Mark Hill on antiques and interiors in 2018

20th-century design expert Mark HillWith the return of the London Art Antiques & Interiors Fair next month, bringing together over 30,000 classic to contemporary items for the three-day event at London ExCeL, we caught up with some of the leading interiors and antiques experts appearing at the fair to ask what 2018 will look like for our homes. Here, author and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Hill unveils the new rules!

“The only rule for 2018 is that all rules are off. We buy antiques today because they appeal immediately to our eyes and hearts, and then they enrich our minds. Before, interiors were strictly defined – from the Georgian dining room to the ubiquitous ‘shabby chic’ French country look.

“Eclecticism is the new minimalism – mixing and matching seemingly disparate pieces together to build a unique and individual look that defines you, making your soul sing and forcing a smile, or even a raised eyebrow, from friends a family.

“Quirky is cool. 1970s Italian goblets on a sideboard from the 1790s?  A collection of Victorian transfer-printed and guilt plates arranged asymmetrically on a stark chalk-white wall? Why not? Who gives a damn about the Joneses?

“We’re all, particularly millennials, much more selective and demanding about what we allow to become part of our lives at home. Bold forms, or richness in terms of colour and pattern, layered against a strong colour, are on trend. Also, watch out for the return of what is inadequately described as ‘brown furniture’. I’m seeing more and more buyers returning to Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian furniture as prices have never been so affordable for the long-lived solid wood, handcrafted quality that you get in return.

“In a world dominated by the cult of celebrity, brand names often count, from Clarice Cliff and Chippendale to Lalique. There’s also a rise in interest in pieces that show the hand of the craftsman, from a richly-coloured piece of treen, to a sparkling cut glass vase, or a wonderfully weathered piece of folk art. Our eyes have been assailed for too long with mass-produced, machine-made rubbish lacking in soul!”

Mark Hill will be speaking at the London Art Antiques & Interiors Fair on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 at 4pm and Sunday 14 at 3pm. The Fair runs from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 January. For more information visit artantiquesinteriorsfair.com.

 

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