My picture passed in at auction – what do I do now?
If you have ever tried to sell something in a specialist art auction you will know that there is a long build up and the process can be very stressful. Once you have made a decision to sell, a failure can be very frustrating not to mention inconvenient. My first tip is – never pre-commit…
Read MoreAre antiques due for a revival?
Antiques – that is to say furniture and objects over 100 years old – are a little off the radar of many home decorators at the moment. So are they due for a revival? Here are some reasons why you might not have considered them:- You associate them with your grandparents or great-grandparents Yes, but…
Read MoreWhat are the best antiques for today?
There is no better way in my opinion to add some flair to your home than to add a few selectively chosen antiques or vintage pieces. If you are hunting around antique shops, which are the pieces you should be on the lookout for and which pieces should you avoid even if they look temptingly…
Read MoreHow to use the 60/30/10 rule in decorating
Would you like to be more adventurous with colour in your home but you aren’t sure how to start? One tried and tested approach is the ‘three colour rule” also called the 60-30-10 rule after the approximate percentages of each colour. In this scheme, one base colour dominates – let’s call it your hero colour.…
Read MoreFive essential Art Collecting terms explained
If you are collecting art, what are some essential terms you need to know? Provenance Provenance means the record or history of an artwork’s ownership. Ideally, an artwork can be traced back to when it was first exhibited and sold. If it was acquired directly from an artist, the relationship of the first owner to…
Read MoreHow to trend-proof your home
Just like the fashion industry, the interiors industry packages styles and trends for the home which inevitably start to look dated after a few years. If you want to cultivate a more distinctive style that might even see you through multiple homes, here are some suggestions to guide you: Modern Classics Certain designs become classics…
Read MoreFake or Fortune?
Do you have artworks in your collection that you really know next to nothing about? Have you ever wondered if you might be sitting on a work with potential to set the artmarket on fire and feature in one of those articles we all love to read about with titles like ‘Painting found in attic…
Read MoreCan you over-restore a home?
If you are renovating an older home it is important to remember what attracted it to you in the first place. It’s definitely possible to ‘over-restore’ a home just as a conservator can make a painting look too new by overpainting and varnishing to remove all signs of age. Ideally you retain the best features,…
Read MoreHow to commission a portrait
The winner of the wildly popular Archibald prize was recently announced, and that has set me thinking about how to commission a portrait. The Archibald might be the most famous, but it’s not the only prize for portraiture in this country. To name but two others there is the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and…
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