystal ‘Mountain Rill’ pendant necklace, Björn Weckström for Lapponia, Finland, 2015, sold for £645, johnkelly1880.co.uk

Christmas Feature

Theo Burrell Specialist, Lyon & Turnbull Spencer Swaffer, who has the most beautiful antiques shop in Arundel, West Sussex, sells these Murano glass tumblers. They’re modern, but they’re beautiful – all blown glass, rather than moulded – and so useable. I think they would look so pretty on the Christmas dining table, especially if filled with coloured juice. Murano, of course, has been a centre of glassmaking for centuries, and is steeped in history. My greatgrandfather was a glassblower until he completely lost his sight, and I’ve always had a deep association with the medium. I find glass so beautiful – its see-through qualities enchant me!

Individual handblown Murano glass tumblers, £49 each, spencerswaffer.co.uk

Daniel Fileman Fileman Antiques

Jessica Forrester Auctioneer, Special Auction Services For me, Christmas means family, roaring fires, rich food and being together, so my ideal Christmas gift would be a book of Christmas fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. The nostalgia of childhoods past, having the legends read to me and, in turn, the excitement on my children’s faces as I read to them, is what Christmas is about.

There is something truly magical within these tales, the beautiful illustrations and the contrast between the dark elements and the sheer delight, knowing there will always be a happy ever after.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales, 1909, £3,750, peterharrington.co.uk

Nothing says Christmas like a beautifully laid table, and this exquisite serving jug would make a stunning centrepiece for the celebrations. I was amazed to come across this fabulous piece of early English glass, dated to 1680 and attributed to George Ravenscroft’s Savoy Glass House in London. There are only a handful of examples still in existence, most of which are in museums.

Jug with nipped-diamondwaies, c1680/85, £22,500, adamsonantiques.com

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Christmas Feature

Su Mason Antique textiles dealer

Daniel Somlo Watchmaker and collector, Somlo London For Christmas I would love to receive a grail watch of mine: a Patek Philippe Ref. 2597, 2nd Series. First made in 1958, the 2597 was an oversized Calatravastyle wristwatch with an ingenious secondary hour hand in a contrasting colour that sat invisibly under the primary hour hand. On the side were two pushers that would jump the hand forwards or backwards exactly one hour, so you could track two separate time zones. Aimed at the jet-setting elite, it is utterly elegant, especially considering the complexity of the movement, which was designed

by Louis Cottier, the man behind the World Time mechanism. This example in Rose Gold sold at Phillips Auction House in 2017, however if someone slipped one into my stocking this year, I wouldn’t complain if it was yellow gold!

Patek Philippe Ref. 2597, 2nd Series, 1958, sold for CHF540,000 (£434,043), phillips.com

Freya Mitton Art dealer I would love to receive this picture by Cornish painter, Alethea Garstin. I love the balance of composition and the use of colour. It’s very atmospheric; wintery almost.

Harbour with Boats by Alethea Garstin (1894–1978), oil on board, £3,650, jennaburlingham.com

100 Homes & Antiques December 2021

I fell in love with this 18thcentury Provençal quilt when I spotted it at The Textile Society Fair on dealer Karen Cook’s stand. It’s known as a fenetre (window) quilt and I love it because of the two different indigo and madder prints. The top side has a surround reminiscent of the Provence sunflower. These prints were developed from the Indiennes arriving at Marseilles during the 17th century, which inspired the Provençal floral prints called ‘herbages’. Although originally banned in France during the 18th century, these cotton prints became increasingly popular. It’s a bit worn, so would be perfect to throw over my knees on the sofa, or at the end of my bed to greet me with sunshine on Christmas Day! Provençal quilt, £220, @kcvintage69

Christmas Feature

Mark Goodger Antiques dealer, Mark Goodger Antiques I’ve always had a passion for the Georgian period, and this wonderful bookcase ticks all the boxes for me in so many ways. It’s practical and very grand in appearance, and super stylish, too. Perfect for my laptop and to suit my box collection. This brown leaves no frown and is top of my Christmas list. I just need the house to show it off to its full splendour.

George III breakfront cabinet bookcase, c1790–1800, £26,000, freshfords.com

Paul Atterbury Antiques Roadshow expert My dream Christmas gift is this steam railway locomotive nameplate, sold last year by a specialist railway auction house called GW auctions. Like most small boys I was a keen trainspotter, spending hours on Surbiton station in south London watching passing trains.

I loved the expresses with their great, green, streamlined locomotives, and their evocative names. Years later, I started writing railway books and my interest in all things trains was rekindled.

When I wasn’t interested, in the 1960s, I could have bought a locomotive nameplate from one of my favourite engines for not much, but I didn’t.

Now they are worth thousands – usually five figures – so to have one that I had actually spotted would be a dream come true. This 41 Squadron from the Battle of Britain Class also reminds me of another boyhood passion, Second World War aeroplanes.

41 Squadron nameplate and badge, sold for £15,000, gwra.co.uk

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 101

Fabric of life ‘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 16thcentury 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 fashion accessory and damn the expense. It is seen in glorious lace ruffs and collars, framing sitters’ heads in portraits of the time. The ease of moving lace trimmings from one garment to another has always been a recognised asset.

Two types of handmade lace emerged: needle lace, worked with one needle and a single fine thread, was used to stitch the outline or foundation threads onto a parchment pattern, and embroidered motifs were worked in from these foundations. Bobbin lace, also called pillow lace, was made with yarn wound onto bobbins – the yarn was woven around pins that held down paper, pricked with a pattern and attached to a pillow. By the end of the 16th century, Honiton in Devon and areas of the East Midlands were established centres for bobbin lace in England.

Many styles are named for the place they were first made: Honiton, of course, and also Brussels Point de Gaze needle lace, Point de Venise and Milan in Italy, and Alençon and Chantilly in France. ‘Brussels Point de Gaze is universally popular,’ says antique lace dealer Jenny Sargeant, but her own favourite is Honiton. ‘The best is as good as Brussels and, for me, has more charm. A Honiton lacemaker once told me it was inspired by Devon hedgerows.’

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Lacemaking as an industry became a significant part of the economy of European countries, and many women were attracted to mastering its skills. It was worked in convents; lace schools were founded; and in England poor children were taught lacemaking so they might later be self-supporting. Even William Shakespeare was aware of bobbin lace, when in Twelfth Night he mentions ‘free maids that weave their thread with bones’. A lacemaker would often create only a square inch of lace in a day and working conditions could be grim, especially for linen spinners working in damp basements with low light to prevent fine yarns drying out and breaking. Linen was the most used yarn; sometimes silk, also gold and silver thread and, after 1800, cotton.

In 1809, John Heathcoat near Nottingham patented a lacemaking machine and, suddenly, lace – the preserve of the rich – became affordable and its esteem went into decline. When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840, her wedding veil and dress trimming in Honiton lace were said to have taken 200 women three months to make. This created a limited revival in handmade lace, but by the First World War its part in international trade was over. Anne Swift’s interest in Queen Victoria’s support of Honiton lacemakers is reflected in one item she will never sell – a lace handkerchief believed to have come from the Queen’s wardrobe.

Antique lace is now far more affordable than it was in its great days and is bought by collectors, costume designers and fashionistas. Anne finds lace collars sell quickly: ‘Put on a plain dress, they make it unique.’ Jenny Sargeant has one customer who loves to frame pieces of early Venetian needle lace for his wall, while London dealer Diane Harby says antique lace fashion pieces and table linens are popular with visitors from Japan. All agree that lace-edged handkerchiefs always find ready buyers. For Jenny Sargeant they offer an economic way to build a collection of different types of antique lace, and she welcomes brides wanting them for their weddings.

For catching tears of joy on that special day, surely nothing can trump an antique lace handkerchie !

Nick Sargeant; Diane Harby

The rich history, exquisite craftsmanship and delicacy of antique lace are key to its appeal, discovers Celia Rufey, with lace collars and handkerchiefs an ideal place to start a collection

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Diane Harby’s stand at Grays Antique Centre includes lace collars, shawls, wraps and one or two coats; the following pieces are all examples from Jenny Sargeant – 17th-century Milanese bobbin lace with birds on branches; a 19th-century sprigged Brussels appliqué lace collar adds distinction to a plain cashmere sweater; late 19th-century Point de Gaze lace handkerchief with scattered double-petal roses; late 19thcentury Honiton bobbin lace border with birds, roses, thistles, ivy and ferns; Jenny’s French 19th-century fabric-covered boxes were used to house lace. Here a box holds lace borders and a small Brussels appliqué shawl over the lid; mid 18th-century Brussels bobbin lace border with butterflies, feathers and flower baskets.

Jenny Sargeant (07525 828449, jennysargeant. com); Anne Swift (07876 712212, Stall 1, Portobello Road every Sat); Diane Harby (020 7629 5130, Grays Antique Centre, London).

Collecting ctiing

LEFT Sam Smith’s ‘Pilot’ boat and crew, from the Stradling Collection.

BELOW This lorry, with aircraft, c1941–2, was made by engineer William Hiley for his son during the Second World War and it now belongs to the V&A.

