Since I began buying over twenty years ago I have found my eye drawn to particular forms, styles and colour. Over time this has obviously evolved, but there is always a fundamental pull towards the quality and weight of old wood; solid peg construction; pieces that are rustic more than highly varnished; simple lines and contours rather than ornate; pieces with soft, subtle finishes. If I don’t love something I won’t buy it. I want to look at a piece and feel a ping of excitement or rightness.
Pieces often come with the dirt and dust of centuries. My working day can therefore be punctuated with cleaning brushes and bowl after bowl of blackened water until the grain of the wood and the corners of drawers are clean and I am satisfied.
I hope that this view of one of my stands at Lorfords Hangar One will give you a sense of what I love to find.
