How tastes change

Hope you're having a good weekend.   We took a lovely long walk along the beach front.  Did I say it was  a long walk? I've got blisters because I walked in boots instead of my Nike's and I don't really do trainers unless I'm doing exercise.  It was cold.  My cheeks felt like sheets of ice, but oh was it good to get out in the sunshine!

When I was in my late teens I was introduced to antiques by my then boyfriend’s mother Mrs C. They had lived in Singapore for many years and her house was a veritable haven of eastern antiquities. She often attended auctions and would come back with lovely items, mostly small but I was fascinated with what she turned up with.   As a shy 18 year old, when she noticed my interest in her furniture pieces, she would try and engage me in conversation and I soon caught the antiques bug.  She started buying me small pieces for my birthday and Christmases and I still have these beautiful items she bought me  and I use them all the time.   I will forever be grateful for her interest and  for taking time to share her passion with me. I started collecting the odd piece, mostly silver spoons and cutlery, and the later crockery, and then when I started earning money, larger pieces of furniture.  Back in the early 80s I was absolutely and completely in love with antiques or any piece of furniture that looked like it had lived a hundred years before me, not for me the bright colours and disco balls of the time!  

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Throughout the years, my love affair with antiques hasn’t waned, I’d mix antique pieces with Turkish rugs and more modern pieces and although my taste changed ever so slightly, sometimes taking a few steps sideways, I never really deviated from my first love. I’ve being doing the eclectic look for more than 20 years now.  An odd collection of different eras which all seem to work rather well together.  When I talk antiques, I am not talking pieces worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, more in the three and four digit category.  Moving on 20 years or so and 3 grown up children later I found some of the heavy darker pieces too cumbersome too old worldly, so I sold a few pieces.  Once we moved to England, I couldn't fit some pieces into my home here, they were too big and bulky and I couldn't get them up the narrow stairs.  So they were eBayed much to my children’s disapproval.   I felt I wanted to go lighter, brighter and more French Provençal. (Being in a dark drizzly country does that to one).   Lighter in weight and in colour, more suitable for small rooms and narrow staircases.  I went all shabby for about five minutes and I started buying painted pieces that had been slightly distressed, whether naturally aged or intentional.  Fortunately I didn't buy too much in this French phase, it was more like a school girl crush on an older good looking French boy  who I soon found didn't have much of a personality, so I lost interest. 

(The Victorian hors d'oeuvre cutlery is part of a set of 8 which I received as a gift from Mrs C in the early 80s)

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I'm still in love with good craftsmanship. It’s in the genes.  Love a piece of wood.  Have been known to caress a piece until I get the odd look from the store owner as I run my hands down the legs or over the table top.  And there are some décor trends  I will never like and some pieces and accessories that will stay with me until I die and I'm not particularly bothered whether they are trendy or not, they are mine and I love them.    But  lately I'm liking more mid-century pieces, pieces with simpler lines, and less fuss,  especially the sideboards and armchairs… might be something to do with my age….so what do you think?  Has your style changed over the years or do you still have the same pieces your bought 20 years ago…I’d love to know, please do share!

Sharing a lovely pic of flowers from last year.

Until next time!

Sharon

xxx