Collecting

V I N TA G E T O Y S As part of a wider tendency towards decorating with vintage pieces, a growing number of us are reappraising heirloom toys as objets d’art. Rhiannon Batten explores this playful new trend ver plates of hop tart with Butty Bach beer and onion chutney, diners at Pensons can feast their eyes on some unusually playful wall art. A Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms on the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border, Pensons is known for the ‘locavore’ approach of its kitchen, but the same ethos is at play with its decor. Designed by the owner, Peta Darnley, to reflect the restaurant’s rural location, wood, brick,

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stone and willow form a natural backdrop to pops of inky blue, while treasures found on the estate hang on the walls, displayed in custom-designed box frames. Chief among the latter are lost children’s toys (or parts of them), from dolls’ legs to toy cows.

The box frames ‘give an insight into what life was like for women working on farms even relatively recently,’ says Peta.

‘They were doing back-breaking jobs like hand-picking potatoes and cider apples and, because they had no childcare, they would bring their children to the fields

Stephen Morris

Collecting

with them. The children would bring toys, and sometimes those got lost.’ It’s a poignant backstory and one which, together with the other archaeological artefacts displayed on the restaurant’s walls, adds another layer to the he site’s social and cultural history. tory.

Bringing toys into play ass objets d’art in this way is part of a long tradition, according dii ng to V&A Museum of Childhood dhood curator Will Newton. ‘For or the most part, toys begin as playthings and then slowly y become art objects,’ he says, but in some cases toys were never designed to be played with at all; many early dolls’ houses, for instance, were commissioned by wealthy owners not for their children, but as cabinets of curiosities in which to display miniature versions of expensive objects.

As Peta demonstrates at Pensons, toys often reflect what is happening in society at a particular time, giving them extra depth as display pieces.

The coming of the railways and motor cars are classic examples of this, prompting the emergence of toy trains and cars, while Noah’s Arks were popular playthings for the children of pious Victorians. The two World Wars were reflected in the toys of the time, too; Will describes a toy lorry from the V&A’s collection, which was made

ABOVE & LEFT A Britishmade vintage 1950s wooden Escor train from Moppet; Kay Bojesen’s famous wooden monkey.

BELOW This vintage wooden pull-along elephant from Moppet was fragile but beautiful with his faded folk art decoration.

by an engineer in D Deptford f d as his child’s Christmas present during the Second World War. A trailer on its back carries the type of aircraft that would have flown over London at the time.

That lorry may sit within the V&A’s collection, but it’s a prime

example of the wider current trend among toy collectors towards more humble vintage pieces. Where once it was the more traditional, financially valuable toys being sought out – Steiff teddies, Ayres rocking horses, Dinky cars and Hornby train sets – many buyers are now finding value in more modest items, recognising how much they can add to a space both visually and contextually.

‘Vintage toys go in trends,’ says Tony Hall of Ogwell Antiques, a specialist toy dealer in Devon. ‘At the moment toys from the mid 1960s, 1970s and even 1980s are the thing. It’s the sense of nostalgia. Buyers remember how much fun they had with them when they were children.’ Or, in some cases, how much fun they thought they would have had with items that were beyond the budgets of their parents, but are finally within their own reach.

One example of this tendency is the iconic teak monkeys made in the post-war period

by Danish designer Kay Bojesen. Along with other members of his wooden menagerie, these early pieces are increasingly collectable, selling for high prices (cheaper reproduction versions are still in production). The decorative appeal of Bojesen’s wooden toys is a major reason for this.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 105

Collecting

‘He’s a designer who turned to toy-making in a very Modernist way,’ explains Antiques Roadshow expert and Clevedon Salerooms valuer Chris Yeo (also emeritus curator at the Ken Stradling Collection in Bristol, which houses a 1951 version of Bojesen’s monkey). ‘They’re very stylised,’ he adds.

Folk art is another growing area within toy-collecting circles. According to Chris, folk art has traditionally occupied a lower rung of the ladder in this country, because our approach to art has tended to filter down from viewpoints held in country houses and royal palaces.

Now, however, he says, ‘there is a growing awareness of the value of more handmade items, and an appreciation that they suit the minimalist interiors in which we live these days.

We don’t want clutter, but we do want a handful of carefully chosen statement pieces.

With folk art, you’re paying BELOW A ‘toy’ guillotine, carved by a Napoleonic prisoner of war, from the V&A.

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CLO CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Mutton Bone Doll, c1890–1920, with a Bon blue-green shot silk cap and cottonblue print pri in dress, V&A; Sam Smith’s bride centaur from the group called ‘Classic cent Union’; 1930s vintage nesting wooden Unio Japanese kokeshi dolls from Moppet.

Japa

f charm for h – th thatt handcrafted h d ft d quality and sense of humanity.’

One of the most sought-after craftsmen in this area is Sam Smith, whose sculpture toys, made between the 1930s and the 1980s, are held in various collections, including the Ken Stradling Collection and the V&A. ‘His work is definitely becoming more collectable,’ says Chris. ‘His boats, animals and automata were never designed for children. They’re very much sculptural pieces in which he uses the language of toys and a childlike aesthetic. They appeal to the child in us all.’

Another niche sector within the world of folk art toys that is currently gaining ground among collectors is the work of soldiers,

f from the humble jig, or jigger, dolls of the 1920s – often made by those returning from the Great War (and operated on the streets as a way to earn a few pennies) – to the intricate carved bone toys made by prisoners of war during the Napoleonic Wars.

The work of the latter perfectly ‘straddles that area between a toy and an objet d’art’, says Will Newton. ‘They made amazing little models of ships and other things that Napoleonic French prisoners would have known about. One of these, in the V&A collection, is a working guillotine – drop the blade and the head of one of the little figures drops off into the basket.

The prisoners would have made them to sell to their guards,

Collecting

who then would have given them to their families as curiosities.’ Other remarkable examples of the genre can be found within the collections at Burghley House in Lincolnshire; one of the earliest, and largest, Napoleonic POW camps was nearby.

While most folk art toys are less sophisticated than these items, the most interesting pieces are still highly collectable.

‘Making something themselves was often the only way that people could get their hands on a toy,’ says Will. ‘A lot of working people in the last 200 years would have had access to off-cuts of materials and to tools, and the skills to make clothes for toys.’ Some of the simplest pieces tell the most complex stories, however. Will notes that one of the most moving objects in the V&A collection is a doll from the 19th century that’s made from a

RIGHT A little vintage wooden carousel, made in the German Democratic Republic, from Moppet. BELOW Vintage French wooden skittles hand-painted in red and blue stripes; decorative wooden nesting owl dolls, both from Moppet.

mutton bone. ‘It’s got a face drawn on it and it’s wearing a piece of cotton as a dress,’ he says.

‘We have a lot of that sort of thing, made by children, or parents, with whatever was lying around – crab claws, little bits of wood joined together with nails or bits of wire.’

The appeal of such toys is something Laura Cremer instinctively understands.

Earlier this year she set up an online shop, Moppet, selling vintage toys as objets d’art, primarily as decorative items for children’s bedrooms. ‘I like to be able to see a story in the things I sell,’ she says. ‘I’m looking for pieces that add a bit of history and meaning to a space, which I think is important in a little one’s room – a bit of naivety, whimsy and playfulness.’

Cremer is also quick to point out that everything she sells is for display purposes only, because of the lower health-and-safety standards in place when the items were produced. Russian matryoshka dolls, Japanese kokeshi dolls and model ships are proving very popular so far, she says (the latter often bought

as christening gifts), while she could have sold a little pull-along elephant from the early 1900s several times over: ‘He was gorgeous.’

The trend towards using vintage toys as decorative items is clear to see at the moment, says Laura. ‘It’s a liberating way of decorating because anything goes – different eras, colours and patterns. It’s also really helpful if you’re decorating a shared kids’ room, which might have to incorporate a mix of tastes and personalities.’ Or, indeed, a restaurant with rooms, keen to share the stories held within its roots in an eye-catching way.

WHERE TO BUY Ogwell Antiques Sells antique and vintage toy cars and trains.

11 Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, Devon Moppet Decorative vintage toys, from nesting dolls to wooden jigsaw puzzles. moppetshop.co.uk

WHERE TO SEE The Ken Stradling Collection, Bristol A collection of 20th and 21st-century design. stradlingcollection.org V&A Museum of Childhood Nostalgic favourites including a large collection of dolls’ houses. vam.ac.uk/info/young Pollock’s Toy Museum Antique toy theatres and toys from a range of eras. pollockstoymuseum.co.uk

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Star Sales An exquisite blue glass scent bottle, a squirrel-shaped nutcracker and a pair of Copeland footbaths are among Caroline Wheater’s auction highlights

Adventure on Ice Sold prices quoted include buyer’s premium and VAT

Estimate £4,000–£6,000 Sold £21,500

A

unique piece of Polar history sold in Bonhams’ Travel & Exploration sale earlier this year, far exceeding its estimate.

The watercolour, featuring a coat of arms flanked by emperor penguins, was the front cover of The South Polar Times ‘Discovery’ journal of 1902–3, produced on ice by members of Captain Scott’s first expedition to the Antarctic.

‘The South Polar Times was the brainchild of Ernest Shackleton

as a way of maintaining morale during the winter months, when it was impossible to carry out scientific investigations or mount explorations,’ says Matthew Haley, director of books and manuscripts at Bonhams.

