Auction Alert: Fine Interiors

Henley-on-Thames based auction house, The Pedestal, will be holding their Fine Interiors sale on Tuesday 8^th November, 2022 at 1pm.

We’ve highlighted a particular lot – a large Victorian pine shop centre counter. We’ve included it because, in a previous post, we suggested that they’re perfect for repurposing as an island in a free-standing kitchen.

363 lots will be for sale and according to the auction’s website:

The Fine Interiors auction spans a number of collecting categories and range across several centuries: from early oak furniture and objects, to rugs, prayer rugs, carpets and runners, to English and Continental furniture, silver and paintings dating from the 16th to early 20th centuries.

A buyer’s premium of 25% + VAT of the hammer price will be levied on each lot. Bidding is also available on a number of other auction websites; including EasyLiveAuction, Invaluable, Live Auctioneers and The Saleroom.

Lot 16: A 19^th century elm two tier centre table
The rectangular top on square tapering legs joined by an under-tier, 70cm wide, 58cm deep, 69cm high.
Estimate: £100 – £150

Lot 26: A group of twelve 19th century assorted ceramic jelly moulds
Of various sizes, the largest 19cm diameter. (12)
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 42: A large Victorian pine dresser
The rectangular cavetto moulded rectangular cornice above three shelves with a panelled back and cup hooks; above a rectangular top with three frieze drawers on square legs joined by a pot board, 203cm wide, 56cm deep, 228cm high.
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 61: A Tekke main carpet, Turkménistan, circa 1900
305cm x 220cm
Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000

Lot 62: A volume of etchings, the majority by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778)
Oblong 1o, 19^th century quarter calf marbled boards (badly damaged), 57 x 78 cm., ticket (top left corner torn off) of [John Lewis B]ARNIKEL, BOOKBINDER, PEMBROKE on front pastedown, signed in pencil by Arthur Clarke Edwards. The larger sheets are 56 x 76 cm.
Estimate: £5,000 – £7,000

Lot 76: A George III mahogany and brass bound oval wine cooler on stand
With swing brass handles to the sides and tin liner, the stand with square tapering legs and castors, 61cm wide, 44cm deep, 59cm high.
Estimate: £1,000 – £1,500

Lot 96: A pair of of George III cut glass decanters together with a pair of silver plated coasters
With mushroom stoppers and ring turned necks and leaf cut ovoid bodies, together with a pair of silver plated and turned coasters, the decanters 25cm high, the coasters 15cm diameter. (4)
Estimate: £300 – £400

Lot 108: Two late 18^th/early 19^th century South Staffordshire oval enamel patch boxes
One with a hinged lid inscribed ‘Remember my Friend All things have an End with a pair of doves perched on a column, the body of the box with a turquoise ground, 5.5cm wide the other box with a hinged lid inscribed ‘Barton Bridge – A ‘Trifle from Manchester’ with a transfer print of the bridge, the body of the box with a pale blue ground, 4.3cm wide (2).
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 222: A late Victorian copper and brass log bin
Of circular riveted form, with lion mask swing handles to the sides, on lion paw feet, 52cm diameter, 45cm high.
Estimate: £150 – £200

Lot 232: A Victorian drop-end Chesterfield sofa by Robertson & Coleman Ltd, Norwich
Upholstered and close-nailed in brown leather, the rectangular padded back and scrolls arms, one end hinged, on turned feet with brass castors, stencilled to the underside Robertson & Coleman Ltd, NORWICH, 163cm wide, 82cm deep, 78cm high.
Estimate: £1,200 – £1,800

Lot 255: A large Victorian pine shop centre counter
The rectangular top above two short and two long drawers, with opposing pair of panelled cupboard doors enclosing a shelf, on a plinth base, 152cm wide, 88cm deep, 83cm high.
Estimate: £500 – £700

Lot 340: A 19^th century Kerala red painted and brass bound marriage box, South West India 
Of typical pyramidical form, decorated with scrolling interwoven patterns, stylised flowers and geometric borders, with hinged lid, carrying handle and clasped corners, enclosing a hinged lidded compartment, 31cm wide, 25cm deep, 25cm high.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Things to do when moving home

Moving home can be very exciting, it’s a new chapter of your life and something to which you can look forward. That said, added to the anticipation, as the weeks and days approach to your move, there are bound to be moments of stress – this is perfectly normal and happens to everyone. To reduce how tense these moments are, try to be as organised as possible before the move.

There are many things that you can do to be organised. You can begin to declutter your current home and get rid of all the junk that has built up over time. You can look into hiring a locksmith as you’ll want to change the locks as soon as you move into your new place. Other things to consider is hiring a removal company and getting all the important documents together and enlisting friends and family members who can help you with your move.

To help reduce the stress, below are a few of our packing tips for your move.

Declutter

Let’s be honest, we’re all hoarders in our own way. The longer we’ve lived in our current home, the more clutter we’ll have collected over time. Now you’re moving, this is the perfect time to go through all your things and start to throw out anything you think you’ll no longer need. Go through your old clothes, sort through your cupboards and take a note of any accessories that haven’t been touched for a while – we’re sure there’s a cupboard containing stuff you’ve not touched since you moved to your current home.

