Entry one:
Hello reader,
May I introduce myself?
My name is Gerard Alan. This is my first ever blog post.
I have wanted to launch this blog for years now. That is because I know that there are many other people who have interests in
antiques and interiors, similar to my own. I am curious to see if other people might be interested to
read, follow and perhaps contribute to discussion of the topics I propose to
write and share ideas about.
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| A French gilt mantel clock, from around 1880, purchased in Normandy. It is flanked by two 18th century porcelain dishes. I have a particular interest in antique clocks, which will be the topic of a later post |
I have a keen interest in and appreciation of antiques, the
decorative arts and beautiful objects. I
am interested in how the combination and placement of such items helps to
create an appealing, comfortable atmosphere perhaps in a single room, in a
whole house, or just on one table top. I am interested in how these spaces and the arrangements they contain can affect our sense of calm
and wellbeing. I am interested in the
sense of luxury and timelessness, and importantly, security and comfort, which thoughtfully and beautifully decorated domestic settings can provide for those who live and move
within them.
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| A pair of oak armchairs, upholstered in a woollen tapestry fabric with a typical verdure theme. Although they look rather severe, they are remarkably comfortable by virtue of the angled, high camel-backs. These chairs are faithful 19th century copies of Louis XIII style fauteuils. Originally French, procured in Germany. |
I also have a passion for collecting antiques, decorative items and beautiful objects. Some of my friends have used the word
“obsessive” to describe my collecting habits, but I find that word to be somewhat
harsh and subliminally critical. In my
mind, “obsessive” implies an all-consuming pursuit at any cost, which does not
describe my collecting behavior at all.
However, when it comes to gathering beautiful objects, I am passionate. I am also careful. I am resourceful. I am selective. I am not nervous about purchasing an item in less
than perfect shape and having it restored later, or perhaps doing the work myself. Why not?
The thought of plucking a not-completely-splendid item out of dusty obscurity
in the back room of an antiques market or even a junk shop and then, making it
utterly and completely splendid again, is very attractive to me. In these times of large-scale consumption,
throwing things away and then consuming even more, rejuvenating an old item and
making it beautiful and useful again seems such a great, Earth-friendly thing
to do.
I have learned a lot along the way.
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| A 19th century brass bouillotte lamp. The tole shade is able to be lowered as the candles within (red ones in this case) burn down, preventing those in the room having to endure the glare of a naked flame. Similar lamps were often placed on a small table specifically designed for playing the 19th century card game bouillotte, a very popular pass-time in stylish French salons. |
I have been very fortunate in my professional life, in that
it afforded me the opportunity to work and live in Europe for a total of sixteen
years. When not working, travel opportunities
were just too tempting. My partner and I
spent countless happy holiday hours trawling through antique markets,
bric-a-brac shops and second-hand establishments throughout Europe. Some places we visited only once, others we
eagerly returned to more frequently.
Over the years, we developed a reasonably good eye for
interesting and unusual decorative items.
We became adept at haggling. We
scoured the famous Parisian antiques quarter.
Occasionally, we got up very early to drive into Belgium for the (fabulous)
weekly antiques market in Tongeren. On cold and overcast Winter mornings, when
the Tongeren market opened before sunrise, it was sometimes necessary to peer
at the outdoor stalls by torchlight!
We visited regional antiques and bric-a-brac centers in the
UK and across Europe. Sometimes we did
not purchase anything at all. On other
trips, our hire-car would groan under the weight of all the items we procured,
leaving barely enough sitting room for the driver and passenger. At one time, we managed to squeeze an 18th
century oak clock case into the car with literally only millimeters to
spare. It almost touched the windscreen
and the rear window at the same time! I’m
sure the police would not have approved had they seen how the clock case
obscured the driver’s vision, but fortunately, we all made it home
unscathed. In retrospect, it was definitely worth the anxiety we experienced on the day.
We always enjoyed the "hunt" immensely and sometimes, we also gathered!
Accordingly, in January 2015 when my partner and I returned
permanently to our home in Australia, we brought with us a 40 foot
high-cube shipping container literally stuffed with an eclectic mix of
treasures, large and small, collected during our years in Europe.
We are gradually combining these with those items we already owned in Australia, so consequently, careful consideration of some objects and occasional culling continues to be a
necessity.
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| A glimpse of the keyboard of our Flemish harpsichord. Gerard built the instrument from a kit in 1986 and since then, it has developed a wonderful silvery, rich tone. It is perfect for the music of Rameau, Couperin and J.S. Bach. As a decorative object, it is captivating in appearance, providing a sense of history and refinement in the room. |
In this blog, I would like to invite you to see what we have
done. You are invited to see the things we have collected over the years and how they have
become a wonderfully nostalgic narrative of our life and the places we have
lived and visited.
I will show you how
we place and combine many of these objects and use them in our home to create, what is
for us, a sense of comfort, timelessness and dare I say, perhaps even luxury, which I have
so often admired in many places we have visited.
For those of you with an interest in collecting, antiques, objet d’art, or perhaps more generally in domestic interiors, this blog could possibly hold some
appeal. I hope so.
Please feel perfectly free to join us.
