Auction alerts: Antiques & Collectables sale, Stamford Auction Rooms

Six pairs of late 19th / early 20th century glasses and pince nez

This week, we’re sharing information about the upcoming Antiques & Collectables sale at Stamford Auction Rooms. It happens on Saturday 30th July 2022, from 10am.

There’s an eclectic mix of all sorts; vintage enamel advertising signs, Scandi glass, Belgian studio pottery, beautiful antique brass and more. Everything we’ve picked out below we’d happily give house room… if we had any left!

The buyer’s premium stands at 24% of the hammer price. There’s an added 3% commission if you bid via SARoom LIVE, the auction room’s own online bidding service.

Online bidding is also available via the-saleroom.com and EasyLiveAuction. If you bid via the-saleroom.com you’ll be charged an extra 4.95% on top of the 20% (+VAT)  buyer’s commission. Alternatively, if you bid via EasyLiveAuction you’ll be charged an extra 3% or £3.00 flat fee on top of the 20% (+VAT)  buyer’s commission.

Stamford Auction Rooms Ltd offers a delivery service. Please note that while we offer to post and pack for the convenience of our bidders, most items are uninsurable by the Royal Mail and we take no responsibility whatsoever for the items once they have left our premises.
Prices start at £12 +VAT.
We advise all our clients to use a professional packing service such as Mailboxes Etc. for ceramics/glass/breakables. Please contact the office for more information.

Holmgaard smoky glass mid century ice bucket
Lot 24: A Holmgaard smoky glass mid century ice bucket
With rattan handle and matching brushed steel pair of tongs, engraved Holmgaard 8715 to the base, 16cm high.
Estimate: £40-£60

19th century oil lamp

Lot 28: A 19th century oil lamp
With a light reflective dome over a glass inner shade.
Estimate: £50-£80

French brass antique coffee percolator

Lot 40: A French brass antique coffee percolator
On stand with burner and cover, 25cm high.
Estimate: £20-£40

Ceramic lamp attributed to Georges Pelletier

Lot 63: Attributed to Georges Pelletier (Belgium b.1938): a ceramic lamp
With pierced and applied decoration in the Cubist abstract style, mark not apparent, but may be incised under baize base, 41cm high, complete with original lampshade, 81cm including shade.
Estimate: £600-£800

Castol GTX steel and enamel sign

Lot 78: A Castol GTX steel and enamel sign
30cm by 60cm.
Estimate: £100-£150

Steel and enamel Golden Shred marmalade sign

Lot 79: A steel and enamel Golden Shred marmalade sign
60cm by 40cm
Estimate: £200-£300

Six pairs of late 19th / early 20th century glasses and pince nez

Lot 112: Six pairs of late 19th / early 20th century glasses and pince nez
Together with a leather collar box.
Estimate: £20-£40

A Wall's glass counter top display cabinet

Lot 124: A Wall’s glass counter top display cabinet
Estimate: £120-£150

Le Corbusier style white leather chaise longue

Lot 221: A Le Corbusier style white leather chaise longue
With polished chrome frame base / stand.
Estimate: £800-£1,200

Wallpapers that are renter-friendly for your new apartment

Wallpapers that are renter-friendly for your new apartment

Are you looking to decorate your space? Such decisions often come easy to home-owners. After all, they alone are responsible for the renovations and repairs in the home. But what happens if you’re renting? First, you must consider what such an action can spell for your lease. In some cases, you could lose your deposit. Moreover, if things go awry, you could be landed with added charges when moving out. So, choosing how to spruce up a rental space can be tricky. Luckily, we’ve found a solution in the form of temporary wallpaper for renters. What is it, and how does it work?

Temporary wallpaper with a large floral pattern

The rise of temporary wallpaper

Traditional wallpaper comes encumbered with challenges. It requires a paste to adhere to the wall and pasting it on can be messy. In most cases, people hire professional help to get the work done. But that’s not what makes it unfriendly for renters. It’s the fact that stripping it takes a lot of work. You could even damage the wall when removing the wallpaper. Why? The wallpaper adheres to the wall so much that you must use special tools to remove it. Oh, and there’s a lot of messy scraping involved. So, of course, most landlords frown upon their tenants going anywhere near this wallpaper.

What’s the alternative? Temporary wallpaper! It’s self-adhesive, so you don’t need to use a paste to attach it to the wall. Moreover, it’s easy to hang. All you do is peel it off its backing and fix the wallpaper to the wall. Then, when you want to remove it, you peel it off the wall, and just like that, the surface is free. We should also add that there are many design options, including flower peel and stick wallpapers. These are some of the reasons it’s become such a hit with renters. Add the fact that it’s attractive and long-lasting, and you have yourself a winner.

You can see why using temporary wallpaper could be the best option for your space. So, which options are the best for your home?

Modern appeal

Do you want to keep up with the current trends? Modern wallpaper will help you do just that. It helps that temporary wallpaper is easy to install and remove. So, any time the tide of fashion changes, you can jump on the next wave and ride it out. Is there a way to get more out of this wallpaper? Of course! We recommend that you:

  • Keep it simple: Minimalism has been garnering a following in the last few years, and it seems that this movement is here to stay. So, why not embrace it and all that comes with it? For example, choose a few colours instead of going with a ton of hues at once. You could use one to complement or contrast the other. The beauty of simplicity ensures that you don’t clash with the shades and patterns.
  • Go metallic: How about lending the room a certain elegance? That’s easy! All you need is a metallic finish to the wallpaper. The best way to do this is to match the finish with accessories in the room. For example, if you use rose gold, ensure the objects in the room tie in with this.

