First up, in your words how would you describe the sorts of antiques you collect and sell?
The pieces we source are always done so with care and discernment; we get the pleasure of being able to travel from auction houses to hidden antique fairs across the UK and Europe. Our considered approach allows us to curate a collection that is both refined and unique, usable and of visual impact. Each piece is chosen for its ability to bring depth, authenticity and a quiet elegance within a home. And each piece celebrates the materiality from which it has been crafted, has strength of form and is a true reflection of the pieces we would endeavour to place in our own interiors.
Do they reflect your own personal taste?
Certainly. One of the best elements of being a designer is getting to work with such a wonderful array of clients; each with their own strong sense of identity and style, interests and passions. They live in entirely different homes from different corners of the world, spanning entirely different eras. With that comes a sense of great learning and adaptability; seeing the world through the eyes of a client, understanding what makes them happy, what they consider to be beautiful or comfortable, how they live and relax. Working in this way introduces you to new artists, designers, eras and makers and keeps you learning and excited about design. The exposure grants you the luxury to expand your horizons in terms of taste; appreciating a wider selection of beauty and cherry picking from it what you think is best.
Tell us about your most fascinating find to date: where did you discover it and what was its story?
A wonderful vase bought at auction by Wilhelm Kåge for Gustavsberg. Kåge was one of Sweden’s most influential 20th-Century designers and he played a major role in shaping the identity of Gustavsberg; a hugely renowned porcelain and ceramics manufacturer. His life’s work was focused on bridging the gap between functional mass production and artistic studio ceramics. The vase was made in the 1930’s and had been exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1925. It was spectacular.
Has there ever been something you’d found and couldn’t part with?
There are often pieces which are bought at auction or at fairs which may find themselves having a short holiday in my home before they are photographed and then sold but when you spend so much time buying beautiful things, it gets easier to let them come and go. I probably regret not having kept the vase by Kåge though.
Are there, in your eyes, any big no-nos with antiques in the home?
There are a few simple principles that we use when introducing antiques into a scheme. Generally speaking, we try to allocate key spaces where the use of an antique piece might have most impact. Overloading a room with too many antique pieces can become visually confusing and make a space feel museum-like. We tend to balance new and old as the juxtaposition is visually very pleasing. Balance and proportion are important and shouldn’t be ignored. This goes for form and material tone too. Pairing something with shine (wet) against a matte (dry) material is always successful; as is pairing geometry with curves.
What would your advice be on choosing the right antiques for your home? How do you pick a period?
Choose something you love. Sometimes being slavish to the correct period can be limiting. The beauty of working with antiques is that when layered together over time, a space feels loved, naturally evolved and eclectic.
Any common pitfalls to avoid? Scale, for example?
Yes, I think combining eras in one space can be really successful. A rustic French or Spanish table looks fabulous with a modernist lamp or similarly excellent with a 12th century sculptural fragment on a stand and some beautiful flowers.
What about combining eras in one room: does it work? And if so, which styles do you love to mix?
I think a mix is important – not only across eras, but also in form and material. I’m a big fan of where rustic meets modernism and will pair a provincial 18th century oak side table with a 1960s brutalist iron table lamp, for example, to create a dynamic, layered aesthetic.
Can you share any insider intel: the best antiques markets in your eyes?
We probably spend the most of our time at the IACF fairs in the UK and the infamous fleas across France. Never bypass any car boot sale or local flea market anywhere you are – that is where the truest gems are to be found as often inherited pieces lose their provenance with relatives who know nothing about them.
Which is your most treasured antique at home and why?
A wonderful pair of rush seated, ladder back chairs from my in-laws.
If you were designing a dream room to dress with antiques, which would it be and what would you want to put in it?
It has to be a big, beautiful drawing room – a place you want to relax, surrounded by wonderful, old things. I would want to find a big, wise old bookcase with tonnes of character and fantastic timber framework and glazed doors.
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?
A big, icy glass of cucumber water in the Diana Handblown Tumbler.
2. You’re setting the table for supper for six. Who’s around the table and which tablecloth?
Some of our dearest pals and our two children. Food always looks good on yellow and it makes me happy so it would have to be the Classic Tablecloth in Straw.
3. Still on supper – what’s your signature dish and which crockery would you be serving it on?
It’s probably some sort of middle-eastern bonanza on the Zita Dinner Plates in Chestnut Brown.
4. You’re getting ready for bed. What’s your pre-sleep ritual and which bedding do you want to climb under?
I make a list for the day ahead, so I am not awake worrying about things to do unnecessarily. A few minutes with a good book and then it’s lights out under a big duvet – the Bella Double Hemstitch for me.
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?
Some fresh flowers in the Violet Bud Vase Trio on the mantel piece in our bedroom.
