How to decorate with antiques, according to the UK’s leading designers
The most memorable homes are a considered mixture of heirlooms, new finds, and bespoke pieces, but it's not as simple as picking a few things up at auction and plonking them in a room. To decorate with antiques without making a space feel stuffy or dated is a rare skill – one that our 2026 HG101 honourees possess in abundance.
In some cases, it is a matter of adding one thing, say a repurposed 19th-century stained glass roundels to lend depth to an otherwise modern scheme, as demonstrated in the wonderful guest room-cum-sitting room decorated by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler's Emma Burns, below. In others, such as the wildly exciting London flat of antique dealer and interior designer Adam Bray, it is about carefully choosing pieces from different eras, in different materials, each with a story to tell. If getting the balance right is a familiar conundrum, let these homes by our HG101 designers be your compass.
Mark Anthony Fox1/14Emma Burns brings a distinguished Wimbledon flat back to life with layers of patina and colour
The sitting room of this Wimbledon flat decorated by Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler makes a bold statement with walls in ‘Baked Cherry’ by Little Greene. Above a rich velvet sofa bed hangs a framed antique silk panel from the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler antiques department and in the bookcase are a pair of late nineteenth-century stained glass roundels, which Emma had made into lightboxes.
Christopher Horwood3/14Carlos Garcia brings harmony and grace to a north London townhouse
Briefed by his clients to add some oomph to the main rooms in the house, Carlos Garcia has infused the interiors with colour while maintaining a sense of restfulness and calm. The sitting room is painted in Edward Bulmer's ‘Welmish Blew’ that has the effect of warming the space up. ‘The yellow ochre used in this colour warms the cool pigments,’ explains Carlos. This shade works beautifully with a skirted armchair is covered in Claremont's ‘Milano’ linen in 523. One of a pair of 18th-century French Directoire walnut commodes from Brownrigg stands behind. On the floor, a Bidjar Garrus carpet from Afghanistan found at Farnham Antique Carpets ties the space together.
Christopher Horwood5/14A grand south London house with a distinctly Italian charm by Guy Goodfellow
Anchoring the drawing room is a huge carpet from Gallery Yacou, ontop of which are armchairs in Robert Kime's 'Tynemouth Ticking'. The consoles were made years ago for the owners, with a mirror from the studio of Robert Kime and a painting by George Smith of Chichester hanging above. Through the double doors, the entrance hall is visible, which makes a glamorous first impression with a table from Christopher Hodsoll, which is flanked by chairs in Pierre Frey's 'Cheyenne' in cactus and sable.
Mark Anthony Fox7/14The utterly distinctive Maida Vale flat of interior designer and antiques dealer Adam Bray
The antiques dealer and interior designer Adam Bray describes himself as ‘very much a creature of central London’, and his Maida Vale flat is the purest expression of the creative's characteristic eccentricity. Strong colours, excellent textiles (some antique, some of his own design), mid-century Italian lighting and ‘big lumps’ of 19th- and 20th-century English furniture populate the space. In the sitting room, an antique Howard sofa is upholstered in Claremont damask with cushions made from antique Indian textiles. To the right is an armchair in a fabric designed by Adam. To the right Adam has carved out a nook for sleeping concealed behind wooden Jomain Baumann screens from the 1940s.
Christopher Horwood9/14A surprising Victorian terraced house in which James Mackie has combined 1930s glamour with layers of texture
Having forged a successful career at Sotheby's before opening his interior design studio, James Mackie is a dab hand at mixing old and new. Though taken aback by the rather stark contemporary treatment of this Victorian terraced house in west London, James was excited by the idea of approaching it as a blank canvas, creating an inviting home with distinctive pieces and understated 1930s glamour. A 'TP Modern' sofa from Lorfords Contemporary, in mustard ‘Spencer Velvet’ from George Spencer Designs, echoes the background of a 19th-century Japanese lacquered screen sourced by James. Cushions in Le Manach's 'Rochambeau' from Pierre Frey pick up on a 1970s Italian marble coffee table from Brownrigg and a Nordic Knots rug. The 'Batsford' dish light in antique brass is from Jamb and a 19th-century mahogany estate cabinet, from sister company Hawker Antiques, has been converted by James's team to hold a television.
10/14The large curve-topped estate cupboard provides a focal point where there might otherwise have once been a fireplace, serving to give the room an anchor. 'I wanted to use curves and create some movement through the pieces,' he explains. These subtle shapes define the room. 'It was all about creating a dynamic energy in the space,' James says of the scenic screens on either side of the cupboard.
Michael Sinclair11/14A handsome Victorian house in London softly harmonised by Thea Speke
Before launching her interior design studio in 2019, Thea Speke specialised in antiques. It is unsurprising, therefore, that her interiors projects are packed with storied pieces: from 20th-century European finds to primitive items, adding a certain richness – many of them sourced by Thea. ‘Antiques will always be something that I dabble in, but I can easily find a place for everything I source in my design projects,’ she explains. In the sitting room of this London house, an ottoman in antique linen sheets from The Cloth Shop, and wooden tables from The Peanut Vendor and M Charpentier Antiques. The copper table lamp is from Tarquin Bilgen. A floor light from The Decorative Fair, Battersea, stands beside one of a pair of Art Deco chairs from Chairman & Son in Rose Uniacke’s kelp ‘Woven Bottle’ fabric.
Michael Sinclair12/14An early-19th-century library armchair from Lorfords, a mid-century brass reading light and an 18th-century elm cricket table are grouped below a Trevor Jones artwork in the sitting room. On the mantelpiece, Arts and Crafts candleholders from Two Poems Gallery flank a sculpture, thought to be by Albert Tormos.
Christopher Horwood13/14A 17th-century farmhouse in the South Downs packed with charm and character by Lucy Cunningham
In her do's and don'ts of decorating, the interior designer Lucy Cunningham advises us to ‘use antique fabrics to add interest to the room’ and to ‘reupholster antique chairs in your favourite fabric and pick up furniture at auction.’ Taking her own advice, she did just this when she was called in to make sense of the higgledy-piggledy nature of this centuries-old Sussex farmhouse. The charming house needed some clever tweaks to create a harmonious whole. Layers of texture and lashings of antiques contribute to the overall feel of the space. The study is panelled and filled with a fitting set of antiques, including the chair, potboard dresser and tapestry above it.
Christopher Horwood14/14The entrance hall was once the kitchen, but Lucy changed things around to make the house flow better. Reclaimed flagstones were laid, while Lucy had the walls painted in Edward Bulmer’s warm ‘Cinnamon’ and added a cosy seating nook next to the inglenook fireplace. An antique circular table, rug and armchair, all from the client’s stash, complete the room, which now doubles as an area for drinks thanks to the built-in bar that is hidden behind a pair of reclaimed doors.
