antique weekend

The way I see it...you can never have too many beautiful antique treasures. Whether they're inherited from loved ones or discovered by chance it is always more interesting to decorate using pieces with a past. Taking a hint of inspiration from Sarah Richardson's latest project on a lovely country farmhouse I thought I'd try and incorporate some battered and beautiful second hand items into my own decorating plans. Luckily, the Christie Antique show was in town (well, just outta town) this weekend which meant I was spoiled for choice in the vintage furnishings department. Wheelers and dealers set up a patchwork of tents and booths on this beautiful conservative area to hawk their fine wares for quite reasonable prices - assuming you're a skilled bargainer that is.

From rustic farmhouse tables to worn in church pew benches there were large and small scale pieces of all sorts. My personal favourites included the fantastic old storefront signs, vintage typewriters, multicoloured country quilts and oversized apothecary cabinets full of miniature drawers . At the end of the day I was limited a little too much by my square footage (not to mention my budget) to pick up any grand pieces but I did find a few decorative little items to take home. My favourite find of the day: a pair of white washed deer antlers to mount on the wall or place haphazardly on a bookshelf.

Antique aficionados will be pleased to know the show makes a magnificent return at the end of the summer on September 11th. See you there!