‘As the original artwork, this watercolour is very special indeed.’ It is signed in pencil ‘E.A.Wilson’ in the lower right corner; the artist was expedition zoologist and junior surgeon, Dr Edward Wilson, who contributed the majority of the

illustrations in The South Polar Times. ‘Artefacts associated with Polar exploration are in great demand from institutions and private collectors, inspired by the courage of the explorers and their sense of adventure,’ explains Matthew. ‘This particular work – which was bought by a private collector – appealed to both book collectors as part of the genesis of Antarctic literature, and to art buyers as a watercolour by an Antarctic adventurer.’ bonhams.com

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 109

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Bear Bug

. Nutty Notion

. Heaven Scent

Estimate £6,000–£8,000 Sold £13,750 A turn-of-the-19th-century Swiss ‘Black Forest’ walnut bench caught bidders’ attention at Christie’s. Held up by two standing bears with glass eyes and painted mouths, with a backrest of bears growling over a tree trunk, the bench is part of a popular genre of furniture produced in Germany and Switzerland at the time. The older pieces are generally better quality – if you like the quirky look, keep an eye out for coat stands, mirrors, chairs and tables all made in ursine style.

Estimate £50–£100 Sold £71.50 Antique nutcrackers are charming and very easy to store, so an ideal field for starting a collection. This simply carved Victorian treen example (treen is the collective word for small wooden items) is modelled as a squirrel holding a nut and sold at Mallams. The winding mechanism for cracking open shells still operated smoothly and, apart from a few small nibbles to the ears and some scratches, it was in good condition – the perfect collector’s item for a nut lover.

Estimate £550–£650 Sold £2,470 This stunning blue glass scent bottle dates to 1760–70 and was consigned to Woolley & Wallis for sale. Decorated at the Soho studio of James Giles and not ‘rubbed’ or damaged, it was very desirable to collectors. Giles was best known for decorating Worcester porcelain during the 1760s, and he also embellished porcelain and glassware for some of the most influential people of the day, such as the Duke of Marlborough. The inscription on the flask is ‘Pour Tout Vous’ – for all of you.

christies.com

mallams.co.uk

woolleyandwallis.co.uk

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GUESS THE HAMMER PRICE! How well do you know the market? Try your hand at gauging the auction prices of these lots. (Answers on p145)

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

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. Feet First

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.

. Bespoke Design

Estimate £200–£300 Sold £408 Bonhams’ Dunrobin Castle Attic sale held in Edinburgh yielded all kinds of ‘below stairs’ antiques, including this pair of 19th-century footbaths made by the Copeland porcelain factory. One is jauntily festive, with borders of holly leaves and red berries, while the other is embellished with the more summery Arrowhead leaves and flowers. While footbaths are rarely used for tired or cold feet these days, they make great houseplant containers, but are harder to come by as supply dwindles.

Estimate £500–£700 Sold £1,430 This distinctive Art Deco writing table is crafted from sycamore wood and sold at Sworders’ Design sale. The piece belonged to Lady Iliffe and was designed in 1935

by Rowland De Winton Aldridge and made by Cohen & Sons of Shoreditch. It’s likely that it was once part of the furnishings of Grade I-listed Basildon Park in Berkshire, purchased by Lord and Lady Iliffe in 1952. The couple held many glamorous parties at the 18th-century mansion, which is now owned by the National Trust.

bonhams.com

sworder.co.uk

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

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 111

Festive tablescaping kit, £28, dried wreath, £40, The Lola bouquet, £28, The Jemma bouquet, £60, The Holly bouquet, £36, all Bloom & Wild.

Focus On FESTIVE VE TABLE ABL SETTINGS Create a magical atmosphere for your guests this Christmas, with luxurious table linens, pretty place settings and floral centrepieces FE AT U RE P O P PY B E N N E R

Luxurious linens, placemats and napkins will set the tone for your festive table CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Heirloom table runner, £100, The Enchanted Woodland napkin set, £50, and tea towel set, £66, all Mind The Gap; Ruffle Irish linen tablecloth in White, £189, Camilla waxed Italian linen placemats, £45 for two, Georgia Scallop Italian linen napkin, £20, all Rebecca Udall; Blush Pink woven linen tablecloth, £95, set of four Stripe napkins, £38, set of four brass napkin rings, £50, all Rockett St George; County ticking placemat, £11.99 for two, County ticking runner, £16.59, County ticking napkin, £17.99 for four, all in Dorset Red, Walton & Co.

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Ilex tablecloth in green, from £165, Bordered scalloped placemat in green, £17 each, Bordered napkin in green, £14.50 each, all Birdie Fortescue.

Layer up china in classic designs that will add a touch of elegance to your scheme CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Ink Blue Hibiscus plate, £23, Ink Blue Pollen plate, £18, Ink Blue Palisade plate, £18, Ink Blue Pollen mini footed bowl, £29, Ink Blue Hibiscus large footed bowl, £96, all Burleigh; French octagonal creamware plate, £110, French creamware plate, £110, both Anne Fowler; Rattan charger in rustic white, £14, Basket Weave dinner plates, £44 for two, Basket Weave dessert plates, £38 for two, all Rebecca Udall; Yolk dinner plate, £40, Teal pudding plate, £32, both from The Kelling Collection by Xavier China.

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Finish the look with a floral centrepiece, twinkling candles and festive ornaments

Philip Sowels; Alun Callender Photography/Sophie Robinson

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Malaika rouge tablecloth, from £115, Kashmiri lacquer candlesticks, £55 a pair, both Faro Home; Blue Italian design tableware, from £15 for a side plate, Spode, Leopard in Tree candlestick, £32, Hoxton Store, fluoro candles, from £3, Graham & Green, flowers from Sage & Co Floral Design; Atria stoneware tray, 37.90, Laila Deco tree, 44.90, Valder jute table runner, 62.90, Endi ornaments, 15.90 for four, Ingeborgmaria ornament, 12.50, Nate ornament, 18.50, Star ornament, 15.90 for two, all Bloomingville; Pip Studio Blushing Birds dinner range, from £7, Daisy Park, oval metal vase in red, 44.95, Round metal vase in red, 44.95, Pip Studio.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 117

DESIGN GUIDE Farheen Allsopp and Ozma Khan, founders of Faro Home, explain how to use flowers, lighting and colour to bring wow factor to your festive table 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, are popular colours this year.

Refresh the festive table with a new tablecloth, but bring out the vintage china and ceramics for a unique look that is just yours. We love French vintage glassware sourced by The Boulein – we bought a set of 1950s gold-rimmed champagne coupes from them last year and they look absolutely stunning on our new ivory and gold Jaal tablecloth. Perfect for Christmas!

Layering a placemat over a tablecloth gives the place setting definition, and you can add a personal touch with handwritten place cards in each space. We also like to give a Faro Home hand-painted lacquer Christmas bauble to each guest. A single delicate flower or sprig of rosemary tied with a ribbon to the napkin looks very pretty and adds a special touch to the table.

Candles and votives add depth to a room with their dancing flames. We have paired our Kashmiri hand-painted lacquer candlesticks with tapered candles in red, rose and gold for a

ABOVE Jaal Gold tablecloth, £80, Bagh Rouge napkins, £18 for five, Kashmiri heart decoration, £12, all Faro Home. BELOW LEFT Shalimar tablecloth, from £70, hand-painted bauble, £10, Eden gold candlestick, £30, green stripey napkins, £36 for 10, all Faro Home.

luxurious look. Fragrance adds another layer of fabulousness, so scented candles are a must in our home. As a nod to our Indian heritage, we like to fill a marble bowl (any other bowl is fine too) with water, rose petals, and little floating tealights.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without amaryllis adding colour and glamour to the winter landscape. For another statement floral arrangement, try dried eucalyptus stems dipped in an antique gold paint. We will be combining our favourite ranunculus, fragrant paperwhites, muscari, anemones, clematis and hellebores with bright red crab apples on our table this year.

Don’t let flowers and candles ruin your socialising. Keep flowers low if densely arranged, and candles at different heights. Arrange fairy lights and garlands at standing height level, which helps the room look expansive and less cluttered.

For a small table or gathering, use bud vases to add a delicate, yet dramatic, look. For larger groups and gatherings, keep it intimate by placing condiments and sharing platters every four spaces, so your guests don’t feel awkward asking for anything.

Suzanis or wool throws on the backs of each dining chair will make your guests feel at home, relaxed and cosy. We also add different coloured marbles or faux jewels in champagne glasses, so our favourite drink is not swiped by someone else! farohome.com

118 Homes & Antiques December 2021

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Wishlist

Table Decor Chic accents for your festive spread

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Metal leaf decorations, set of 12, £15, The White Company Pine cone place card holders, set of six, £165, Tobias Oliver Interiors Oak wood salt/pepper grinder, £49, Amara Glass bell place card holders, set of six, £25, The White Company Victorian sterling silver candlesticks, c1894, £823, Vinterior Vintage brass money clip, £49, TwoTimeVintage, Etsy Riverton sugar box, £780, Wedgwood

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Luxury Cutlery Add polish to your place settings

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Viners Studio cutlery designed by Gerald Benney, 1960s, set of 48, £135, Vinterior Charingworth Baguette cutlery, set of 24, £105, Heal’s Cutipol Piccadilly cutlery, set of 24, £260, Amara Usa cutlery in brushed silver, set of 16, £175, Nkuku Windsor silver cutlery, set of 5, £58, Maison Margaux Arthur Price Britannia cutlery, set of 44, £295, John Lewis & Partners

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Antiques make a home

Dining Room

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Dress your dining area with antique furniture and accessories bought at auction to create a heartwarming look for the holidays. Caroline Wheater goes shopping...