Oh, and don’t shy away from using floral and botanical patterns. Like minimalism, these are also here to stay. So, go big, go small – it does not matter as long as you invite nature into your home.

Going floral

Flowers have always been praised for their natural beauty. Throughout history, people have sung about them, written odes to them, painted them and consumed their essence in every possible way. Has this changed? Not a bit! If anything, people are even more invested in getting these flowers into their homes. So, floral wallpapers have become quite a hit. Isn’t it time that you, too, embraced this beauty?

But of course, there’s the question of what hues bode well with floral patterns. Should you stick to lighter shades or opt for darker ones? There’s no wrong answer as it all depends on what you want to impart on your space. Common options include:

  • Pink: How about going with the colour of pure romance? Pink communicates love and also leans on infatuation. Its sweetness might be what you need to express how you truly feel about your home.
  • Red: Does this hue signify danger? Sure, but red roses lined up your wall will not scare anyone away. If anything, they will inspire many with their breath-taking and majestic beauty.
  • Blue: Will depicting the water and the sky make your guests feel blue? Hardly- they will be lost in the balance and calmness of the sea and will feel right at home. However, if you want to add a hint of mystery, try darker hues.

What other colours would be fitting for your home?

Playing with the plain

Monochromes – are these in or out? The answer is in! Not everyone wants the hassle of mixing and matching multi-toned wallpapers. So, sticking with simple plain wallpapers might be a great choice. Why?

  • They complement patterns: You probably know that using patterned wallpaper on all walls can be overwhelming. People rarely enjoy being in a room where they felt visually overstimulated. Do you know how to avoid this situation? A plain wallpaper on three sides, leaving the pattern on only one feature wall.
  • They’re trendy: You can create a neutral background that can stand independently. You can decide on a plain colour to match the décor in the rest of your home. For example, if the accessories are pretty varied, the plain addition would eliminate any competition.

Besides, it’s easy to create a striking light and dark effect with plain colours. So, why not have a go at that?

Should you hang wallpaper in your apartment? While removable wallpaper is easy to install, maintain and extract, you should get the go-ahead from your landlord. Afixing it requires that you first prep your walls which might not be included in your lease. So, first, get the green light before investing in any wallpaper. That said, enjoy the experience!

[disclosure*]

It’s in the paper

'It's in the paper' blog post banner

retro op art wallpapered room

Since our recent Gimme Five! Wallpapers post, we’ve been thinking about wall coverings quite a lot.

handwriting wallpaper

The majority of vertical surfaces in our home are painted a warm, cream colour – with a couple of exposed stone walls and a splash of bright orange in the kitchen. The house is quite open plan so the cream walls let spaces flow into one another.

yellow retro shape patterned wallpaper

It works well, but there’s one wall in the lounge area that we think would benefit from something a bit more dramatic – and we think wallpaper is the answer. Wallpaper is having something of a spectacular renaissance. It’s a relatively easy way to create real impact in a room – from simple bold colours to elaborate murals.

purple geometric patterned wallpaper

The paper also covers imperfections in a plaster surface – and can provide an extra layer of insulation or even soundproofing.

pink patterned wallpaper

Options are endless – heritage lines with classic Georgian & Victorian patterns, Arts & Crafts florals, Mid Century Modern atomic styles – and all manner of vintage inspired & retro looks.

golden ostrich skin patterned wallpaper

There are tactile, textured papers that reflect light or create shadow to interesting effect. Silk, wool, cotton or linen can also be incorporated. Large landscape murals can be made to measure & customised images integrated into designs.

metallic pink and silver patterned wallpaper

We’ve just been scouring the wallpapers on offer at wallcover.com. They have a huge range – over 10,000 designs. All the examples shown in this post are taken from their website. Prices range from less than €10 to over €350 per roll. Along with many of the options described above, there are some interesting wall coverings with new twists & interpretations – papers that mimic surfaces such as wood, stone, brick and animal skin for example.

wallpaper mimicking a red brick wall

These ghostly books are very effective – and as with many of the designs come in a choice of colour ways.

bookshelf patterned wallpaper bookshelf patterned wallpaper

There are a number of brands or manufacturers housed under one roof – AS Creation, Architects Paper, Erismann, Graham & Brown, Innova,  Living walls, Marburg, P+S  International, Rasch, Rasch Textil and XXL Wallpaper.

picture frame wallpaper

The coverings are generically termed ‘wallpaper’ but they can of course be used for to decorate many other surfaces – customising furniture for example – or lining shelves & drawers. They can also be used as a covering for books & stationary. Lengths can even be framed and hung as artworks.

grey retro shape patterned wallpaper

In addition to our feature wall, we have another specific use for these papers – they make excellent backdrops for our website & blog photographs, creating a distinct atmosphere for the object we’re photographing – and if you mount the paper on boards they can easily be moved to where the light is best. These orange Op Art circles would be great to show off 1960s pottery & glass…

groovy op art wallpaper

…and aged weatherboard patterns would be perfect for staging vintage industrial items.

weathered wood patterned wallpaper

Those are relatively easy decisions to make – more thought is required when it’s a large expanse of wall in our lounge.

numbers wallpaper

The room houses quite an eclectic mix of country furniture, leather club chairs & vintage industrial – along with 1950s & 60s ceramics & textiles.

log patterned wallpaper

We need to give it some careful consideration – perhaps avail ourselves of some samples which is always an option.

dotty wallpaper

The perfect paper is out there – we’re off for another browse!