Fabulous day yesterday at the antiques market found tons of stuff here’s my list:
2 armchairs, 6 chairs for the school, 1 rug, 1 funny little painting, 3 sheepskins (could have brought 10) they were soo beautiful, 1 fireplace (brought it for £35 turned a corner 5 minutes later and there was an even better one for the same price so nabbed that instead). That little incident caused the biggest argument since Graham was droning on about how the one we just brought was perfectly fine, and I was banging on about the fact that this one actually caused my heart to skip a beat, and how was I to know we would see a better one. With the pressure of getting the school ready and needing a fireplace I just nabbed the first thing not expecting to see another. Maud and Mung’s pitched in and said for God’s sake buy the second fireplace, its raining, we’re muddy and we don’t want to stand in a field shouting! We got the second fireplace.
So antiques markets are the way to go if you need interesting stuff. I love modern, but when you mix with vintage you create this kind of simmering tension that you just wouldn’t get if you stuck to any one period, which is why I guess I have a problem with interiors that are all one thing, retro, Scandinavian, rustic. For me they don’t tantalise, you don’t get that visual friction and the more friction you can create (we’re talking interiors here, not relationships)! the better.
That’s me done, the bloody milk frother has packed up again (3 rd one in 2 months) someone in Dualit is not going to want to be speaking to me this morning, the shower has totally stopped working and whats more I have a dentist appointment in the city that I really don’t have time for. The dentist and hygienist have exactly 30 minutes to do whatever they need to do. One side of the month, top or bottom their choice but I’m outta there in 30 have a school to get ready!
This is what I’m talking about when I bang on about tension. A fancy pants super glam coffee table, coupled with some old shabby chairs, cool art, modern bookcase, stuff from all periods. Nothing matches but it all makes perfect sense, as I’ve said before its the hardest look to pull off but its the most amazing.
Happy Wednesday (at least it would be if there were coffee)!
Hi Abigail, could I ask you where is that antiques market you went? Is it open everyday? xx
The best ones are Kempton (every other Tuesday) in London but you need to get there when it opens 6.30. Also Ardingly and Newark (DMG fairs) are far bigger and you get much more choice. You need to go on trade day which is the first day, you pay £20 but get a far better choice/
Hi Abigail, I was wondering if you could tell me the name of the antiques fair you went to? I need some good fireplaces for my new (actually 200 year old) home.
Many thanks, and good luck with school on Friday. Sandy
Certainly go to Kempton and Newark part of the DMG fairs on every other month. You must go however on trade days you pay £20 to get in but you get the best stuff and its all been picked over by the time the pubic go in the next day, oh and Kempton in London every other Tuesday
hi
which antiques market did you go to? Would love to know what markets in London you prefer and recommend…
Kempton in London every other Tuesday you have to get there at 6.30 when it opens otherwise you miss all the bargins. Also Ardingly and Newark are worth a look at – go on trade days thats the first day you pay £20 but you get so much more choice
which antiques market did you go to? would love to know what markets in London you prefer and can recommend…
Kempton in London – twice monthly on a Tuesday, other Ardingly and Newark are worth a look at
….can antiques be excluded from the “brown furniture” category (eg. gorgeous butlers tray/Georgian console table ) if they are surrounded by quirkly eclectic stuff?? – cant bear to get rid and too good to paint ..
Of course, any brown furniture that looks fab really don’t paint its only the generic kind that its worth doing it to. Love Georgian consoles especially when topped with super cool modern lights x
I am really curious now: which antique market did you go to? From the sound of it, it must be like the Aladdin cave with heaps and heaps of treasures!
“Nothing matches, but it all makes perfect sense” is INDEED the hardest look to pull! I have been trying to figure out how to pull that in my living room: I have a vintage sofa in wonderful striped teal green/beige velvet upholstery with dots of roses. But it clashes with a fantastic red persian carpet on the floor. I thought about slipcovering, but it will make the sofa look cheap; I thought about covering it with a texture (reindeer hide? plush solid velvet fabric? bright red wool blanket? –> an idea from one of your blog post); I thought about replacing the carpet with something more neutral, like a flokati? But I love the plushness of the persian one. Sigh sigh sigh….Any suggestion? I am at my wits end on how to pull the look. I am still browsing your collection of pictures here to find inspiration…. So yes, pulling that mismatched look is *hard*.
Katzies
can’t wait until you open your masterclass in New York!!