Hire a removal company

In the weeks leading up to the move, start to contact various removal companies in order to get some quotes. Ask them what the different services are that they offer and choose which one is best for you. Some will pack all your boxes for you or help you unpack when you move – they’ll all help with the move itself. By getting various quotes, you can compare them to make sure they’re not overcharging you. Moving is expensive, and you want to keep it all within your budget.

There are some great companies out there, so take a good look at each moving company to see what they offer, especially if you need storage in the interim.

Think about the changes you’d like in your new home

What changes are you going to make when you’ve finally moved to your new home? Are you going to repaint any of the rooms? Will you be getting a new kitchen fitted? A new bathroom? Does anything need to be done to the garden? Doing a little research beforehand can help you make your decisions quicker. Visit some of your local interiors stores and use websites like Pinterest or Instagram to see what other people have been doing. If you know someone who lives in a home similar to the one you’re buying, you could pop around to theirs to see what changes they’ve made to their place. You want to make your home as peaceful as possible.

What things would you recommend you do when moving home? Which of the above tips did you find most useful? Is there anything you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Home winter checks

Winter can be a challenging time of year for home-owners. The wet and cold weather can do damage to the outside of your property, and the cost of keeping up with heating can be considerable – even when price caps are in effect.

Insulate

Insulation is the means through which you can prevent the generated heat in your home from being lost to the outside. Insulation comes in many different forms. You may insert mineral wool into the gaps between the joists in your loft or thinner, board-style insulation into the space just below the roof itself. You may also install double-glazed windows or insulate your cavity walls with the help of injectable, expanding foam.

If you’re insulating your loft space, then make sure that there’s adequate ventilation for air to circulate. This will ensure that you don’t run into problems with condensation. If you’re going to be DIYing any of these steps, it’s worth investing in quality power tools.

Boiler checks

Your boiler is arguably the most important appliance in your home as far as energy is concerned. In a matter of seconds, it can consume the same amount of energy as a light bulb that’s left on for hours. Therefore, it’s worth ensuring that your boiler is as energy efficient as possible by having regular checks and annual services scheduled. This will also minimise the likelihood of your boiler breaking down, which will be disastrous during the worst of the cold weather.

Check for gaps

Small gaps in the fabric of your property will allow unwanted cold air to enter. This will, in turn, cause lots of precious heat to be lost, which will prove to be very expensive over time. Search out the draughts and see if they can be sealed. They’re most commonly found in the spaces around your windows and doors. One inexpensive solution here is to install compression strips around the doors themselves. If you have an old house with equally old and badly fitting doors, you could try using draught excluders on the floor. These solutions will plug any gaps and prevent cold air from getting inside. If you’re having trouble identifying the draughts, then it may be a good idea to hire an electronic device that will detect them for you. It works a little bit like a remote thermometer and will emit a warning noise whenever it’s aimed at a source of cold air.

Clean outside

It’s vital that the exterior of your home is kept clean and tidy. This way, unnecessary long-term damage won’t be suffered, and you’ll be able to stay as safe as possible. Unclog your drains, sweep your paths clear, clear out the gutters and mend your fences. If your property is overhung by trees, then it’s crucial to give your drains, gutters and down-pipes a clear-out. Blockages could cause the gutters to overflow, which may be bad news for your roof and any structures located underneath the affected area.

Carry out these and other home winter checks to keep your property in tip-top shape and prevent unnecessary remedial work down the line.

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Property Spotlight: Calderdale

We moved from Todmorden to Wales back in the summer of 2019. We lived in Calderdale for almost 20 years, so we know the borough quite well. We’ve chosen our old stomping ground as this week’s Property Spotlight area.

We’ve selected three very different homes; the budget example is a surprisingly spacious barge that sits on the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge – the waterway that runs directly behind our old house. The middle home is a property that we ourselves seriously considered buying over a decade ago. It’s in Lumbutts, a small settlement located up above Todmorden town. The premium, million pound property is a 17th century Yeoman‘s house that exudes history and character.

‘Oddy’ – located near Mayroyd Lock Number 8, Rochdale Canal, Hebden Bridge
£90,000 (cash buyers only)
Oddy measures 55ft long, width 12 foot and weighing 30 ton. The boat was an hold vessel used to maintain the canals on the Leeds / Liverpool This is a true low maintenance boat in fair condition.

Fees:

Boat licence – £94.48 per month, (£1,33.71 per annum)
Mooring licence – (awaiting charges)
Mooring fees – £128.00 per month (£1,536.00 per annum)
Third party insurance on basic boats is around £100.00 per annum but you can shop around and get one a lot cheaper

23 Lumbutts, Todmorden
£400,000

Idyllic location
Spacious 4 double bedroom with 3 1/2 bathrooms
Nearby trans Pennine railway station to Leeds/Manchester
Rural yet close to amenities
Large integral garage/workshop
Moorland walking trails only moments away, in fact a walker’s paradise
Served with full fibre broadband
Near to Todmorden and Hebden Bridge and close to excellent country pubs

Wadsworth Banks Farm, Raw Lane, Mytholmroyd
£1.2 million

With elements of the property thought to date back to medieval times, the majority of Wadsworth Banks Farm was built in the 17^th Century, with large mullion windows, exposed beams and fireplaces found in many of the rooms.

Four bedroom Yeoman’s house
Grade II* Listed
Full of characterful features
Established south facing gardens
Ample parking for several vehicles, trailers & horse boxes
Barn with four stables
In excess of three acres
Far reaching views