Inspirational Antique Design

With the London Design Festival week (17th - 25th September) fully underway, the abundance of exhibitions and events promoting the top end of contemporary design is an exciting reminder of where we are today.  This celebration has prompted us at Graham Smith Antiques to reflect on good design from the past.  


Before the age of the machine and mass production, household items were designed and made to serve their purpose, with expert ease and longevity built in.  The vast quantity of good British design is almost overwhelming when attempting to search through; one of many examples good British design is a Victorian Stationary Cabinet (shown below).  This piece equally combines aesthetics and function through exquisite design and craftsmanship.

Addressing the needs of the buyer, the designer has cleverly engineered a way of concealing the necessary compartments to keep the design elegant and functional: a writing surface, drawers, storage for ink wells, pens and paper are all kept behind neatly sealed, carved walnut walls.  A pleasure to use and to decorate the work or home environment is enough to delight the owner, this combined with the uniqueness of the look makes this cabinet an impressive piece from the late 19^th century. 

Design Festival Week is about encouraging new designers, apprentices and students to serve the nation’s desire for good design.  Whilst it is agreeable to use contemporary inspirations, we can also look to our past for everlasting, unwavering design.  Thank you for reading this blog, you can find more information, photographs and browse our current shop and showroom stock online.