Homes & Antiques

Joyful and inventive, this month’s houses (from page 39) are textbook examples of the eclectic mindset. From a Cornish cottage, in which Binga baskets and kilims sit alongside nautical stripes, to an east London terrace, filled with Victorian antique

Homes & Antiques is also available on your smartphone or tablet – visit buysubscriptions.com/ homesandantiques on your digital device, and choose the ‘Digital Edition’ tab. You can buy single issues or take out a subscription so you always have H&A t

Michael is an antique silver specialist who, after working at Sotheby’s, now deals by appointment and from his website. You may recognise him as an expert on the BBC’s Flog It! over the last 17 years. ‘The perfect place for a picnic would be any sale

Acting Editor Charlotte Packer Senior Production Editor Rachel Nott Acting Houses Editor Charlie Lyon Senior Staff Writer Sophie Hannam Editorial and Picture Assistant Katy Layton Antiques Writer Caroline Wheater Art Director Christianne Raymer

Our star letter winner* will receive a bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve worth £44.15 – taittinger.com * UK readers aged 18 or over only. Please include a daytime phone number. Tea towel pattern may differ from example shown. Please note that ther

Many years ago, my husband’s aunt had an old writing slope polished. During the process, an envelope was found in a secret drawer. It had ‘Towards my fare to London’ written on it, and inside were three Victorian sovereigns. She kept one and gave the

I wanted to let you know that you’re still inspiring me and I really look forward to every new issue to see what ideas I can glean for my home. I thought I would share some photos of my vintage 1970s caravan, affectionately named Freddie, where I ten

A classical motif showing a goat’s horn, or horn-shaped wicker basket, on its side, overflowing with ripe, seasonal fruits and vegetables as a symbol of fertility, abundance and plenty. It can often be spotted on antiques from the baroque or rococo p

A love letter to Edinburgh, this charming book documents the hidden gems and picturesque corners of the city that tourists might miss. (£20, Black & White Publishing) The H&A team never pass on the chance to coo over a handsome hound. And these happy

The popularity of craft beers and cocktails might be the reason behind revived interest in silver tankards, flagons, beakers and cocktail shakers. Recently, a late 17th-century Polish parcel-gilt silver tankard by Christian Bockhorn of Danzig sold fo

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The hammer price for a rare, graphic White Star Line poster that sold at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire earlier this summer. The poster, which pictures an enormous liner cutting through the waves, dubs the Olympic and Titanic ships the ‘l

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Number 18 Folgate Street, in Spitalfields, London, is a handsome early Georgian house once owned by Californian émigré and Anglophile Dennis Severs. Over 20 years, Severs transformed the former weavers’ house into a living museum – an intimate portra

Kentaro Poteliakhoff has learned to forewarn guests about what to expect of his Hackney home, ‘otherwise people do seem to be a little overwhelmed’, he smiles wryly. That’s understandable, because the four floors of this Victorian terrace are somethi

‘Such an inspiring and uplifting house with a fascinating story.’ @charlestontrust ‘Stylish and practical mid-century modern pieces, a friendly service and well priced.’ @earlybirdlondon ‘The ultimate home of ‘more is more’. A glittering collection o

‘The first thing you should focus on when cleaning bathroom tiles is the grout. A simple way to clean it is by using an old toothbrush in combination with baking soda and vinegar – a mix that is less harsh than bleach, but just as effective. Leave th

‘My interest in Bakelite was first piqued about six years ago when I was selling textiles on an Anglo-American site for 1930s to 1960s items. American sellers had all these vibrant, juicy brooches and bangles, often elaborately carved. I wondered how

020 8133 5895 scarabantiques.com 5 Newlands Place, Hartfield Road, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5DQ 01342 824980 jeroenmarkies.co.uk 0117 230 8157 artdecoworld.co.uk Alfies Antique Market, 13-25 Church Street, Marylebone, London, NW8 8DT 020 77

Fakes (or ‘Fakelite’ pieces) abound and some modern factories are capable of producing convincing copies of classic items. If you’re not confident about identifying true Bakelite, find a knowledgeable, reputable dealer to help guide you. Methods for

I have this silver box that belonged to my father’s Jewish family in Poland. In the Second World War, when the family were moved to the Ëódz Ghetto and subsequently transported to Auschwitz, a kind neighbour buried a few of the family’s valuables in

Bestselling author, specialist writer and behind-the-scenes expert on the Antiques Roadshow, Janet Gleeson resolves your antiques agonies… We need to get our 1906 Edwardian house painted. It’s currently a shade of magnolia with black woodwork. Do y

George Kulles’ 1996 thriller, The Curse of the Imperial Paperweights, weaves a tale about a world-famous collection of paperweights, which disappears from Sotheby’s New York. An investigation into their previous owners ensues. This fictional murder m

London, New Bond Street & Knightsbridge 020 7447 7447 bonhams.com Squirrels, Bayards, Horsham Road, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3AA 01903 813229 filemanantiques.co.uk Chicago, USA theglassgallery.com 39 South Audley Street, London, WIK 2PP 020 7491 3

Serving scones and delicate sandwiches on a mid 19th-century French porcelain three-tier cake stand would make tea in the garden extra special. Estimate £120-£150 This balloon table clock was made by John Dwerryhouse, c1790, and consigned from th

‘I bought this water bath-cum-boiler in Connecticut, and lugged it back to England, where it was made. In my catering days, I used it for boiling Christmas puddings. Sadly, it doesn’t work on the induction hob in my kitchen, so it has now been relega

Densely patterned, colourful designs finely stitched: check the back for neatness, too. Even if the piece appears new, unfold it and look for stains and holes – these can usually be dealt with but will reduce the value. Flowers, cottages, gardens a

I was lucky enough to grow up in a house full of antiques and I bought my first antique at a school fete. I read History of Art at Reading University, where Neil MacGregor was my tutor and truly inspirational. Because I loved sculpture and works of a

Whether you’re looking for an attractively weathered garden bench, an ornamental urn or even a revolving summer house, Lichen Garden Antiques is bound to have something that fits the bill. And if you can’t find what you are looking for, they will try

26th August – The Estate of Dame Elisabeth Frink & Lin Jammet The celebrated British sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink loved living in an interesting space and she filled her home in Woolland on the Dorset Downs with an array of objects and paintings to

If you think you know who lived in this month’s home, you could be in with a chance of winning this Blue Swallows In The Clouds half-pint mug, worth £19.95, from queen of colourful ceramics Emma Bridgewater. Based in the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent,