Auction alert: Contents of an HNW executive home

Contents of music room

This week, we’re featuring a fairly unique sale. It’s the entire contents of an HNW executive home – to include designer furniture, lighting, cinema, gym, snooker table, garden furniture & more. It takes the format of a timed auction, that ends from: 28th September 2023, 1pm.

As the ‘Through the Keyhole‘ catchphrase goes, “Who would live in a house like this?”. I had to Google the term, ‘HNW’; it’s short for ‘High Net Worth’. I’d guess at the owner being a premiership footballer, international pop star, London banker, Oligarch or member of the Saudi Royal Family. It’s the kind of home that would grace the centre spread of Hello or OK Magazine.

Anyhow, the top-end fixtures & furnishings are being sold off, room by room. If you’ve just bought yourself a new mansion, you could furnish it in one fell swoop. But don’t expect to get anything dirt cheap – most of the 95 lots already have hefty bids on them – but none have even reached the reserve prices.

I’m shocked at the slushy drinks machine; bidding is already up to £600 (a figure that’s still below the reserve). How much does one of those cost brand new?

On top of the winning bid amount, there’s a buyer’s premium of 20% (not including VAT). The auction is to be held in North London – therefore, you need to ensure that you can get there to collect if you are a winning bidder, and have the knowledge and capacity to break down and carry away your purchases if necessary:

Collection is strictly by appointment. You must book your time slot to collect. It is the buyer’s responsibility to arrange for decommission, dismantling, removal and loading of items within the timescale specified. We do not offer a Delivery or Decommissioning service unless it is specifically stated in the individual lot description

Contents of kitchen

Lot 1: Contents of kitchen

Includes all appliances shown: GAGGENAU 5 burner range, double sink, wine cooler, double fridge, ovens, coffee machine, dishwasher, marble worktop, glass surround extractor, faulty hot tap. EXCLUDES ceiling lights. To be dismantled and removed by the buyer
Current bid: £8,500

Licht Im Raum Stilio 10/7 glass chandelier

Lot 10: Licht Im Raum Stilio 10/7 glass chandelier

The basic elements of the Stilio collection can be stringed together like a string of pearls and combine playfully our system concept with refined light that never dazzles. The long success story of our Stilio-family has started 2005 with the beautiful basic module. Each light head is equipped with dimmable LED filament lamps. To be disconnected, dismantled and removed by the buyer
Current bid: £200

Vitra soft pad chair EA 219 by Charles & Ray Eames Plus 5 x chairs in the style of Vitra & meeting table

Lot 15: 1 x Vitra soft pad chair EA 219 by Charles & Ray Eames

Plus 5 x chairs in the style of Vitra & meeting table
The model EA 219 are the office swivel chairs in the Soft Pad Group by Charles and Ray Eames. Their dignified aura makes them especially suited for management areas. The extraordinary comfort of the chairs results from the combined effect of their tilt mechanism, which can be adjusted to the user’s weight, and the soft upholstery. Signs of general use. To be dismantled and removed by the buyer
Current bid: £1,600

Tom Dixon copper pendant light

Lot 25: Tom Dixon copper pendant light

Intended to create an extravagantly proportioned spotlight that could warm the greenish hue of early LEDs and create a more appealing luminosity, Copper shade is an over-sized, blow moulded and perfectly reflective globe that kick started the recent craze for copper in interiors the world over. To be removed by the buyer
Current bid: £300

Minotti Still side table in glossy gold nickel

Lot 30: Minotti Still side table in glossy gold nickel

Light and fine quality draw your attention immediately. Yet Still can also boast a profound dimension, minimal elegance as linking up six identical circles in the cube. Nor does the interplay of reflections, of full and empty spaces, avoid Baroque echoes. Design beyond design. Metal Ornament. To be removed by the buyer
Current bid: £300

Slush machine

Lot 50: Slush machine

Untested, 240v. To be removed by the buyer
Current bid: £600

Contents of utility room

Lot 58: Contents of utility room

Appliance unit H 266 W 135 D 71
Current bid: £1,000

Contents of music room

Lot 62: Contents of music room

Includes: Diesel stud stools, Ingo Maurer Campari lights, acoustic panelling. Excludes: CDJ’s, mixers, vinyl/CD’s, bass guitar
Current bid: £800

Bookmarks: Miller’s Mid-Century Modern

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'Mid-Century Modern' by Judith Miller surrounded by vintage Mid-century modern homewares including a West German fat lava vase, bright orange pedestal cigarette lighter, small Cathrineholm enamelware Lotus bowl and still life oil painting

In today’s Bookmarks post, we’re taking a peek at Miller’s Mid-Century Modern – living with mid-century modern design by Judith Miller.

title page of "Mid-Century Modern" by Judith Miller with a small Cathrineholm enamelware Lotus bowl

Well, a bit more of a peek, really, as we linger over some of the wonderful pieces on display!

interior view of the mid-century modern design Kauffman House sitting room

Mid-century modern is one of our favourite eras for interior design, illustration, textiles and product design…

Arne Jacobsen "Ant" and "Swan" chairs

…so as the pages turned, there was a soundtrack of many oohs and ahhs!

selection of vintage Mid-Century Modern glassware including a kingfisher blue "Drunken Bricklayer" vase designed for Whitefriars by Geoffrey Baxter

Judith Miller is most famous for her all-encompassing antiques & collectables guides which are published annually.

collection of colourful West German "Fat Lava" pottery pots and vases

In recent years, they’ve included an ever-increasing number of 20th century pieces in response to interest & demand.

collection of GPlan furniture including a nest of pebble tables and "Butterfly" chairs designed by Lucian Ercolani

This book concentrates solely on mid-century modern – 1950s to the 1970s being the period generally accepted.

collection of vintage mid-century modern glass vases

A wonderful introductory chapter covers its evolution and influential designers.

collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs including examples designed by Charles and Ray Eames and Carlo di Carli

The movement perfectly encapsulated a new mood of optimism after the war years with revolutionary designs, materials & techniques.

collection of vintage mid-century modern pop art chairs including examples designed by Egon Eiermann and Günter Beltzig

The fresh ideas, and indeed disposable income, of a whole new generation began to soar.

vintage mid-century modern chair designed by Eero Saarinen and folding cube radio designed by Richard Sapper

There are examples of houses & interiors that encapsulate the era – less cluttered and designed for modern living.

vintage mid-century modern George Nelson "Spike" wall clock, Tommi Parzinger-designed sideboard and mahogany credenza and aluminium armchair designed by Harvey Probber

A broad array of objects is included, with chapters given over to furniture, lighting, glass, ceramics, metalware & textiles.

collection of vintage mid-century modern glass vases produced by Riihimaki of Finland

In addition, an extensive section covers the people responsible for these wonderful & iconic designs.

collection of vintage mid-century modern fabric

There are about 200 familiar & not so familiar names who are given a short, individual write up.

Mid-Century Modern text

We’ll just scratch the surface by mentioning Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Eero Saarinen, Alvar Aalto, Robert Welch, Stig Lindberg, Lucienne Day, Per Lutken, Charles & Ray Eames.

view of a sitting room with black Barcelona chairs and sofas

The book is packed with quality, full colour photographic references throughout…

vintage "Valentine" typewriter designed by Ettore Sottsass, Peter and Alison Smithson chair and Ronald Stennett-Wilson green glass candlestick

…and as with all Miller’s guides – estimated values to accompany each item image.

vintage mid-century modern Marcel Breuer reclining chair and Holmegaard "Gulvase" designed by Otto Brauer

There’s also a useful directory included of international dealers and their contact details – broken down into categories such as ceramics, glass, furniture, lighting etc.

collection of American-designed vintage mid-century modern furniture

As well as auctions & fairs and museums if you fancy going to see or sometimes handle wares in the flesh.

vintage mid-century modern posters by Saul Bass and Herbert Bayer

The book is well researched and accessible – a perfect coffee table browser or excellent source book for your library.

collection of vintage Scandinavian mid-century modern ceramic pots, vases and plaques

Mid-Century Modern – living with mid-century modern design is available from the publishers Octopus, Amazon and AbeBooks.

collection of vintage Scandinavian mid-century modern ceramics designed by Stig Lindberg

[Many thanks to Octopus for the review copy]