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 final flourish is the centrepiece – cut-glass lustres are very pretty (see H&A January ’21 ‘Antique of the Month’), or invest in silver candelabra for soft light and timeless glamour.

The prices quoted are total, so the hammer price, plus buyer’s premium and VAT.

5 4 � Bring out dishes, cruets and food on a large tray – this one sold for £143 at Mallams. � Hand-decorated in a Japanese-style Imari design, a Spode dinner service, c1820, twinkles in candlelight and comprises three sizes of meat plate, a vegetable tureen, 17 dinner plates and seven soup/ pudding plates. It sold at Tennants for £310. � This set of five silver serving spoons (four rat tail plus an Edinburgh design) all date to the 18th century, and went for £156 at Mallams. � A handsome set of six Victorian mahogany bar back dining chairs sold for £165 at Chorley’s. � Based on a classic drum table, this rosewood piece was designed by Robert Heritage for Archie Shine in 1957. The lucky buyer took it home from Sworders for £390. � This early 20th-century dwarf candelabra, made by Otto Wolter, was £286 for a pair at Woolley & Wallis.

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Cocktails

Spirited AWAY! A Professional bartender Tristan Stephenson shares six classic cocktails with which to toast the season in style...

A DAP TED EXTR ACT FRO M CO C KTAIL S AT H O ME

BY TR I STA N ST EPH EN S ON PH OTOGRA PHS A D D I E CH I NN

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Cocktails

Champagne Cocktail

The first written reference to the Champagne cocktail comes from Robert Tomes’ 1855 book about Panama, which detailed such matters as the economy, culture and drinking establishments of the central American isthmus during the construction of the Panama Railway. Tomes wrote, ‘I profess the belief that drinking Champagne cock-tails [sic] before breakfast, and smoking forty cigars daily, to be an immoderate enjoyment of the good things of this world.’ I think most doctors would agree. Tomes goes on to recount how the drink is constructed using ‘sparkling “Mumm”... a dropping of bitters... pounded crystal ice, pattered in to tumblers... [and] sugar’. Two things about Tomes’ instructions are interesting. The first is that the drink is served over crushed ice in a tumbler. The use of ice places the drink that little bit closer to being a true cocktail, seeing as water is a cocktail ingredient. The second interesting thing is that no brandy or Cognac is called for in the recipe, as is customary these days. Most classic cocktail books agree that brandy has no place here, whether it’s Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tender’s

Guide (1862) or Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930).

The first book to include brandy in the Champagne Cocktail, as far as I can tell, is W. J. Tarling’s Café Royal Cocktail Book (1937), where the instruction is to use ‘a dash of brandy as required’. A modern recipe generally calls for 25ml/1fl.oz. of Cognac to be topped up with Champagne. That means the alcohol content of the average Champagne Cocktail has doubled from about 8% ABV in the 1850s to 16% today. But, for many, it’s not the strength that gets them anxious but the sweetness. That sugar cube fizzing away is like a time bomb to the Champagne connoisseur, who craves dryness.

But the sugar will not actually contribute much in the way of sweetness, as its main purpose is to create bubbles. The rough surface of a sugar cube couldn’t be better designed for bubble manufacture, and the CO2 in the Champagne positively gushes out of the drink as thousands of bubbles form to make fantastic visual theatre.

The freezing Champagne is pretty bad at dissolving the hard sugar, so it tends to only be the last few sips that contain any sweetness.

SERVES 1

Dash the bitters onto the sugar cube, then drop the cube into a chilled Champagne flute. Carefully pour the Champagne down the inside edge of the flute, being careful not to pour too fast, so as to avoid frothing. Pour right to the top, then finish with a twist of a piece of lemon zest over the top just to spritz the oils (which you can then discard).

2 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters 1 small brown sugar lump 120ml/4fl.oz. chilled Champagne Lemon zest, to finish

Sugar Syrup

For Sugar Syrup, simply mix 600g of white sugar (or brown, depending on the recipe) with 400ml of cold water and heat gently in a saucepan until all of the sugar is dissolved

and the liquid becomes clear. Store in the fridge in any clean screwtop jar – a large jam jar is ideal.

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Cocktails

Breakfast Martini

Eggnog

Eggnog has existed for at least 500 years. A very early English version, known as a posset, dates back to the Middle Ages. It combined boiled milk with spices and ale or mead. Later recipes included the addition of eggs, and the drink would be served from a specially designed posset pot. The posset is so old, in fact, that it is one of the only mixed drinks that can lay claim to appearing in a Shakespeare play – Lady Macbeth ‘drugg’d their possets’ to put her husband’s guards to sleep.

SERVES 4 2 eggs, separated 75g caster sugar 150ml/5fl.oz. Hennessy Fine de Cognac 100ml/31/3 fl.oz. whole milk 50ml/12/3 fl.oz. double cream Freshly grated nutmeg, to dust

Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a heatproof bowl with an electric mixer.

Bring half a saucepan of water to the boil and place a stainless steel bowl on top. (Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water – it needs to be warmed by the steam only.) Add the egg yolks and sugar to the bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Cognac and continue to whisk – it’s really important that you don’t allow the liquid to boil, that is unless you like alcoholic scrambled eggs! Next, add the milk and cream and stir everything together.

Check the temperature with a thermometer or probe – it should be around 60°C/140°F. Pour the warm mixture into the egg whites, whisking as you go.

Pour into heatproof cups and freshly grate some nutmeg over the top to serve.

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If you ask me, there’s nothing wrong with drinking a regular Dry Martini for breakfast, but I can see that it might not fit into everyone’s morning routine. Perhaps that’s why, in 1996, Salvatore ‘The Maestro’ Calabrese developed a slightly more acceptable companion to a bowl of cornflakes. Salvatore was running the Library Bar at The Lanesborough Hotel in London at the time, and I guess there’s no better place to serve a breakfast cocktail than in a posh hotel bar. The drink was well received, so when Salvatore went to New York the following year to promote the launch of his book, Classic Cocktails, he convinced legendary bartender Dale DeGroff to let him serve it at New York’s Rainbow Room bar. According to Salvatore, ‘Dale thought [he] was mad using marmalade in a cocktail.’

SERVES 1 50ml/12/3 fl.oz. Beefeater 24 gin 15ml/ fl.oz. Cointreau 15ml/ fl.oz. fresh lemon juice 2tsp orange marmalade Orange zest, to garnish (optional)

Dry shake all the ingredients (i.e. without ice) in a cocktail shaker and give them a good stir with a barspoon to break up the marmalade. Next add cubed ice, and shake well for 10 seconds.

Double-strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with a twist of orange zest.

Cocktails

French 75 There are only a handful of decent sparkling winebased cocktails known to mankind, and while I’d be happy to concede that the Bellini and Kir Royale are also both good drinks, the simplicity of their construction makes for a less than credible claim of cocktail-hood. The French 75, on the other hand, is without doubt a cocktail, and perhaps the only cocktail containing sparkling wine that can truly be deemed delicious. Indeed, the ingredients in this drink don’t just pair nicely with one another, they actually taste better than the sum of their parts.

SERVES 1 35ml/1 fl.oz. G’Vine Floraison gin 10ml/1/3 fl.oz. strained fresh lemon juice 5ml/1tsp sugar syrup (see p123) Chilled Champagne, to top up Lemon zest, to garnish (optional)

Pre-mix the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup then pop it in the fridge for 1–2 hours. This means that no ice is needed, alleviating any dilution of flavour. Once cold, add this premix to a flute glass and top up with the chilled Champagne.

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Cocktails

Vodka Martini James Bond is synonymous with the Vodka Martini, though the film adaptations hugely overstate his attachment to the drink. He was a heavy drinker, but his preference was more towards whisky and Champagne. That said, he drinks neat Wolfschmidt vodka with M in Moonraker (1955), where he drops black pepper into the glass, stating that, ‘In Russia, where you get a lot of bathtub liquor, it’s an understood thing to sprinkle a little pepper in your glass. It takes the fusel oil to the bottom.’

In Casino Royale (1953), Bond asks the bartender to mix a Vesper Martini (gin, vodka and Kina Lillet) but he drinks his first true Vodka Martini in the second novel, Live & Let Die (1954), in which Fleming provides the recipe at the end of the book (six parts vodka to one part vermouth, shaken).

SERVES 1

Old Fashioned The earliest reference to the term ‘cock-tail’ comes from 1798, but we’re left guessing as to what the drink may have comprised. A few years later, in May 1806, Harry Croswell, the editor of The Balance, and Columbian Repository in Hudson, New York, tells us: ‘Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters’. If you know your drinks, you’ll recognise that this is essentially a recipe for an Old Fashioned (where the water component is obtained through the melting of the ice). That’s because, at the time, the drink we know as an Old Fashioned would simply have been called a ‘whiskey cock-tail’, since, by definition, that’s what it is.

