Sourcing Antiques
The idea for The Modern Antique Project came from my love of antique furniture. I love the stories you can imagine for each piece thanks to knocks and nicks, bodge mending jobs and scribbles on the back or even just how old it is and what you know of the history of the time the piece was made. There is always the difficulty though of finding items that fit your space which is why I decided to set up a company replicating pieces I love but making them fit our modern lives.
However, that doesn’t mean I have stopped buying antiques! I would say we have more old furniture in our house than new. In our environmentally conscious world why wouldn’t you buy second hand pieces that have been stored in a garage unused, or need a bit of wood glue and paint to give a new lease of life instead of adding to a world already over-filled with stuff?
Below are a few places I use to source items and what I look for in each place.
If I am looking for furniture that I want to repaint - i.e. a chest of drawers for a guest bedroom or nursery - then my first port of call will be Facebook marketplace. You can often find real treasures thanks to people clearing houses and unwilling to get someone in to do it for them. I recently found a pretty antique chest of drawers with shaped gallery back that needed wood glue and paint but after a bit of TLC looks great, and adds character to our nursery. Too often childrens bedrooms is filled with new furniture which can make a space too clinical and flat.
Another favourite is reclamation yards and house clearance shops. Two big butler sinks were sourced from Authentic Reclaimation in East Sussex for £80 each. House clearance shops are also a great way to pick up art to fill your walls. On a recent holiday in France I found a pretty mid-century oil painting that gives just the texture needed for a gallery wall. Another great find was a gorgeous early 20th Century refectory table from a house clearance shop in Heathfield for our kitchen.
Local antique shops, fairs and auction houses are best for decorative pieces you want to spend a bit more money on, or impact furniture like a kitchen dresser or sitting room side tables and bookshelves. Gorringes in Lewes is my favourite auction house for furniture and art as nearly every week they have some real gems. And antique shops in villages are a great place to find mirrors and pottery and glassware.
Instagram has now become an amazing place to find antique furniture, lighting and art but you have to be quick! I love Petit Tresor, Wallis Antiques and Sheps House Clear for a mix of European and English pieces.
When I am feeling brave I’ll sit on Ebay and have a search but I think you need to know exactly what you are looking for to be successful. I inherited a small Parker Knoll armchair from an aged aunt and wanted another so sat on ebay for about 2 days until I found one in desperate need of a little love and therefore ideal for what I was looking for. And it was only £5! I’ve recently discovered art on ebay too. I bought two little Haitian paintings from a lady in France that are just the right colours for kitchen and adds some much needed texture and zing.
Below are a few pieces recently sourced.
