Antiques Anthology | Matt Yeldon, Founder of Modants

The richest interiors are those decorated with layers of old and new. A great lover of carefully collected antiques, Rebecca’s own home has various antiques gathered from her favoured dealers and curators across the UK. In this new bi-monthly feature, she’ll be sharing the names from her little black book, talking founder to founder about the world of antiques and which pieces from our very own collection set their hearts aflutter.

In this first edition, Rebecca speaks to Matt Yeldon, founder of French antiques dealer, Modants. A family-run business, their stock is varied; rustic farmhouse tables sitting happily alongside 20th Century lighting and design, with a West London studio for first-hand browsing and their HQ in northern France.

First up, in your words how would you describe the sorts of antiques you collect and sell?

My stock is sourced on regular trips to France and throughout Europe, with our depot in Normandy serving our London studio. As a consequence, there is a Gallic flavour to the majority of my collection. Ultimately, however, it is not confined to any one style or period – rustic farmhouse tables sit happily alongside 20th century design, lighting and sculpture.

Do they reflect your own personal taste?

Absolutely! Though it’s become somewhat of a cliché in the antiques world, I buy what I like. It might sound trite, but beauty lies in the eye of the collector; my overarching philosophy doesn’t go much further than seeing something beautiful and buying it.

Tell us about your most fascinating find to date: where did you discover it and what was its story?

For me, it’s a plaster model of a man on horseback thought to be a maquette for Emile-Antoine Bourdelle’s monument to General Alvear in Buenos Aires. I was lucky enough to acquire the sculpture from a retiring art restorer after forty years in their private collection. Its intriguing provenance, contested by various experts and institutions, sparked ongoing debate over its attribution to the sculptor.

Has there ever been something you’d found and couldn’t part with?

In true dealer fashion, everything is for sale. It’s often my most cherished pieces that tend to find new homes the quickest. At present, I am holding onto a mid-century still-life painting, one that warrants further research before I part with it. However, I am certain that, in due course, it too will make its way into the hands of a discerning collector.

Are there, in your eyes, any big no-nos with antiques in the home? 

Let your collection evolve organically, rather than forcing a specific theme. Trends may come and go, yet good design is timeless.

What would your advice be on choosing the right antiques for your home? How do you pick a period?

Consider the architectural make-up of your home, but don’t be afraid to mix things up if you are drawn to other styles or periods.

Any common pitfalls to avoid? Scale, for example?

Antiques have been built to last, often with solid materials that can’t be disassembled or flat-packed. Before ordering online, make sure that a piece will fit through your doorways and hallways to avoid challenges during delivery!

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? 

The monthly trade-only déballage in Le Mans is a favourite stomping ground. Sellers travel from across Europe to exhibit their latest treasures.

Which is your most treasured antique at home and why?

At 27, I’m still caught in the cycle of living in landlord-furnished rentals, where the lack of personal space somewhat stifles interiors-based creativity. Recently, however, I bought a four-foot-tall leather-clad elephant, which I gifted to my mother (and accountant!) to add to her growing collection.

If you were designing a dream room to dress with antiques, which would it be and what would you want to put in it?

As a cricket fanatic, I would deck out the Pavilion Roof Terrace at Lord’s with LC4 chaise longues by Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier & Pierre Jeanerret for Cassina, each with their own Spanish martini side table.

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 drop of merlot into a Julia twisted cut crystal red wine glass.

2. You’re setting the table for supper for six. Who’s around the table and which tablecloth?

Nigella is cooking the roast with Shane Warne, Nims Purja, Charlotte Perriand and Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge also around the table, dressed with the Victoria striped linen tablecloth in chalk blue. 

3. Still on supper – what’s your signature dish and which crockery would you be serving it on?

Salmon-en-croûte served on a Celia platter. 

4. You’re getting ready for bed. What’s your pre-sleep ritual and which bedding do you want to climb under?

A history podcast complemented by the Annabelle scalloped bed linen. 

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?

A Georgina bath towel bundle!

Images: Modants