A year and a halfago, an unexpected stroke of good luck brought Atta-U1 Ghaffar to the Breslau farmhouse that is now part holiday home and part showcase for his antiques dealing business. It was during lockdown, in the depths of the Canadian winter, with temperatures of 30°C, when a friend called up out of the blue. He knew Atta, a software engineer, living in Cambridge, Ontario, also dealt in antiques. He was clearing out the estate of an elderly gentleman who was a keen collector. There was a houseful of property to sell: was Atta interested? Antiques dealers get a thrill from house calls, so I went the next day. A lot of good stuff had gone, but still I filled my car up with boxes of ironstone and furniture. We’d been thinking of buying another property, so while I was there asked if the house was for sale, says Atta.
When his friend said it was, Atta looked over the property more thoroughly. There were five buildings on the site: a house, barn, stone building, summer kitchen and smoke room. The main farmhouse was a four-bedroomed dilapidated rubble stone building, dating from the 1840s. There was a building outside, with high cathedral ceilings. I looked at the stone walls and thought, wow! This could be a perfect backdrop for my antiques. My wife was supportive, even though we had no idea what to expect. We had always lived in modern buildings before. Was the ceiling going to fall down?"
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2022-Ausgabe von Homes & Antiques.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2022-Ausgabe von Homes & Antiques.
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Amanda Grant and Kristian Dean's compact apartment encapsulates the essence of continental country house style
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Jill De Búrca's home was once a buy-to-let. Now that she's finally moved in, she has begun to furnish it with a quirky combination of antiques, vintage pieces and high street finds
Scholarly SANCTUARY
Statement antiques create drama in this one-bedroom former school hall, owned by antiques dealer Jean Hill
HEIRLOOMS OF THE FUTURE - FLORA JAMIESON
The stained glass artist talks to Dominique Corlett about the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement and capturing the English countryside at its best
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Plying an 84-mile round trip route through the Scottish Highlands (current licensing woes willing), the Jacobite Steam Train starts at Fort William and skirts the tallest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, and spectacular beaches on its way to Mallaig.
TRAVEL
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A PERSONAL PASSION
For opera lovers, Glyndebourne Festival is the highlight of the summer, beloved for its magical setting as well as the calibre of its productions. Celia Rufey steps behind the scenes as it celebrates its 90th birthday