With the looming climate crisis, sustainability is the watchword of the day. More than ever, we must pay attention to where our food and furniture come from, question how it is produced, packaged and transported, and make our choices accordingly.
At times it can feel dispiriting to discover that the things we love are actually part of the unhappy cycle of consumption and pollution. There is good news, however, for all antiques lovers: antiques, and their vintage cousins, offer the most sustainable way to shop for furniture and interiors accessories. A report published by Carbon Clear in 2010 (commissioned by LAPADA and other antiques trade bodies) found that an antique chest of drawers can have a carbon footprint up to 16 times smaller than its brand new equivalent.
Available in infinite variety, at prices to suit all budgets, antiques often come with fascinating stories and usually hold their value. Of course, we aren't saying you need to furnish your home exclusively with antique and vintage furniture - rather that by choosing old over new, when you can, you really will make a difference. As you will see from our tips on the following pages, the fact that antiques rarely come with an allen key, or take an entire weekend to construct, is a wonderful bonus!
1 CHOOSE OLD OVER NEW
As a reader of H&A, this one should be easy! Whenever you need to replace something, first ask yourself whether there might be a vintage or antique alternative. With the rise of antiques portals, not to mention apps such as Depop and Vinted, the search has never been easier. From Etsy to Instagram, The Hoarde to 1st Dibs, there are thousands of dealers online - browse their stock from the comfort of your Georgian wingback chair.
2 SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DEALER
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48 hours in LEWES
As Glyndebourne Festival celebrates its 90th anniversary, there's no better time for a weekend away in the neighbouring town of Lewes in East Sussex says Sarah Riches
WE HEART ART
Visiting national art galleries and their acclaimed masterpieces is one thing, but the real satisfaction of being an art lover lies in building a collection of your own, says Caroline Wheater
The mystery COLLECTOR
One of the joys of collecting antiques is that pieces often come to us with stories attached. The story of Murray Pollinger, who built up an important collection of Samuel Alcock porcelain, is like the stuff of fiction. Fittingly so, as Willa Latham discovered...
Dream Dealers
The antique textiles trade is a collaborative one, says Celia Rufey. Here, she speaks to a few key dealers about their working practices and discovers the pieces that most pique their interest
Pride of place WINDSOR CHAIRS
These sturdy wooden stalwarts of the home are still very much in demand today. Janet Gleeson explores their story as she continues her series on regional antiques
New Romance
Having discovered this thatched cottage while holidaying in a favourite spot on the coast of the Baltic Sea, Christine Pink bought it as a weekend bolthole. However, she fell in love with the property and its surroundings and soon gave up city life
A Living Museum
Architect and artist Simon Hurst has spent years turning his everyday terraced house into a bequiling cabinet of curiosities
Queen of Vintage
Tineke Tichelaar has collected vintage design for decades, but only now have her treasures found a perfect home an old village train station with its authentic colours still intact
Ancient and MODERN
A crumbling Dorset barn nestled in a beautiful garden has been transformed into a quirky open-plan home, filled with art and antiques
FRANCES PRIEST
Dominique Corlett speaks to the ceramic artist about the language of pattern, and tiles as public art