The Decorative Living Fair

‘It’s the fair I look forward to all year’.

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What’s Hot? We asked antique dealer Spencer Swaffer for his views

Kate 9th May 2016 News

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decorativelivingfair

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Just a few images from our 2019 @decorativelivingfair. We (@carolinezoobdesign and @hetty_purbrick) are starting to plan our 15th anniversary fair, taking place on 15 and 16 May, 2020 at much loved Eridge Park. It is a great fair for buyers, both private and professional, and popular with exhibitors, some of whom have been with us from our first tiny fair with 12 exhibitors! Not so tiny now but it remains intimate, and is, without being pretentious, carefully curated. Regulars will be receiving an email soon, but we always welcome interest from new exhibitors. Send a DM in the first instance. @norsevintage ( winner of this year’s Best Dressed Stand prize), @amy_brocanteliving ( winner in 2018) @lois.kirsten @carolineturnerdesign @hoof.antiques_brocante @woodpigeon_1 #brocante #decorativeantiques #antiquesforinteriors @gzbadboysantiques @oysterbridgeandco @rosehipinthecountry

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We have a full house for World Embroidery Day next Tuesday. @ostrichandsilkworm Karen Thomas will be running a mini mending workshop, showing us how to incorporate some basic needlework and embrooder you skills into your mending repertoire and introduce a fun element to what is often perceived as a chore. Karen is also coming to do a couple of one-day workshops in the autumn - details will be on the website next week. #worldembroideryday #mendingmatters #stitchersofinstagram #embroiderersofinstagram #makersgathering @theembroiderybird @tara.franklin_antiques @lizjonesmakes @dsg1964

Instagram post 2087352916722322105_3025963378 $There are hexagon quilts and then there is this 19th century English quilt, a tiny fraction of which is shown here, with 38,042 hexagons, each barely 2cm wide. Impossible to do justice to it in one picture but suffice to say I got goosebumps just looking at it. If you can get to Cornwall between now and the 28th July, this and another with 49,000 hexagons are two of the show stoppers in an amazing exhibition of antique quilts, all of which are for sale, from @antiquequiltcompany at @cowslipworkshops. The garden is looking gorgeous and the cafe serves delicious food throughout the day. #antiquequilts #antiquetextiles #folkart #quilting$

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Wild flowers gathered near @labaliefrance, pressed and arranged on screen printed antique document by @lynneearle. The wildflowers in France were astonishingly plemtiful and a source inspiration. Wish we had had more time to keep them in the press. Planning to continue the herbier theme at @saintvictorlagrandmaison in September, this time teaching with @gv.crea A few places still available - see my website for details. There will be a feature about Brigitte Pouget and the course in the next issue of @thestitchersjournal, out later this month. #handembroidery #inspiredbynature #embroideryworkshops #embroidery #embroideryretreat #stitchersofinstagram #embroiderersofinstagram

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Is there a more exciting sight than 50 Brocanteurs setting up along the length of a French village on a sunny Sunday morning? Taking a little break from preparing the studio at @labaliefrance for my Embroidery workshops next week, although have found some lovely pieces we can use. #brocante #sundayinfrance #embroideryworkshops #linen #antiquetextiles

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Olive trees lit up against old stone in the enchanting town of Villeréal where we had the best pizzas and gave hard-working @sophierosegloverchef a night off. @labaliefrance is something of a paradise for pianists this week - I shall miss the sound of pianos drifting across the garden, the evening recitals, and talking about music at mealtimes. #pianistsretreat #holidaysforpianists #pianomasterclass #charlesowen #holidaysinfrance

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Beautiful double French eiderdown on @hetty_purbrick ’s stand at @thecountrybrocante at @parham_house_gardens on Friday and Saturday to find gorgeous things for your home and garden. Explore the beautiful gardens and in the house, one if the most important collections of needlework in the country. Workshops, great cafe, and many of the exhibitors whose homes featured in @lucyhaywoodathome ‘a new book Country Brocante Style. Will be so sad to miss this fair this year. #decorativeantiques #inspiringinteriors #trendsetting #englishsummer #beautifulgardens #needlepointersofinstagram #brocantestyle #countrybrocantestyle

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Shall be very sad to miss this - always love being part of it, but will be on my way to France for a bit if a holiday followed by a week of embroidery workshops at @labaliefrance. the show will, I am sure, be absolutely gorgeous in its new @parham_house_gardens location. A truly wonderful day out with lots of favourite exhibitors including @carolineturnerdesign, @hetty_purbrick @goosehomeandgarden @fabulousvintagefinds @v_r_interiors @llewelynandcompany and @jamesandjoannadesign

