Buying Guide

So why should you buy mid-century furniture? I purchased my first mid-century sideboard in 2000, quickly followed by a coffee table, dining table and chairs all purchased in charity shops for a few pounds.  How things have changed. Back then having bought my first flat in North London buying second-hand was a necessity – sure it was a little bit cool, and yes it triggered fond memories from my childhood but most of all I just liked the style and wow was it cheap!  Those first purchases – all eventually given to friends about a decade later would be the catalyst for my own wee journey into the world of mid-century design – not a big leap for someone who ended up floundering about in Art College, working in bars, dabbled in early satellite TV production and then finally managed a modest career working in the arts.  Fast forward 20 years and today the influence of mid-century design is everywhere, its been cool for at least a decade, is widely considered stylish and works brilliantly in just about any environment from a Georgian town-house to a new build apartment.  Mid-century certainly makes many people think of a different, arguably much simpler life, but its also sustainable, environmentally friendly and very well made in comparison to most modern furniture.  A piece of good design really can make people feel better and last a lifetime.

My advice to anyone thinking of buying a mid-century piece, first buy what you like, second buy the very best example you can find and third take your time.  I started professionally dealing in mid-century furniture in 2012, since then I’ve seen dozens of dealers come and go, hundreds more sellers emerge on social-media and a huge expansion in the number of vintage / mid-century shows and online selling platforms.   But please be careful, the huge growth in third-party platforms and social-media selling has had a negative impact on the wider market-place, it skews the price of pieces - most third party sites charge between 20-40% commission, and also undermines professional restoration and upholstery whilst perpetuating widespread misattribution of designers, manufacturers and even timbers! Deliberate misattribution of designers and sometimes timbers to inflate prices is unfortunately widespread especially with social media only sellers and on third party selling platforms.   Please be cautious! There are now many exceptionally gifted marketeers in the mid-century world but very few genuinely knowledgeable and passionate advocates of mid-century design, who do things proper!  If you buy from us, we do things properly.  We buy what we love, we buy the best examples we can find and professionally restore with integrity and love.  We probably aren’t the cheapest, and we certainly won’t win any marketing prizes but when you buy from us you’ll be buying a piece described correctly, restored by professionals and that in many cases is a genuine investment that will look good for years to come.  And remember we are dealers – love something but not sure about the price, drop us a message or pick up the phone we love to deal.

We are always on the look out for quality and quirky British pieces so please do get in contact if you have something to sell or if you are looking for a specific piece to add to your own collection as we’ll do our very best to source it for you.