Don’t be intimidated
I’ve yet to meet a good dealer who wouldn’t be delighted to impart their hard-earned knowledge, either about their own stock or other pieces you might want some advice on.
Do remember auction house descriptions are optimistic opinions
Auction houses make their money from buyer’s premium and sellers commission, they want to sell as many lots for as much money as possible. Auctioneers don’t have skin in the game, so they often won’t be looking as hard at a piece as you might be before putting your money on it.
Do find passionate specialist dealers, who have a particular line of taste
And buy from them! You can recognise this by looking at someone’s stock and thinking to yourself ‘Could I decorate a coherent room from this?’ There will be certain aesthetic preferences that should jump out at you.
Don’t be put off by price…
Look to the piece first. It’s terrifying how much someone else’s assessment of value can affect our own critical faculties.
As a young dealer, I used to be terribly nervous viewing certain lots in a saleroom, thinking I must be a fool for my interest in something which an auctioneer had catalogued as later or lesser. However, I sometimes found a hidden gem. Similarly, prices can be inflated by dealers with an eye to the profit margins. Always rely on your gut – something can be beautiful and undervalued, or it can be middle of the road and puffed up. Price often does not equate to value.
Equally don’t be put off by location…
Try to forget whether you are at a car boot sale or a smart shop in the Pimlico road – again look to the piece for good design, good condition, originality and romance. Isolate the piece from its surroundings, and asses it on its own merits, not those of its seller.
Do follow your eye
Which will only get better the more it sees. One of the great joys of being an antique dealer is the acquisition, and for this you must trust your eye. Feed it with as many images as you can, read books, visit houses, view sales, and then unleash it on a good antiques fair.
Don’t write off pieces in need of reupholstery – but do factor this into your budget
Upholstery can be both great fun and a real nightmare – make sure you are aware how much fabric you might need, whether your chosen fabric has borders (which will affect the amount required), and how much this will cost, and then try to get a good estimate from an established upholsterer. Discuss all the details with them, as one person’s good taste is another’s horror.
Broken, dry or worn leather can often be patched successfully, and can look quite charming, but you must accept it won’t be as hard wearing as a modern alternative.
Do look for scale
Bigger is usually better, a large bookcase won’t dominate a room but can often tie it together. A high piece of furniture in a room with a high ceiling really helps.
Don’t ask for too many opinions
Ask for knowledge, ask for experience, ask for facts, but ultimately make your own decisions – it’s your space and you will be living with the pieces.
Don’t be scared of using and enjoying antique pieces
They may need a little more love at times, a slight tightening of joints, a quick wipe if a drink is spilled, but on the whole they are made of superior timber with a better construction than many contemporary pieces, and any grubby accidents will usually add to the patina rather than detract from a uniform surface.
Do consider mixing context
Grand pieces can work beautifully in humbler surroundings, just as a piece of vernacular furniture can look striking in a contemporary space…
But largely do try to be true to the age of a house
It can be very satisfying to place contextually appropriate pieces in a house of a similar age. I love a contemporary picture in a period house, but it resonates even more if balanced by other period pieces.
Do remember antiques aren’t exempt from bad design
Your eye will begin to understand what is good and bad. Just because something is 200 years old and in good condition, it can still be a dreadful piece of design!