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All over for another year. Last year’s feels like yesterday and this year’s like a century ago, TS Eliot’s musings on the contortions of time make more sense now than they ever did at school. This was @amy_brocanteliving ‘a gorgeous stand. We really want to keep in touch over the year between so look out for exhibitor news and profiles here and on our website. #decorativeantiques #beautifulanduseful #brocantestyle

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Beautiful art from @willandbea at the @decorativelivingfair. So many lovely, exquisitely fashioned details on this talented exhibitor’s stand. #collage #amtiquedocuments #harderthanitlooks #heirloomsofthefuture

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Baskets, gold glaze in rough terracotta, oiled twine and hand blocked antique wallpaper. Just some of the textures to inspire at our @decorativelivingfair this week. Cannot wait to see what our 70 + exhibitors unload. Tickets online up to midnight tomorrow, after which they are available on the door. #decorative #inspirationalantiques #buyvintage #reuse #repurpose #brocante #brocantestyle #livingwithswedishantiques #beautifulanduseful

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Sam Lindsay is back at the @decorativelivingfair this year, and always has seriously collectible spongeware, as do the dear Todd’s. nothing will persuade them to Instagram but they also sell beautiful samplers and folk art. Love the wide range of decorative and collectable antiques at the show. #decorativeantiques #spongeware #folkart #samplers #livingwithswedishantiques #inspirationalinteriors

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Detail of an exquisite antique French painted canvas. Not Watteau but lovely nonetheless. @nikkipageantiques always creates the most divine stands and this year is bringing some beautiful Swedish painted furniture as well. #decorativeantiques #antiquesforinteriors #rococo #rococostyle #livingwithswedishantiques #originalpaint #patina #texture

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So unusual to find a set of these heavy ceramic espresso cups. At the fair this year there will be lots of dealers with French ceramics and tableware, such as @tara.franklin_antiques @hoof.antiques_brocante @norse_vintage and @gzbadboysantiques. Tickets available online.

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These huge baskets are a speciality of @hoof.antiques_brocante and incredibly useful for laundry or boot room storage. Find them at the @decorativelivingfair 17 and 18 May - tickets on sale via the website or @eventbriteuk. #baskets #storage #decorativeantiques #brocantestyle #rusticchic #laundry

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I love painted floorboards but sometimes you want a bit of soft underfoot. @theswedishrugcompany is going to join us at the @decorativelivingfair for the first time, with a great selection of vintage runners and rugs in soft, muted colours, woven to complement the grey boards of Swedish houses. #restrainedpalette #neutralinteriors #brocante #vintagerugs #colours #swedishantiques #decorativeantiques #beautifulanduseful

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Old French books with beautifully faded covers make wonderful decorative moments, especially if you can find a series like this. What a starting point to build a palette for an interiors scheme. Our @decorativelivingfair is such a rich source of inspiration, with colours and textures at every stand to whet the visual appetite. #vintagebooks #inspiration #colourisastartingpoint #colourpalette #blues #brocantestyle #frenchantiquebooks

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Just under a fortnight to the @decorativelivingfair, the annual fair @hetty_purbrick and I started 14 years ago with 12 exhibitors. Now we have over 70, and it is a much-loved event in the decorative fair calendar. For me, it is an opportunity to browse for inspiration, and one of my favourite sources is @the.bluebird.of.happiness aka Marina, whose stand is a cabinet of curiosities, including carefully gathered botanical plates and antique documents. #collagematerial #vintagepapers #decorativeantiques #antiquetextiles #brocante #brocantestyle #shellsandfossils #stylinginteriors @eventbrite

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It was this sort of styling that won Amy Jones of @amy_brocanteliving the best dressed stand prize last year. The judges were impressed by how much she got into her tiny 2m stand yet made it feel calm and spacious. They found it a very hard decision because everyone makes such an effort with their stand and stock. Amy is back this year and has added to her prize to create a much larger stand. We cannot wait to see it. #decorativeantiques #brocante #brocantestyle #backtoblack #neutralinteriors #restrainedpalette #antiquelinen #originalpaintfinish #antiquesforinteriors #inspirationalinteriors

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First site visit to @eridgeparkevents to walk round with the marquee firm and there are already some tiny lambs tucked under trees. All starts a fortnight tomorrow! You can book tickets via the website. We have over 70 exhibitors this year, old favourites (but always with beautiful new stock) and some exciting new exhibitors as well. @hetty_purbrick and I (@carolinezoobdesign ) love organising this fair in such a beautiful place. It only happens in May each year so try not to miss it. #antiquesfair #decorativeantiques #sourcing #styling #interiors #brocante #authentic #salvage #frenchantiques

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How To Get Here

Eridge Park, Eridge Green, Near Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9JT. By Car: From M25 Junction 5, follow A21 to Tonbridge, leaving at Southborough exit and follow the signs for Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough. Eridge Park is two miles from Tunbridge Wells on the A26 Crowborough road. Turn left opposite Eridge Church.

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