Its hard I know, one trick that really helps me is to restrict the colour palette so by all means clash your sofa with your rug but then tone down everything else in the room so that basically you only have a few contrasting hues going on. I’m a huge fan of rugs/carpets especially Persian ones so I wouldn’t ditch that – they are so hard to find and if you’ve got one that you love worth keeping I would say. I’ve layered stuff over mine so for example a small sheepskin and a cream runner from Morocco which somehow simplifies it. That might work. Am coming to NY in the summer thats now been confirmed just need to see if I can squeeze enough time in for the odd class which I am really hoping to do x
I LOVE YOU Abigail!!
xxx
Thanks for the list – was looking forward to hearing what looty you came back with! What style was the fireplace? £35 is an amazing price – does this reflect the generally great bargains available or are you just a hard ball negotiator Abgail?!
Shall take a pic and post on blog next week. Rubbish negotiator, it was a bit of a bargin but then fireplaces are quite hard to sell as it was a very specific size. Having said that brought some cool art for £10 and £20 so certainly worth going along to.
Hi Abigail, been planning for yonks to decorate my living room/snug so very excited got lots of ideas, though I do need to start my mood board, cant wait!. The thing is I have this old large brown leather sofa (quite large) and unfortunately I have two matching single seaters, I cringe every time I walk into the room, but they are soo comfy and will have to stay. The room itself isn’t very large; it has one advantage a lovely large bay window which lets in glorious sunshine in the morning. My Dilemma is whether to paint the whole room in sumptuous down pipe grey by F & B or mix it with a lighter shade. Then throw in lots of old and news interesting items. Will most defiantly take a trip to one of the antique markets. Just need to get it started.
If it were me I would paint the whole thing. Also don’t worry about the matching you can easily change it up accessorising with cool throws or cushions to make them feel different. Swatch a big wall of down pipe and see what you think oh and a quick tip you will need to paint it twice the first coat of DP is horrible!
Thank you Abigail, will defo get throws on them. A goof tip with DP, I’ve never used it before so must must get enough for the room. I’m going to post you the final result!
Ps. Good luck with the design school. Hopefully I will be able to make it soon, after family commitments. Thank you again Abigail x
Thank you x
Sounds like you had “simmering tension” during and after shopping! My husband doesn’t like to go to antiques market with me for that very reason – this one, oh, no, that one’s better! – plus I take too long. Look forward to seeing the final result.
Thanks for the advice about rug in kitchen,bought a Eco friendly woven rug on Saturday all reds pinks navy love it,I’m coming to London next weekend and would really like advice on where I can go for hidden treasures( other than your store of course),your elephants and owls take pride of place on the fire.I live near Manchester and other than portobello road I’m not sure where else to go.
Lots of places to tell – other than the big boys (Liberty top floor, and Anthropolgie) then East London is fab. On a Saturday brick lane is much easier to handle and less touristy and there are quite a few sweet little vintage shops. Columbia Road also on a Saturday has many of the little stores open after 12pm and then you could walk to Broadway market (my local food market) on a Saturday. Sweet walk and 5 mins away with a cool selection of vintage shops from the Dog in the Wardrobe near the canal (love), to Stella’s (Broadway market) to a railway arch full to the brim with stuff next to London fields train station (London fields park at the end of the market). Have fun x
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Have a great week.
LOVE Maria at inredningsvis.se
(Sweden)
LOVELY PICS:) I really like your blog and I will happily follow.
If you want some swedish decor inspiration, you can check out my blog:) and I hope you will follow me back.
Have a great week.
LOVE Maria at inredningsvis.se
(Sweden)
Fab thanks
thanks for the continuous inspiration!!
will have to take a class at the school soon – tip said she loved it!
nat
Thank you xx
Hi,
I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award on my blog – http://tamsinallencreative.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/versatile-blogger-award/
If you don’t participate in awards, memes or blogging games then feel free to ignore the tag.
Thanks for inspiring me with your interiors.
Tamsin
Thank you very much
I love how you said that antiques mixed with modern makes your heart jump a beat or something like that. Well actually I am contemplating on doing that, the problem is I dont know how to. Could you give me some ideas?
Of course, partnering an antique occassional table for example with a big Panthella lamp, or a vintage chesterfield with some totally cool modern cushions (I’ve got metallic silver ones on mine). Or an Ikea console table with an old marble vintage lamp I found at a flea market, or a little bedside table I painted out in the same colour as the walls and then plopped an anglepoise in burnt orange on it. That sort of thing
Hi Abi! You were very lucky with the weather on Tuesday at Ardingly. We went on Wednesday and it was a wash out. I managed a couple of small finds (see http://www.thomashaycock.co.uk/?p=648), but most of the furniture guys had gone – some leaving their items arranged comically (see photo!).
Good luck with the Design School – I loved the Masterclass in November!
Wow thats incredible that they left stuff in the field, thanks for the pic looks like you go some great stuff
Thanks for the idea.
I have got to start antique hunting.
Hi Abigail, this might be a long shot, but have you heard of any markets/fairs in northern Ireland? (Belfast)I love your style and can’t wait for your book to arrive! x
Regrettably I haven’t I hate to say sorry x