SERVES 1 60ml/2fl.oz. Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania rye whiskey 10ml/1/3 fl.oz. brown sugar syrup 10ml/1/3 fl.oz. water A dash of Angostura Bitters Orange zest and/or a maraschino cocktail cherry, to garnish

Add all of the ingredients to an oldfashioned glass filled with cubed ice.

Stir well for 1–2 minutes. Garnish with a twist of orange zest, or a cocktail cherry, or both.

See page 123 for Sugar Syrup recipe and method.

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50ml/12/3 fl.oz. Belvedere vodka 10ml/1/3 fl.oz. dry vermouth Lemon zest

Stir both ingredients over ice in a mixing beaker for at least 90 seconds. Strain into a frozen Martini glass. Twist a piece of lemon zest over the top to spritz the oils and discard the zest afterwards. I hate having lemon zest floating around in my Martini glass. It gets in the way and causes the second half of the drink to taste entirely of lemon. Don’t do it!

The Curious Bartender: Cocktails At Home by Tristan Stephenson (Ryland Peters & Small, £19.99) Photography by Addie Chinn © Ryland Peters & Small

Cocktails

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T R AV E L 48 hours in LINCOLN, CHRISTMAS BAKING TRADITIONS, plus 6 of the best CASTLES to spend the night

Words: Rhiannon Batten Images: Chris Vaughan/Alamy Stock Photo; North York Moors Railway

The historic East Midlands city of Lincoln comes into its own over the festive season.

Stroll through the cobblestoned medieval square at its heart, admiring the city’s Norman castle and magnificent Gothic cathedral, before shopping your way around the stalls of the annual Christmas market. If you’re lucky enough to get a sprinkling of the white stuff while you’re there, the effect is as close as you can get in real life to stepping inside a snow globe.

FESTIVE DINING

Enjoy a magical ride by steam train through the picturesque North York Moors.

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 writer Anja Dunk, and her new cookbook on the subject, Advent, this year we can all follow suit. £25, Quadrille

©Anja Dunk

Get the glow Fans of Hampshire’s Heckfield Place hotel will be familiar with the group’s Wildsmith Skin brand. Taking a field-to-face approach, inspired by the estate’s woods, meadows and gardens (planted in the 19th century by botanist William Wildsmith), the company’s sustainability-driven products now include candles (£75). Scented with chamomile, rose and sage, each one is packaged in a hand-glazed stoneware vessel made in one of the last remaining potteries in Stoke-on-Trent. wildsmithskin.com

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Lincoln HOURS IN…

Wandering the cobbled streets of this cathedral city is a must at this time of year, and makes an excellent midwinter break for present shopping FE AT U R E E M M A LO N GS TA FF

The spires of Lincoln Cathedral can be seen for miles and draw endless visitors to the city.

Travel

T

he 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,

RIGHT Shops on the picturesque Steep Hill decorated for Christmas.

BELOW Thousands of people flock to Lincoln’s Christmas market on Castle Square, which features fairground rides and the illuminated Big Wheel.

whisky and wine merchants, and chocolatier. Or pop into Lincoln’s quirky antiques shops for unusual and thoughtprovoking presents.

In early December, thousands of visitors usually crowd into the lively German-style Christmas market, which centres on the magnificent Castle Square.

During the market, illuminated after-dark walks around the castle walls give spectacular views over the stalls and to the cathedral beyond, which is lit up in bright colours to celebrate the festive season.

Travelpix Ltd/Getty Images; Dave Porter/Alamy

Places to visit Lincoln Cathedral Step back from pre-Christmas stress and immerse yourself in the hushed majesty of this truly awe-inspiring building.

The foundations of the cathedral were laid in 1072, although most of the original structure was destroyed by a great fire and, later on, an earthquake. Rebuilt from the 12th century and considered a masterpiece of Gothic style, for a time the cathedral was the tallest building in the world, beating even the Pyramids at Giza. lincolncathedral.com

Lincoln Castle After winning the Battle of Hastings, faced with a nation of angry Anglo-Saxons (and with just a few thousand Norman knights), William the Conqueror needed to consolidate power. He quickly built nearly 700 castles, including one here in Lincoln in 1068. This important Lincoln landmark was subsequently the site of two of the most decisive battles in English medieval history. As well as learning about Lincoln Castle’s historical significance, you can see one of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta and tour an eerily intact Victorian prison. lincolncastle.com

Places to shop Lincoln Antiques and Collectables Keith’s small antiques centre has become a destination for collectors. The exceptionally well-stocked, specialist cabinets are brimming with all sorts: Victorian glass bottles, early 20th-century advertising and packaging, die-cast toys, coins and vintage car memorabilia.

We were very taken with the Nuttall’s Mintoes ‘Made in

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Hansord Just outside Lincoln, father and son John and David’s elegant premises showcase exceptional furniture, clocks and works of art. Highlights include the museum-quality scientific instruments and globes, including an 18th-century telescope taken on a daring voyage to the North Pole in 1773 (on which a young Horatio Nelson served as midshipman).

Open by appointment. hansord.com

Doncaster’ tin (£28) and picked up a pack of 20 pre-First World War postcards for just £2.50. lincolnantiques.co.uk Jews’ Court Bookshop Run by enthusiastic volunteers, this tiny bookshop is reputedly on the site of the city’s medieval synagogue – in the Middle Ages, Lincoln was home to England’s second largest Jewish community, who played a key role in the city’s rich history.

The shop champions specialist and hard-to-find local history titles, so put away your phone and pick up a guide, or if you’re looking for a present for the person who has everything, how about a history of potatogrowing in Lincolnshire? slha.org.uk/about/bookshop Lapid Art This family-run shop stocks a range of ethically sourced fossils, crystals and minerals. For a unique stocking filler, you could choose a 150-million-year-old ammonite (£2 and up), or the ultimate talking point – a wallsized stone slab swimming with fossilised fish (£2,000). lapidart.co.uk My Secret Antiques Friendly Ben’s kaleidoscopic stock features entertaining one-of-a-kind oddities. Where else would you buy a vintage neon takeaway sign, fairground

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ABOVE Duncan Grant's controversial murals in Lincoln Cathedral were completed by the artist in 1956.

FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The elegant showrooms of family-run antiques business Hansord, featuring museumworthy pieces; buildings climbing up Steep Hill; vintage advertising and packaging for sale at Lincoln Antiques and Collectables; intriguing fossils and crystals in the window of Lapid Art; the magnificent carved bed in the Grand Suite at The Old Palace; the Observatory Tower’s turret on Lincoln Castle, which was added in the 19th century.

CENTRAL IMAGE Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at Jews House Restaurant.

– once two of Lincoln’s most fashionable addresses – are now handsome holiday rentals sleeping four and six. welcomecottages.com/cottages/6castle-hill-uk32528 & welcomecottages.com/cottages/7castle-hill-uk32525

Places to eat Olivares Surprisingly authentic Spanish tapas, served in an enviable spot in the heart of historic Lincoln. On a bright day, choose an outside table and you’ll enjoy views of both the castle and the cathedral, while sizzling prawns in garlic oil and a plate of spicy pimentos transport you to warmer climes. olivarestapas.co.uk

Lincoln Antiques & Home Show The scale of this event has to be seen to be believed. All being well, on 1st December (the last fair of the year) hundreds of dealers will brave the winter weather on the Lincolnshire Showground’s 200 acres, offering antiques, salvage and collectables in every conceivable style. asfairs.com

The Jews House Restaurant Serving remarkable food in a remarkable setting, this Michelin-starred restaurant is atmospherically located in one of the oldest surviving houses in Europe, built in the mid 12th century and with an impressive Norman entry. The five-course tasting menu makes an indulgent Christmas treat. jewshouserestaurant.co.uk

Places to stay

Don’t miss… Bloomsbury Group fans won’t want to miss Duncan Grant’s little-known murals in Lincoln Cathedral’s St Blaise side chapel.

As St Blaise is the patron saint of wool, the brief was to portray Lincoln as a thriving inland port, illustrating its historic importance to the wool trade. Unveiled in 1956, the murals were locked away in the 1960s and omitted from the cathedral’s guidebook for decades. It’s hard to say whether the authorities were more appalled by Grant’s highly eroticised depiction of muscular, semi-clad dockworkers, or by the holy figures modelled on the polyamorous Bloomsbury Set.

