Homes & Antiques

Editorial homesandantiques@ourmedia.co.uk Advertising 0117 300 8805 Subscriptions 0333 016 2117 Editorial Editor Charlotte Packer Senior Production Editor Rachel Nott Senior Features Editor Katie Pike Antiques Writer Caroline Wheater With thanks to P

Tell us what inspires you in this issue of H&A. Tag @homes_antiques on Instagram or use the email address, right Welcome to the Christmas issue of H&A! With the big day creeping ever closer, our columnists delve into the traditions of festive enterta

Antique boxes are used today for decorative and practical purposes. Take an old sewing or vanity box void of all its contents - they’re incredibly well made (far better than you can get from the high street) and made from materials not as readily fou

Sampson Mordan, best known for co-inventing the first patented propelling pencil in 1822, began his career as an apprentice to the locksmith Joseph Bramah and went on to set up his own business in 1815. In the 1820s he partnered with the stationer Ga

Matthew Williamson For anyone toying with the idea of banishing beige and embracing colour in the home, Living Bright provides a perfect starting point. Matthew Williamson is well placed to make the case for living a life filled with colour, having s

ASK AN EXPERT BACK IN FEBRUARY Email expert@homesandantiques.com with your valuation questions 7th December, Christie’s London One of the greatest collectors of his generation, Sam Josefowitz was born into a middle-class family in Lithuania in 1921,

Exceptionally beautiful patterns in good condition are costly collector’s items. But it’s easy to find moderately priced large sets if you are willing to put up with some wear - a few chips and short cracks coming off the rims (which don’t matter for

Add an extra dimension to painted walls with a metallic, stone or clay paint effect from Craig & Rose’s latest Artisan collection. Pink Clay Chalk Wash, pictured, creates a sun-soaked warmth with the textured look of raw plaster. From £23.50 for 750m

• The best way to prevent breakage is to remove risk. So no cluttered kitchen surface, no tall objects that could fall over on the table (be careful with that pepper mill!) • Wash up the antiques last, once the kitchen surfaces are clear. • Never use

We have an extensive collection of cookbooks, amassed over the years, and many of them have became tried and tested friends. For those of a historical bent, antique and vintage cookbooks lend an extra dimension: a fascinating glimpse into how people

Condition is important, but some collectors and museums don’t mind a few blemishes if a poster is 100 years old. ‘If you can wait and be patient, you should try to find one in the best condition possible,’ advises Richard Barclay. ‘However, if it’s a

I grew up in the suburbs of Stockholm and was born into a design-loving home. Both my mother, a fashion designer, and my father, an opera singer, had a great influence on me, with their taste for Scandinavian classics by Bruno Mathsson, Hans Wegner a

Fans of Willow Crossley can sign up for one of two Christmas wreath workshops the floral stylist is running at Oxfordshire’s Ham Court this month (1st and 5th December). Willow’s elegantly natural-looking wreaths are popular on Instagram, thanks to t

What first sparked your interest in antiques? I’ve loved furniture and accessories that have an age to them for as long as I can remember. I’m not entirely sure where it comes from, but I’ve always been drawn to items with a patina, faded colours, an

Both with backgrounds in antiques and interiors, Sara Covelli and Janie Tennant joined forces to launch Covelli Tennant in 2005. Among their website offering of furniture, textiles and decorative antiques, you’ll find fabulous 1940s-60s Italian and F

Are you in the mood for buying sustainable, pre-loved Christmas presents while also hibernating at home this winter? If so, look no further than The Wealden Bazaar Christmas Showcase, which brings you a virtual market every weekday morning from 27fh

Symbolism played an important part in Victorian jewellery design. Forget-me-nots stood for enduring love and remembrance; bumble bees meant community; and swallows, loyalty and the hopeful return of a loved one. Brooches were widely worn and some dou