First up, in your words how would you describe the sorts of antiques you collect and sell?
Our collection offers an eclectic mix of unique pieces from the British Isles and Continental Europe, antique textiles from along the Silk Road, and art and objects that capture my eye along the way. I especially love things from the 18th Century to the early 80s.
Do they reflect your own personal taste?
Absolutely, I only select items that I would personally have in my home.
Tell us about your most fascinating find to date: where did you discover it and what was its story?
There are so many of these, but there was once a pair of absolutely stunning rosewood Danish end tables I will never forget. I only had them for 24 hours and hadn’t even photographed them for the website, but a friend spotted them for her art gallery where they’d look perfect. Every time I see them in her amazing space at Jenna Burlingham Gallery, I always think they are the pieces that got away.
Has there ever been something you’d found and couldn’t part with?
An early 19th Century hexagonal drum table (or salary table) bought locally from a house clearance. It needed work but turned out to be a really amazing and valuable piece. I decided it was too perfect to sell and found it fits perfectly in our library space.
Are there, in your eyes, any big no-nos with antiques in the home?
I am quite relaxed and tend not to have any hard rules, though I do shy away from overly heavy and ornate pieces.
What would your advice be on choosing the right antiques for your home? How do you pick a period?
Again, I don’t have any hard rules. I think balance is key. I think Rita Konig, Ben Pentreath and Honor Devereux of Devereux Designs do a really fab job adding antiques and vintage pieces to their projects that span different periods and styles but really just work.
Any common pitfalls to avoid? Scale, for example?
Scale and balance are incredibly important. If a room can take scale then go for it. I believe that a small room can look great with an oversized ottoman, for example, whereas I think that picking a tiny ottoman footstool for a small snug can look a bit miserly. Balance is also so important. A house can take a bit of bobbin or scallops (as they have done for centuries) but too much of either can be a bit too much.
What about combining eras in one room: does it work? And if so, which styles do you love to mix?
I think so. I think some of the best interior designers combine different eras in a room. For example, Ben Pentreath loves a Gordon Russell Double Helix sideboard made between 1950-1955 in Broadway, Worcestershire. In his books you can see him adding these pieces to different styles of homes (Georgian or Arts and Crafts). I always buy these double helix pieces when I see them because they work absolutely anywhere.
I also love cricket tables which were locally made pieces from Wales or the North of England. These can work in just about any home (modern or period) and add instant character, especially ones with historic repairs. You can just imagine them being broken in a fight in a local tavern in the early 19th century and then being crudely restored so they could get right back to work.
Can you share any insider intel: the best antiques markets in your eyes?
In the UK, we are so lucky to have such a huge selection of fairs, auction houses, antiques centres and online dealers. My favourite hunting grounds are IACF (International Antiques and Collectors Fairs) in Newark and Ardingly. I go to Kempton sometimes too. Antiques Centres like Station Mill in Chipping Norton or the Old Cinema in Chiswick can be wonderful sources for antiquing. I have had a lot of success on eBay too. I spend about 40 hours a week just looking for lovely pieces, so this job is not for the faint hearted. I tend to buy from many of the same dealers and I really shouldn’t share their names but they are so good at what they do and so hardworking: Sven at Hunt and Gather, Chris Charles Antiques, Gilt Gesso, Martin Hawken, Paul Stevens at Newark Antiques and Interiors, Rob from Nook Antiques are my go-tos.
Which is your most treasured antique at home and why?
I have two pieces that I love at the moment. We have a French white marble-topped commode that isn’t perfect but it works really well in our sitting room. It brightens a dark space and has lots of storage. In our dining room we have a small Scottish tallboy that we inherited from my husband’s family. I love it because of its size and proportions. It sits perfectly in our small dining room and holds all our table linens.
If you were designing a dream room to dress with antiques, which would it be and what would you want to put in it?
- I grew up in Alaska and I am a keen skier. The dream one day would be to own a cabin or chalet and I would decorate it so differently to any chalet I have ever been in. I would start with the kitchen and use a housekeeper’s cupboard or a large Welsh dresser as the starting point for the cosiest kitchen in the mountains. Next to the fire I would place a ‘lit de repos’ or daybed I currently have that is upholstered in a large check brown gingham for the days where you want to curl up with a book watching the snowfall.
Five in Five
Every month, we ask our favourite antiques dealers which pieces they would pick from the Rebecca Udall collection. New pieces that blend seamlessly with the old...
1. You’re pouring a drink. What drink and into which glass?
Gin and tonic in a tall Julia Highball Glass
2. You’re setting the table for supper for six. Who’s around the table and which tablecloth?
The Hellebore tablecloth with scalloped linen napkins in Artichoke.
3. Still on supper – what’s your signature dish and which crockery would you be serving it on?
My take on a beef lasagne with spinach, courgettes and carrots served on the Olivia Scalloped Crockery with Rebecca’s gorgeous natural wood cutlery.
4. You’re getting ready for bed. What’s your pre-sleep ritual and which bedding do you want to climb under?
I need to spend more time on my pre-sleep ritual but currently I use an oil cleanser by Votary and I fall fast asleep in my Annabelle Bed Linen in dusty pink.
5. You’re in the mood for treating yourself to something. What little object for your home would you pick from the collection and where’s it going?
I love arranging flowers everywhere in my house, so if I could chose a gift for myself it would be the amazing Flora Ceramic Urn in terracotta.
