When:
1st to 6th October 2013
Where:
Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ (free shuttle bus service from Sloan Square)
The hugely popular Decorative Fair returns for its Autumn event in Battersea Park from Tuesday 1st to Sunday 6th October 2013. It is the decorator’s favoured source for unusual and eyecatching antiques, 20th century design, works of art and textiles. More than 140 UK and European specialist dealers will be taking part.
The Fair is renowned for the inspirational displays put on by the exhibitors, which allow the visitor to imagine how idiosyncratic items might work as decorative pieces in their own design schemes.
Whilst many of the visitors that attend the three annual Decorative Fairs are private buyers, the event was originally established in 1985 to cater to interior design professionals and their wideranging requirements for decorating projects. From 17th century country manors to Regency rectories and modernist masterpieces, every suitable period and style of furniture, lighting and accessory can be found at the Fair. Prices range from very affordable at under £50 for antique glassware, for example, to over £15,000 for formal Georgian furniture or rare design pieces.
Currently enjoying strong popularity is the ‘industrial’ look, a blend of unfussy metal and natural wood pieces that feels fresh in both city and country environments. The Foyer display at the Autumn 2013 Fair will feature this industrial look, and will be curated by exhibitor Matthew Cox, incorporating items from other dealers taking part in the Fair. The display will demonstrate how the integrity and character of original industrial design can be absolutely relevant in today’s fashionable interiors and spaces.
Expect to see rare examples of street and station lighting, original shop and factory fittings, as well as mill and warehouse furniture, working together in fresh and unexpected ways.
An industrial theme is a good foil to some of the new trends seen at Milan Furniture Fair this year; natural finishes in wood, marble and stone, and the warm, ‘accent’ tones of copper and terracotta – materials readily found across many disciplines and from all periods at the Decorative Fair: sculpture, lighting, folk pieces such as treen or marble pestles and bowls, and more traditional copper artefacts.
Alidad Book Signing
The Fair is delighted to announce that Alidad, the award-winning interior designer, will give a short talk ‘Decorating with Antiques and Antique Textiles’, followed by a book-signing of Alidad: The Timeless Home (his new book published Autumn 2013 by Rizzoli) on Wednesday 2nd October from 6-6.30pm. Renowned internationally for his sumptuous interiors, Alidad regularly attends the Decorative Fair. He says: ‘I always enjoy coming to the Decorative Fair at Battersea as it’s fun, varied, very pretty and well worth a visit. I come to look for the finishing touches”.
For further information about visiting the Fair, please visit www.decorativefair.com .
Images: Chanel – haute couture cuff, 1980, Katheley’s
Triangle bag, New York, c1950, Triangle bag, New York, c1950
Italian watercolour of a Mother and Child, set in an original, deep gilded frame. 18th century, £850. Alston & Ashton