The Old Palace Moments from the cathedral, the neo-Gothic splendour of this converted Victorian chapel is reflected in the opulent decor of the 16 bedrooms. Most sumptuous of all is the doubleheight Grand Suite, with an elaborately carved half-canopy bed and tall leaded windows. theoldpalace.org 6 and 7 Castle Hill Occupying a plum position on Castle Square, these recently renovated Georgian townhouses

DJP&MG ; Jason Wells/Getty Images; Emma Longstaff; Piranhi/Alamy Stock Photo; Marc Barker; Steve Smailes Photography

swing boat, or a pair of clown’s shoes? Off the tourist trail, it’s well worth hunting out this hidden gem. Ben only opens at weekends and his things sell quickly, so if you love it, buy it. @mysecretantiques

Travel

Six of the best

CASTLE STAYS

Live like kings and queens for a weekend in one of these fantastical fortresses, chosen by Rhiannon Batten Thornemead, Somerset

The Citadel, Shropshire

Clytha Castle, Monmouthshire

Within walking distance of the beach at Weston-super-Mare, this 240-year-old Gothic castle is home to a wood-panelled dining room, a library lined with curved oak bookcases and a billiards room whose intricate, green 1840s wallpaper was designed by none other than Augustus Pugin (and also hangs in the Palace of Westminster). Built in 1805, and restored with help from English Heritage following a fire in 2016, the castle was a family home until recently, but is now available for private rentals and sleeps up to 10.

Book in here and you will also find yourself king or queen of the castle’s 10 immaculate acres. uniquehomestays.com

Sometimes rented out for weddings, the Gothic Revival-style Citadel mainly operates as a four-bedroom B&B, complete with grand piano and billiards. Set between Shrewsbury and Market Drayton, despite crenellations and arrow slits the castle was actually built in the 1820s as a dower house for nearby Hawkstone Hall (don’t miss neighbouring Hawkstone Park Follies, a romantic 18th-century parkland now run as a visitor attraction). Decorated with antiques, and pretty blush-pink and sage soft furnishings, the Round Room is the one to book. In the north turret, with windows on three sides, it has a clawfoot bath and sweeping views. thecitadelweston.co.uk

One of Britain’s most romantic castles, not only was pint-sized Clytha built in the 1790s as a memorial to its owner’s recently deceased wife, but the castle is also a vision of dainty, storybook style. Restored by the Landmark Trust, there is space for just six guests beneath its ornate crenellations and behind its Gothic-style windows.

A circular kitchen, a lounge with an open fire and Rapunzel-ready turrets all add to the fairy-tale charm.

As do views of the Usk Valley; set on a small hill overlooking the landscaped grounds of Clytha Park, the castle comes with stirring views towards the Skirrid mountain. landmarktrust.org.uk

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Travel

Thornemead Image © Unique Homestays www.uniquehomestays.com +44 (0) 1637 881183. Mark Watts Photography (Thornemead); Nigel Forster Photography (Clytha Castle); National Trust Images/Mike Henton (Doyden Castle); Ray Main (Forter Castle)

FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Thornemead Castle is set in 10 acres of grounds; despite its looks, The Citadel was built in the 1820s; Clytha Castle appears as if straight out of a storybook. THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Strike out on the coastal path from Doyden Castle; Kilmartin Castle is set majestically at the gateway to Kilmartin Glen; a bedroom at Forter Castle, saved from ruin by interior designer Katharine Pooley and her father.

Doyden Castle, Cornwall

Kilmartin Castle, Argyll & Bute

Forter Castle, Perthshire

This tiny cliffside fortress near Port Isaac is understandably popular with honeymooners given it sleeps just two.

It was built by local bon viveur Samuel Symons in the 19th century as a place to entertain his friends.

Despite the castle’s small dimensions, space has been found to incorporate custom-designed wine bins. For today’s guests, the biggest draw is the coastal location; wake up to views of the waves from the comfort of bed, then head out for a day’s hiking along the adjacent South West Coast Path, or surfing in nearby Polzeath, before returning to Doyden for a wholesome – or hedonistic – evening by the open fire. nationaltrustcottages.co.uk

Available on a B&B basis and for exclusive-use rental, Kilmartin Castle treads a slick line between hip and historic. Set at the gateway to Kilmartin Glen – soon home to a newly polished archaeology museum – the building dates to 1550 but fell into ruin until the 1990s, when it was restored. In 2014 Anglo-Aussie couple Stef Burgon and Simon Hunt bought the castle and refurbished it more extensively. Its five bedrooms and grand hall now feature underfloor heating, copper bathtubs, art, antiques and a spin-yourself vinyl collection, but the castle’s ancient stone walls, spiral staircases and arrowslit windows still take centre stage. kilmartincastle.com

A 16th-century keep stationed between Blairgowrie and Braemar, Forter hosts 12 to 16 guests in Caledonian splendour.

Built by the Ogilvys of Airlie in 1560 to guard the entrance to two strategic passes, the castle now serves as an elegant gateway to the Cairngorms.

Restored from ruin by owner-designer Katharine Pooley and her father, it’s decorated with heather-hued rugs, intricate tapestries and sparkling crystal. A hand-painted ceiling in the great hall, by artist Jenny Merredew, depicts the traditional Scottish song ‘The Bonnie House of Airlie’ – and the infamous destruction of the castle by the Campbell clan in the 17th century. fortercastle.com

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Fairs & Auctions The best antiques fairs and auctions around the UK in December.

Plus we round up six dealers who sell antique candlesticks and take a peek at the working life of Christie’s auctioneer, Sarah Reynolds

Check ahead Please contact event organisers to check for postponements & last-minute cancellations

CO M P I L ED BY RO SA N N A M O R R I S & C A RO L I N E W H E AT E R

FAIRS AROUND THE UK NOTE please contact fair organisers or keep an eye on websites and social media for updates regarding these events as they could be cancelled or postponed at any time.

North & Scotland 4th Leeds Vintage Market, Kirkgate Market, 28-34 George Street, LS2 7HY. 10am-4.30pm. Free. 07946 729243; advintageous.co.uk 4th Specifically Vintage Market, Roseangle Kitchen Cafe, Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4JW. 11am-4pm. Free.

07933 762422 4th Saltaire Vintage Home & Fashion

Fair, Victoria Hall, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, BD18 3JS. 10am-4pm. £3.

07985 181120; roseandbrownvintage.co.uk 5th Ilkley Antiques Vintage & Collectables Fair, Clarke Foley Centre, Cunliffe Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 9DZ. 9am-3pm. 50p. 07973 563992

Central 1st Lincolnshire Antiques & Home Show, Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln, LN2 2NA. 7am-4pm. £5 (£15 before 10am). 01298 27493; asfairs.com 2nd-3rd Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair, Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY.

LEFT & BELOW Find everything you need for your home, including mid-century art and design, at Wanstead Vintage Christmas Fair.

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9am-6pm Thursday, 8am-4pm Friday. £20 Thursday, £5 Friday. 01636 702326; iacf.co.uk 5th Antiques & Collectors Fair, Bantock House Museum, Finchfield Road, Wolverhampton, WV3 9LQ. 9.30am-3.30pm. £2. 07976 643174 11th-12th The Bingley Hall Antique Home & Vintage Fair, Bingley Hall, Staffordshire County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BD. 8.30am-5pm Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday. £5 (£10 before 10am Saturday). 01584 873634; continuityfairs.co.uk 19th Antiques and Collectors Fair, The County Assembly Rooms, 76 Bailgate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN1 3AR. 9am-3pm. £1.

01529 421370

FAIR OF THE MONTH 2-FOR-1 Wanstead Vintage Christmas Fair The beautiful interior of Wanstead United Reformed Church is not only filled with carolling parishioners at fi tthis time of year – the two halls at tthe church will be thronging with vintage lovers on 18th December, gathering for the Wanstead Vintage Christmas Fair. Expect stallholders selling pieces from the 1800s through to 1990, including high-end vintage fashion, jewellery, silver cutlery, objets d’art, and furniture. wansteadvintage.com

AUCTION INSIDER

Sarah Reynolds Discover ideas for Christmas gifts at antiques and vintage fairs this December.

East 4th-5th Clare Antiques Fair, Old Town Hall, Market Hill, Clare, Suffolk, CO10 8NN. 9am-4pm Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday. £1. 07869 332245; clarefair.co.uk 12th Antique & Collectors Fair, Sarratt Village Hall, The Green, Sarratt, Herts, WD3 6AS. 9.30am-4pm. £1. 07887 648255; marcelfairs.co.uk 18th Norwich Brocante, St Andrews Hall, St Andrews Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 1AU. 8am-3.30pm. £2 (£3 before 9am). 07921 707116; norwichbrocante.com

South 4th-5th Vintage and Very Nice Handmade and Vintage Market Two-Day Christmas Special, Assembly Rooms, North Street, Chichester, PO19 1LQ. 10am-4pm. Free. vintageandverynice.co.uk 5th Christmas Vintage Market, AMP Studios, 897a Old Kent Road, London, SE15 1NL. 11am-5pm. Free. solastcenturyfair.co.uk 5th The Ephemera Society Winter Fair, Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HT. 11am-4pm. £3. 01923 829079; ephemera-society.org.uk 5th Corfe Castle Antiques & Vintage Fair, Village Hall, East Street, Corfe Castle, Dorset, BH20 5EE. 9am-4pm. £1. 01202 893942; cameofairs.co.uk 5th Adams Antiques Fair, Lindley Hall, The Royal Horticultural Halls, 80 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PE. 10am-4.30pm. £4. 020 7254 4054; adamsantiquesfairs.com 7th Sandown Antiques Home &

We peek into the busy working life of specialist and head of sale of the British Art department at Christie’s, based in London 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, and run single collection sales, such as the Barney Eastwood sale last July, which included 40 Victorian oil paintings that had been prize possessions of the bookmaker.

