Keeping the home fires bright
For centuries, the fireplace has been a major decorative focal point of room design. At the Spring Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair (24-29 April 2007 at The Marquee, Battersea Park, London SW11), a special selling display in the foyer will concentrate on the changing designs of fireplaces from the 18th century to mid-20th century. The fireplaces and surrounds will be accented by large overmantels, mirrors and appropriate lighting. The Fair has long been renowned as a source for unusual mirrors and lights.
Since it launched in 1985, the Decorative Fair has shown the way for reasonably priced antiques and period design for the interior decorating world. Over 100 exhibitors take part in the thrice-annual event (January, April and October: the next Fair dates for the autumn event are 2-7 October 2007). Trends are made here, and over the years the Fair has led fashions for painted furniture, objets trouvé, architectural antiques, vintage leather and retro revival.
Today the Fair provides the best of modernist design and antique chic for the home and garden, with a blend unique to the Fairs’ world of affordable furniture, fun accessories, art from African tribal to English landscape, rugs and textiles plus quirky collectors’ items and serious “signed” artefacts.
The UK’s best experts in 20th design rub shoulders with French provincial specialists and dealers representing fine British town and country furniture.
What binds the Fair is the dealers’ innate sense of style and purposeful decorative displays: dealers at the Decorative Fair go to tremendous lengths to show their stock in a way that gives visitors ideas as to how to use items in their own homes.
HOW TO SHOP FOR ANTIQUES – SOME TIPS!
1. ALWAYS carry a tape measure with you!
2. BE SURE, if you are looking for an item to fit in to a space – whether it be a large bookcase or a small side table – to have with you the dimensions of the area to be filled (e.g. height and width of a wall, or of the sofa/chair the table will sit next to). Antiques are unique items which can be bought and taken home there and then – if you miss a purchase because you don’t know whether an item will fit your purposes, you may lose out to another buyer.
3. BE REALISTIC with your budget – have an idea of what you can afford to spend, and spend it wisely. Try to buy the best quality you can – it should repay you in the long run by retaining its value, or even appreciating over the years.
4. DO DISCUSS your needs with dealers – when showing at Fairs, dealers can only bring a certain amount of stock. If you like a dealer’s style, chances are they’ll have something else you might like, either in their store/showrooms or on their future shopping lists.
Shopping for antiques should be fun – at the Decorative Fair you will find a very relaxed atmosphere, friendly surroundings, free parking (we’re still outside the Congestion Charge Zone) or easy access with our Complimentary Renault Shuttle Service from outside the Sloane Square Hotel direct to the Marquee every fifteen minutes during opening hours. Well behaved dogs are also allowed to visit!
On site you will find packing and shipping facilities provided by BBF Shippers, and a licensed café for drinks, snacks and hot lunches.
New exhibitors attending the Spring Fair in April include Haslam and Whiteway, specialists in 19th century design, including Gothic Revival, Aesthetic Movement and Arts & Crafts; Christopher & Angela Legge, tribal carpets as well as contemporary rugs; Gaby van Schagen of Holland, with decorative furniture and Goodwin Adam, dealers in prints.
