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This circa 1870 French parquetry inlaid center table was inlaid with ebony and varying fruitwoods, measured 122 by 48 inches in diameter and was priced £14,000 ($17,800). Nick Jones sold it during the fair.
BATTERSEA, LONDON — A strong opening day for the majority of exhibitors got the Spring Decorative Fair, held in Battersea Park, May 7-12, off to a flying start. The week brought serious buyers, decorators working on projects, and trade customers looking for fine and unusual furniture, mirrors, lighting and elegant Twentieth Century furnishings. Art in various disciplines sold well, including sets of prints; modernist objects and works of art proved very popular, with a notable interest in Brutalist designs; traditional English antiques and upholstery were in demand. Numerous dealers reported selling to US buyers and international private clients. Almost every exhibitor said they had made sales to new customers. A flourish of serious business on Sunday afternoon brought a good uptick for many at the close of the fair.
Among dealers reporting a very good fair were Justin Evershed-Martin (Twentieth Century design & antiques), Sans Pretention (mainly Twentieth Century), Joshua Lumley (rugs and tapestries), Schmid McDonagh (Twentieth Century art and design), Nick Jones (antiques and Twentieth Century), Cal Smith Gallery (modernist art and design), Hudson Antiques (antiques and Twentieth Century), L&V Art and Design (Twentieth Century), Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casadejus (antiques and Twentieth Century), Mary Cooke Antiques Ltd (antique silver), Mark J West Ltd (antique glass), L Prentice Art & Antiques (mainly Twentieth Century), Catharine Miller (contemporary art), The Home Bothy (antiques and folk art) and Florence Evans Fine Art (modern art).
Drennan & Sturrock sold this George III pine chest of drawers later painted in the Willow pattern, listed at £4,400 ($5,600).
Lesley Ferguson (decorative antiques), standing at the fair in her own name for the first time, said she was “absolutely delighted” with the experience and with sales which were primarily to trade buyers. Richard Price, another new exhibitor, said: “It is a joy to exhibit, the organization is extremely good, it is effortless to move in and out and the parking is fantastic. I sold my bigger, more impressive clocks, mostly to new clients, at prices from £2500 to £10,000 (approximately $3,100 to $13,000)”
Stand out sales reports from furniture dealers: Wakelin & Linfield had a brilliant opening with many sales of antique furniture including a Dutch marquetry escritoire, an oyster veneered early chest of drawers and an outstanding set of eight Regency gothic chairs at prices to around £7000 ($8,900); Cal Smith Gallery sold a set of Brutalist coffee tables by Lothar Klute ticketed at £14,500 ($18,400); new exhibitor Stephane Olivier sold an elaborate contemporary decorative mirror by French artist Edouard Chevalier priced at £14,000 ($18,000) and took a commission for another; Sans Pretention sold a pair of commodes listed for £28,000 ($35,500); Caroline de Kerangal sold a pair of bronze floor lamps after Giacometti for a five-figure sum; new exhibitor Beton Brut ticketed a 1970s German sofa and ottoman with the asking price of £16,000+VAT ($20,300+VAT); and Nick Jones with a spectacular parquetry center table priced at £14,000 ($18,000). Chalet White sold an important pair of Morel & Hughes Regency armchairs to a new collector priced in the five-figures.
Aubusson Verdure tapestry, France, late Seventeenth or early Eighteenth Century, sold by Joshua Lumley on the first day of the fair.
Among collectors’ items and art, big ticket sales were reported by Mary Cooke Antiques Ltd (new) who sold their star piece and multiple collectors’ items at prices up to £10,000 ($13,000); Florence Evans Fine Art sold several of her major works at prices to £18,000 ($23,000); Mark West sold a group of 13 Val St Lambert vases on opening day to a new customer.
More dealers reporting a good fair included Dorian Caffot de Fawes, Jenna Burlingham Gallery, Joost van den Bergh, DJ Green Antiques, Sandy Stanley, Dee Zammit, Florence Evans Fine Art, Galerie Arabesque (in particular their offering of Delft ceramics), Macintosh Antiques, Philip Varma, Richard Steenberg, Interior Boutiques, Town & Country, Form & Function, Tom Rooth, Saunders Fine Art, Tom Hurst, S&S Timms, Hossack & Gray and David Brooker Fine Art.
The Arts and Crafts foyer display enjoyed a number of sales, including a Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple Arts and Crafts oak buffet with copper repousse panel, circa 1900, tagged £1,650 ($2,100), to a new U.K. client, as well as a part-upholstered high backed chair (James Miles), an Islamic octagonal occasional table (Patrick Macintosh), an Oriental framed mirror and smaller frame (Peter Last Ltd), a glazed ceramic jardiniere on stand (Julian Simon Fine Art) and a rare Sussex chair by Ford Madox Brown (Justin Evershed-Martin).
Mary Cooke Antiques sold this set of Georgian silver stirrup cups by Hester Bateman that had an asking price of £7,000 ($8,900).
The House Directory LIVE debuted on the mezzanine with nine exhibitors and 14 further brands showcased. Talented craftspeople came to demonstrate their skills during the week, and talks involving the likes of Edward Bulmer, John Cullen Lighting, Cox London, Salvo and Decorative Fair exhibitors Harald Altmaier and Joe Chaffer (Vagabond) brought in new audiences. The double book launch of The Restoration Guide, a collaboration between The House Directory and Salvo, was a highlight of the event.
Angel Tan of The House Directory said: “It was a privilege to be invited to curate the mezzanine of The Decorative Fair this spring. Our aim was to pull together established and emerging interiors brands and suppliers, as well as to host talks and workshops that were aligned with the ethos of the fair, that would also capture the interest of both longstanding and first-time visitors. We are so proud of the rich resource that is The House Directory online, and it was a joy to curate a live event that celebrates our members’ skills, expertise and stories. We are looking forward to building upon this foundation and growing the event in the future.”
Well-known faces spotted at the fair were actors Emerald Fennell and Andrew Scott, Sir Paul Smith, designer Julien McDonald, entrepreneur Liz Earle, Jenny Éclair, TV personality Mark-Francis Vandelli, artist and interiors writer Luke Edward Hall and “the king of clubs” Robin Birley.
Designers and trade buyers noted as being in attendance: Nina Campbell, Rita Konig, Kelly Hoppen, Saskia Haining of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, Duncan Campbell of Campbell Rey, Vicky Davar of Maison Artefact, Spencer Swaffer, Max Rollitt, Edward Hurst, Ray Azoulay of Obsolete (USA), Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Paolo Moschino, Salvesen Graham, Alice Crawley, Jane Churchill and Hollie Bowden Interiors.
The Autumn Fair will take place October 1-6 and the Winter Fair, January 21-26.
For additional information, www.decorativefair.com.