I became an auctioneer in July 2018. It was very exciting and nervewracking to stand in Christie’s Great

Room as people placed their bids, but I love the sense of occasion. I auctioned the Joe Setton Collection: from Pre-Raphaelites to Last Romantics sale last December. Most of the art was purchased in the 1970s and ‘80s when it was out of fashion, and the results massively exceeded expectations.

Among the lots were paintings by several female artists, often viewed as somebody’s wife or somebody’s daughter, but very talented women in their own rights. We sold a painting

by Marie Stillman, The Enchanted Garden, and set a new world record for a painting and drawing by Evelyn De Morgan. I was involved at every level, from research and cataloguing to marketing and auctioneering. I’m very lucky to have such a great job. christies.com

L LEFT The Queen of Hearts

by John Byam Liston Shaw b made £790,500; Evelyn De m Morgan’s Gloria in Excelsis M oil sold for £622,500, o both from the Joe Setton b Collection sale. ABOVE C TThis sale also saw Marie Stillman’s The Enchanted S Garden sell for £874,500.

G

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 137

DEALER ROUND-UP

dealers for vintage & antique candlesticks Dress up your table with these elegant accessories The Decorator Source Among its selection of English, French and Italian decorative antiques and accessories, The Decorator Source has an impressive lamp and lighting section that includes bouitte lamps, lanterns, chandeliers, candelabra and many candlesticks. thedecoratorsource.co.uk; @thedecoratorsource

currently available. Large, ornate, 19th-century Italian candlesticks appear regularly, too. nikkipageantiques.com; @nikkipageantiques

Patrick Sandberg Antiques

As Stuart and Kiel specialise in decorative antiques, it’s always worth checking out their inventory for conversation-worthy candlesticks.

Current finds include 19th-century French mercury candlesticks as well as a pair of George III brass examples. fontainedecorative.com; @fontaineboys

A good selection of beautiful ormolu candlesticks can be found among Patrick Sandberg’s carefully curated collection. Patrick is renowned for selling bronze and ormolu candlesticks, especially those with fluted and tapering stems from the mid 19th century. Expect lots of examples in various shapes and styles, too, from storks and sphinx to oil lamps and classical ladies. We love the c1850 stag and deer set. sandbergantiques.com; @sandtiques

Lorfords

Wax Antiques

Whether in its vast Tetbury showroom, The Hangars close by, or virtually online, as Lorfords gathers together dozens of decorative dealers, its candlestick offering is always varied and intriguing. At the moment, there are beautiful oak candlesticks and pricket candlesticks, as well as a fabulous pair of kitsch American Fitz & Floyd candlesticks in the form of asparagus and corn on the cob. lorfordsantiques.com; @lorfordsantiq

Ann and Lou Wax run their London silver shop from the world-famous London Silver Vaults, selling fine early silverware. They have a comprehensive collection of exceptional candlesticks, from Queen Anne silver examples dating to 1713 to more elaborate George II candlesticks dated to the mid 18th century, made by specialist candlestick makers of the day. waxantiques.com; @waxantiques

Fontaine

Interiors Fair, Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ. 7am-1pm. Free.

01932 230946; sunburyantiques.com 11th Fair in the Square, Midhurst Market Square and on West Street, Midhurst, Sussex, GU29 9NJ. Free.

10am-3pm. thecountrybrocante.co.uk 12th Christmas Vintage Market at the Mansion, The Mansion, Beckenham Place Park, London, BR3 1SY. 10am5pm. Free. solastcenturyfair.co.uk 12th Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair, Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, London, SW3 5EE. 11am-5.30pm. £5 (£10 before noon). 020 7503 9171; frockmevintagefashion.com 12th Christmas Antiques & Brocante Street Market, High Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3AA. 9.30am-3.30pm.

Free. acvrevents.co.uk 14th Sunbury Antiques Market, Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, TW16 5AQ. 6.30am-2pm. Free (£10 before 8am). 01932 230946; sunburyantiques.com 18th Whitstable Brocante, Whitstable Umbrella Centre, 10 Oxford Street, Whitstable, CT5 1DD. 10am-4pm. Free.

07903 286144 18th Wanstead Vintage Christmas Fair, Wanstead United Reformed Church, Nightingale Lane, off Wanstead High Street, E11 2HD. 10.30am-4.30pm. £2.50. wansteadvintage.com 18th-19th Hackney Flea-Mas Market, Abney Hall, 73a Church Street, Hackney, London, N16 0AS. 11am-6pm. Free. hackneyfleamarket.com 19th Minstead Antique Fair, Village Hall, Minstead, New Forest, SO43 7FX. 9.30am-4pm. £1.50. 01202 893942; cameofairs.co.uk

West & Wales Nikki Page Antiques If you have a penchant for antique mercury glass, keep watch on Nikki Page’s stock, as there are antique French mercury glass candlesticks

RIGHT George III silver chamberstick, Wax Antiques; pair of George III Old Sheffield plate candlesticks, The Decorator Source; Stag and Deer pair, Patrick Sandberg Antiques.

138 Homes & Antiques December 2021

4th Lostwithiel Antique & Collectors Market, Scout Hut, Cattle Market Car Park, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0HE. 10am-1pm. By donation. 07791 037288 5th The Frome Independent, Frome Town Centre, Somerset, BA11.

10am-3pm. Free. thefromeindependent.org.uk 12th The Giant Shepton Flea Market, Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN. 9.30am-4pm. £5. 01278 784912; sheptonflea.com

19th Salvage Fair, Broad Street, South Molton, Devon, EX36 3AB. 10am-3pm.

Free. salvagefairs.com

DECEMBER AUCTIONS 1st-2nd Clarets & Carats, Cheffins Fine Art, Clifton House, 1&2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 7EA. 01223 213343; cheffins.co.uk 1st Fine Furniture, Sculpture, Carpets, Ceramics and Works of Art, Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2JE. 01635 553553; dreweatts.com 4th The Country House Toy Nostalgia Auction: Including Railwayana & Enamel Advertising Signs, Hansons, Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST17 0XN. 01283 733988; hansonsauctioneers.co.uk 7th-19th Library Antique Art & Collections Auction, The Old Post Office, 24 Church Street, Shepshed, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 9RH. 07469 634928; on-lineantiqueauctions.com 7th Modern British & 20th Century Art, Woolley & Wallis, 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, SP1 3SU. 01722 424500; woolleyandwallis.co.uk 8th-9th The Fine Sale, Cheffins Fine Art, Clifton House, 1&2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 7EA. 01223 213343; cheffins.co.uk 8th The Christmas Auction, Halls, Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3DR. 01743 450700; fineart.hallsgb.com 8th Old Masters Evening, Sotheby’s, 34-35 New Bond Street, London, W1A 2AA. 020 7293 5000; sothebys.com 8th Jewellery, Watches & Silver, Lyon & Turnbull, 33 Broughton Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3RR. 0131 557 8844; lyonandturnbull.com 8th Natural History & Taxidermy, Tennants, The Auction Centre, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5SG. 01969 623780; tennants.co.uk 9th Printed Books, Manuscripts and Maps, Bellmans, Newpound, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0AZ. 01403 700858; bellmans.co.uk 9th A Taste of Luxury, Duke’s, Brewery Square, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1GA. 01305 265080; dukes-auctions.com 9th Design, Mallams Auctioneers,

Bocardo House, St. Michael’s Street, Oxford, OX1 2EB. 01865 241358; mallams.co.uk 9th Scottish Paintings & Sculpture ft.

S.J. Peploe at 150, Lyon & Turnbull, 33 Broughton Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3RR. 0131 557 8844; lyonandturnbull.com 9th 500 Years of European Ceramics, Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1SR. 020 7447 7447; bonhams.com 9th-10th The Christmas Sale, Fieldings, Mill Race Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1JN. 01384 444140; fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk 13th The Collectors’ Sale, Mallams Auctioneers, Grosvenor Galleries, 26 Grosvenor Street, Cheltenham, GL52 2SG. 01242 235712; mallams.co.uk 14th Homes & Interiors Auction, Anderson House, Crispin Court, Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 1BF. 0191 430 3000; andersonandgarland.com 14th The Christmas Library & Harry Potter Auction, Hansons, Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST17 0XN. 01283 733988; hansonsauctioneers.co.uk 14th Trains Galore, Special Auction Services, Plenty Close, off Hambridge Road, Newbury, RG14 5RL. 01635 580595; specialauctionservices.com 14th Jewellery, Fellows, 19 Augusta Street, Birmingham, B18 6JA. 0121 212 2131; fellows.co.uk 14th Collections, Bonhams, Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge,

London, SW7 1HH. 020 7393 3900; bonhams.com 14th-15th Fine Interiors – Two Day Sale, Sworders, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8GE. 01279 817778; sworder.co.uk 15th African & Oceanic Art | Antiquities, Woolley & Wallis, 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, SP1 3SU. 01722 424500; woolleyandwallis.co.uk 15th Toys & Models, Sporting & Fishing, Tennants, The Auction Centre, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorks, DL8 5SG. 01969 623780; tennants.co.uk 16th Expanding Horizons| A Collection of Contemporary Art, Bellmans, Newpound, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0AZ. 01403 700858; bellmans.co.uk

Next time you visit your local fair or brocante, don’t forget to tag @homes_antiques with a photo of your finds.

