Collected Life

Discovering a love of vintage objects as a child, actor and collector Rosie Allerhand brings together decades of cherished finds, creating a home where character and modern ideas meet in harmony

- FEATURE & STYLING ALICE ROBERTON PHOTOGRAPHS & STYLING TAMSYN MORGANS

From an early age, Rosie Allerhand was captivated by the 'olden days', spending weekends happily wandering antiques fairs, flea markets and vintage shops. By the age of 11, she had transformed her bedroom into her own Wunderkammer - a walk-in cabinet of curiosities brimming with vintage finds, fossils, shells and other natural history treasures.

Growing up in 1980s Bath (then one of Britain's most celebrated antiques meccas) Rosie was surrounded by inspiration. The city's labyrinth of antiques centres and shops, the legendary Walcot Reclamation, and the bustling Walcot Street Market - still going strong today, albeit on a smaller scale - provided endless fascination. 'Saturdays would see me spending my pocket money on vintage cigarette lighters and amber-encased beetles. I loved the excitement of finding a one-off piece and imagining its history and origin,' she recalls. These were golden days for collectors of all kinds and ages, remembered fondly by many who experienced Bath's rich antique scene: a time when every corner held the promise of discovery.