Notes on Design With Mary Graham

Why do you think antiques are important in a home?

Antiques are what make a house feel authentic. They bring a sense of permanence and history that is difficult to achieve with new furniture alone. A room without anything old can sometimes feel as though it has appeared overnight.

What I love most about antiques is that they tell a story. They add depth, character and a feeling that a home has evolved naturally over time rather than being assembled all at once.

What is your guiding philosophy when decorating with antiques?

I think the most inviting houses are those that have evolved over time. Nothing feels too deliberate and that's often where the charm lies.

The rooms I return to again and again are rarely the most perfect; they're the ones that feel personal, layered and full of life. Antiques play an important role in that because they bring a sense of history and permanence, helping a house feel rooted rather than styled.

A home is never really finished. It should continue to evolve as you find new pieces, inherit old ones and gradually add layers that reflect the way you live. That's what gives a house its character.

And if things aren't quite perfect? Well luckily, that's all part of the English look too.

What can antiques teach us about the English approach to decorating?

One of the things we've found most fascinating through our work is just how transferable the English look really is. People often assume it's about country houses or traditional decorating, but at its heart it's much simpler than that. It's about layering. Colour, pattern, antiques and collected possessions all play a role.

If you work with some of those ingredients then you're already off to a good start. Do it with confidence, add the extra pattern, be brave with your colour choices and go slightly bigger than your instinct tells you with your antiques.

How can I incorporate antiques without making my home feel old-fashioned?

I rarely use antiques in isolation. A Georgian centre table can look wonderful beneath a contemporary pendant light, while a striking 1970s glass lamp can feel entirely at home alongside much older furniture.

Some of the most successful interiors combine different periods. It's often that tension between old and new that keeps a room feeling fresh rather than nostalgic.

Do you have a favourite antique to decorate with?

That's an impossible question as different pieces work in different places, but I do generally lean towards Georgian furniture, and a pair of painted side chairs is always high up on my list for most homes. 
 
Using something like Heals furniture is a great way to incorporate antiques in to a more modern, clean lined, home and I think a good place generally to ease in to antiques if you are just starting out on that journey.
 
One style of antique I find quite hard placing is Art Deco, and I think it's good to realise that you don't have to like all periods of furniture! Edwardian can also sneak in trying to look like Georgian so beware of that.

What is the biggest mistake people make when buying antiques?

Not buying them! Antiques are one offs so if you see something and have a positive reaction to it then just buy it, before someone else does - you'll find somewhere it can work, and if not, you can sell it on.  The only antiques I've ever regretted are the ones I didn't buy.  
 
On a more practical note I think asking for a condition report is important if you are buying something without seeing it in the flesh. If you do have the opportunity to see it in person then open all the drawers, look underneath, look at the back of the piece, have a really good poke around! Then make sure you are happy with the condition of the piece and that the price relfects it. If you only want to pay a few hundred pounds for a chest of drawers then you should accept that there will be marks on the top, veneer chipped off and probably quite a tatty back to the piece, but that's fine as it's lived a life before you and it's condition is reflected in the price. However, if you are paying upwards of a thousand pounds then you would expect the piece to have been sensitively restored and in good working condition.

How do you know when you've found the right antique?

There are practical considerations, of course, but I often find the best purchases are the ones I can't stop thinking about. If a piece stays with me after I've walked away, that's normally a good sign.

The antiques I value most aren't necessarily the rarest or most expensive. They're simply the pieces that continue to bring pleasure years later.