December 2021 Homes & Antiques 139

A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

B2B Events Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Market at Shepton Mallet B2B Events run the very best in antiques & collectors fairs,

ANTIQUES SHOPPING Looking forward to your next Antique Shopping trip? Take inspiration from the selection of centres and shops below

B2Bevents.info iacf.co.uk

S OU TH E AST, WE ST S US S E X

Ardingly is known for its decorative antique items that attract hundreds of visitors, including interior designers and filmmakers, vintage enthusiasts and many more!

Tuesday 18th & 19th January 2022, Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd March 2022, Tuesday 19th & Wednesday 20th April 2022, Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd June 2022, visit our website for more 2022 dates.

01636 676531

The Old Flight House The Old Flight House is a refreshingly different antiques centre. It has a fantastic range, from quality traditional antiques to vintage and retro items and stunning painted furniture, all set out in beautiful light and spacious surroundings. A licensed cafe serves good coffee and freshly prepared lunches with a lovely outside terrace for sunny days. Open Monday to Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 11am–5pm. Northampton Road, Weston on the Green, Oxfordshire, OX25 3TJ.

S OU TH E AST, OXF OR D SH IR E

Ardingly Antiques Fair The first antiques fair of 2022 will be Ardingly Antiques Fair, returning to the South of England Showground on Tuesday 18th & Wednesday 19th January.

vintage, and retro Visit thisflea premier Westfairs.

Country antiques event to buy quality We wish all our buyers to a very in quantity.

Fromexhibitors delicate and glassware chic merry leatherChristmas items, and a Happy Newmore Year.besides, Thank you for youropportunity support during multitude it’s alla buying you this won’tdifficult want time. to miss. It also features a complimentary antiques – Sunday 15th We hope appraisal to see youservice. in 2022Friday at one13th of our events: Malvern November.

Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Flea Fair, Malvern Antiques Fair, Detling Antiques, Vintage & Somerset,Fair BA4or6QN. All details are correct of print.

Collectors Edinburgh Antiques, Vintageat&time Collectors Fair.

Please visit website for updates: iacf.co.uk.

SOUT NAT HWEST, IO NWI SODE MER SET

OUR GUIDE TO

iacf.co.uk

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Runway Monday at Newark

Newark Antiques Fair

Shop architectural and salvage to antique jewellery, from antique clocks to antique doors.Visit our website to buy your tickets today!

Monday 21st February 2022, Monday 14th March 2022, Monday 25th April 2022, Monday 23rd May 2022, Monday 27th June 2022, visit our website for more 2022 dates.

Newark Antiques Fair makes its final appearance of 2021 on Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd December at Newark & Notts Showground. Discover unique Christmas gifts ideas and give sustainable gifts this Christmas. Elizabeth Fell, an antiques advisor to interior designers, once attended Newark and furnished a whole restaurant with one day’s buying! Book your tickets today via our website.

E A ST M ID LA N DS

E A ST M ID LA N DS

There are so many fantastic opportunities to find antiques from a range of antiques dealers at Runway Monday in 2022, with 8 upcoming fairs to look forward to, you will be spoilt for choice!

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Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd December 2021, Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th February 2022, Thursday 31st March & Friday 1st April 2022, visit our website for more dates.

iacf.co.uk

iacf.co.uk

Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair

Dairy House Antiques

Friday 12th, Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th November 2021.

Friday 11th, Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th March 2022.

See our website for more 2022 dates.

iacf.co.uk

Dairy House offers an eclectic mix of items to buy both in store and now also on Etsy! Go to Etsy and search for Dairy House Antiques to see our stock. Featuring 30+ dealers, the wide selection of vintage and antique items in store including furniture, gardenalia, silver, jewellery, textiles, mirrors, lighting and soft furnishings changes regularly. Located close to the A303 and A350 on the Dorset/Wiltshire border with free parking for customers. Open 7 days a week, Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday and Bank Hols 11am–4pm. Station Road, Semley, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 9AN.

S O U T H WE ST, N O RT H DO R S E T

S O U T H W EST, S O M E RS E T

There is something special about Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair, whether it's the enthusiasm of every antiques dealer, or the smiles on visitors' faces browsing hundreds of antiques stalls. Discover rare lighting salvaged from famous buildings, including Gelena Gora exterior lamps and so many more fascinating antiques. Get your tickets online for Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair today.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Christmas GIFT GUIDE Our perfect picks for this Christmas

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DEVENICK DESIGNS ‘Eve and Wilf’ make the perfect Christmas gift for any loved one. This unique small, stainless steel, hand made sculpture, by Devenick Designs, can be self standing or can be hung as a tree decoration. The sculpture can be located indoors or outdoors. devenickdesigns.co.uk | info@devenickdesigns.co.uk

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Xavier China xavierchina.com Yolly yolly.co.uk #1stDibs 1stdibs.co.uk December 2021 Homes & Antiques 145

Portrait of an Antique MOLLY MAHON’S VICTORIAN BUTTON BACK ARMCHAIR I N T ERV I E W & I L LUST R AT I O N SJ A XEL BY (@sja xe lby)

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.

146 Homes & Antiques December 2021

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 and new. Having antiques in our home adds character and depth and they bring with them lovely stories about our grandparents!

Molly is a fabric and wallpaper designer.

Discover her designs at mollymahon.com

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Ruth Langsford, TV presenter and Revitive user.

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LESLIE, DEVON “Noticed an immediate improvement. I feel my varicose veins are no longer as painful & I believe I’ve not had an attack of cramp since using it.”

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If you or a loved one Struggle suffer with tired, heavyto walk feeling legs and puffy to the shops? feet and ankles it could be the result of poorer circulation in your lower limbs. It can affect the simple things we love doing like gardening, walking the dog or playing with grandchildren. It could also be the result of medical conditions such as arthritis or diabetes, or general immobility associated with age as it can get harder for your body to activate the muscles in your lower limbs.

Whether heavy-feeling legs and puffy feet is an occasional annoyance or is there more often, it can hold you back. The Revitive Circulation Booster is a drug-free medical device which uses clinically-proven EMS technology to get your leg muscles pumping, which actively increases your circulation to reduce tired, heavy legs and puffy feet and ankles.

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www.revitive.com Post: cheques payable to: ‘Actegy Ltd’ Dept. RDX2871, 1 Westpoint, Western Road, Bracknell, RG12 1HJ

If you suffer from symptoms of poor circulation then Revitive could help take control of your health, from the comfort of your own home, and allow you to lead a more active life.

I endorse Revitive to anyone suffering from the effects of poor circulation. I recommend it to all my patients. Several family members and friends have been using it to good effect for years, so I have seen for myself just how much the Revitive Circulation Booster can help!

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Ruth: Revitive approached us and asked if we wanted to try their Circulation Booster device.

What they didn’t realise is Eamonn, who’s suffered with his legs and feet for a while, was already one of their happy customers.

how age and medical conditions, including arterial and venous disease, have led to an increasing number of patients who suffer from poor circulation. This can lead to swollen ankles, tired legs and reduced mobility. I recommend the Revitive Circulation Booster because it tackles this growing problem by increasing blood circulation in the legs.

Professor Jonathan Beard Consultant Vascular Surgeon

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CAN YOU CLAIM VAT RELIEF? You do not need to be registered disabled to reclaim the VAT, nor do you need a letter from your doctor. If you suffer from a long-term illness or disability you may be able to claim back the VAT. For details ask our friendly Customer Care Team.

UNSUITABLE IF YOU ARE: Fitted with a heart pacemaker or AICD; being treated for, or have the symptoms of, an Existing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT); pregnant. Always read the label. Use only as directed. If you are uncertain about the cause of your symptoms or your symptoms

persist, please consult your Doctor. ††TRIAL: With Revitive, median arterial blood fl ow increases over 50 versus baseline at rest in healthy people during use (Varatharajan et al, 2014. The effect of footplate neuromuscular electrical stimulation on venous and arterial hemodynamics, Phlebology, July 4, 20 participants.)

NEW Revitive Medic Bundle from £299.96 (£249.96 excl VAT). *Free standard P&P worth £7.99 in England and Wales. Some areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and other remote postcodes will incur a surcharge cost of £19.99. Next day or express deliveries will cost more, please ask our customer service team for a quote †If returned within 90 days, full refund of purchase price, minus collection fee of £7.99 (some areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and other remote postcodes will incur a surcharge cost of £19.99). Must be returned in original UNDAMAGED packaging, otherwise charges MAY apply. 1 trial per customer only & trial starts from dispatch date. All quotes used are real however, to protect the identity of our customers, models have been used for the pictures. Copyright © 2021 Actegy Ltd. All rights reserved. Revitive and Circulation Booster are trademarks or registered trademarks of Actegy Ltd. Registered in England no. 4819502.

Registered office Actegy Ltd, 1 Westpoint, Western Rd, Bracknell, RG12 1HJ, UK. AW: 17315004 03.20

Print, David Bailey (born 1939) Hammer Price: £2,200 Chorley’s

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Josef Lorenzl (Austrian, 1892-1950) Hammer price: £1,800 Halls

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