menu
Departments
.svg)
In our 'At Home' Auction taking place on Wednesday 11th June at Adam’s, we have curated a selection of quality furniture that stands the test of time, but above all, makes an impression.
This unique touch might be just what is missing from today’s pared-back interiors. Antique’s assertive charm rebalances the dynamic. The idea is to blend style and era to create depth and soul in a design that looks like you. Choose personality over uniformity; antiques provide the enduring heartbeat that will make your house feel like a home.
Here’s how to incorporate antiques into your home in creative, elegant and unexpected ways.
Any container will effortlessly dress up your home, and this auction offers some wonderful opportunities. Imagine placing the Biscuit Glazed Urn and Cover with its elegant ram’s head handles (Lot 345) on a central table, filled with fresh blooms or dramatic dried arrangements. Or consider settle the Carved Sandstone Funerary Box / Urn (Lot 346) on a console, transforming it into a discreet jewellery box or even a hidden charging station. For those seeking a softer accent, the delicate Belleek Jardinière adorned with applied roses (Lot 347) would make a perfect fruit bowl or potpourri container, adding subtle fragrance and charm to your living space.
As you plan your interior layout, remember that symmetry soothes the eye and creates a natural sense of balance. Why not place the Pair of French Marble-Topped Parquetry Bedside Cabinets (Lot 482) on either side of your bed or beside a bathtub. You could also frame a grand entrance or a fireplace with the Pair of Gilt Gesso Mirrors complete with oval plates and candle branches (Lot 313), providing both light and visual harmony. And for those with a taste for bold sculptural accents, the Pair of French Polished Bronze Marly Horses (Lot 336) will make a striking statement when flanking on shelves as bookends.
For the more imaginative minds among you, crafting remains a delightful and sustainable way to reinvent worthy items. The Rectangular Stone Ware Planter (Lot 5) can easily become sculptural planters or impressive outdoor fire pits to warm your patios on cool evenings. And A Pair Of Victorian Cast Iron Benches (Lot 6) could be repurposed into a low bench or seating frame, adding both comfort and character to a hallway or dressing room. Also, The Pair of William IV Mahogany Framed Stools (Lot 108A) offer great potential for the handy decorator: simply consider changing the seats in a contemporary fabric to create a fresh, modern accent that bridges classic form and current style.
Mahogany pieces have a rare ability to transform a modern space with depth and personality by creating contrast in rooms. Think of introducing the George IV Mahogany Bookcase on Cupboard Base (Lot 489) into your bathroom as a linen press, or perhaps as a kitchen dresser that marries elegance with practicality. The George IV Mahogany Chest of Drawers (Lot 317) invites an exciting twist, simply top it with a slab of marble and transform it into a bathroom vanity. And should you be seeking to elevate a room’s light and proportions, consider mirrors. Indeed, the French Empire Style Inlaid Mahogany Pier Mirror (Lot 400) placed above a console or chest of drawers will deliver just the right architectural lift. The Mahogany Bureau Plat (Lot 46) could become a dramatic makeup station, or even a unique home bar. And why not top the George IV Mahogany Tambour-Front Chest (Lot 22) with a green marble top, like that seen on the Giltwood Console Table (Lot 43), to create an elegant bathroom sink. This is a trend increasingly embraced by luxury boutique hotels.
For the more playful decorator, pier mirrors can find unexpected homes. Consider them for bringing an exquisite touch of natural light, if placed next to a window. The Irish Regency Oval Beaded Wall Mirror (Lot 26), for example, would bring elegance to a walk-in wardrobe or powder room. The Late Georgian Mahogany Hunt Table (Lot 10) could serve as a grand dressing table or desk, especially in a bedroom with high ceilings. Similarly, the George III Mahogany Serpentine Foldover Card Table (Lot 37) may become an elegant dressing table with a mirror mounted above it and delicate lighting.
Rugs, too often overlooked in bathrooms, add warmth and texture underfoot. The Konya Kilim Rug (Lot 38), with its rich reds and greens, would energize any basic modern bathroom or would layer beautifully beneath a glass dining table. Throughout the home, rugs help bridge old and new design elements. A colourful carpet placed in a minimalist kitchen instantly introduces charm, while smaller rugs layered on stools or benches create a bohemian note.
Why not start the new trend? Gold and giltwood elements instantly elevate any room. The French Empire Style Brass Twelve-Branch Ceiling Light (Lot 41) would make an audacious choice for a modern bathroom, imagine it sparkling above a freestanding bath. Mirrors such as the Irish George III Giltwood Wall Mirror (Lot 45) or the Giltwood Overmantel Compartmental Mirror (Lot 44) can amplify light and grandeur in narrow spaces like entrance halls or powder rooms. Wall brackets, like the Pair of Victorian Giltwood Three-Tier Wall Brackets (Lot 36), can bring both beauty and function to a bathroom or kitchen, offering a graceful way to display perfume bottles, spices, or rolled hand towels. Ormolu-mounted pieces, including the Pair of Louis XVI Style Candelabra (Lot 40), could be adapted into wall sconces or bathroom lighting fixtures, adding further character.
By inviting antiques into your home, you’re not merely decorating. You’re curating stories, textures, and timelessness. The pieces in this sale aren’t relics of the past; they are tools to shape your home into a place full of personality and imagination.
Aude Colomina
Buying at Auction and the Role of Antiques in a Modern Home
Important Irish Art Auction Highlights
Oliver Dowling Collection by Aidan Dunne
2024 is a year in which Adam’s wants to recognise the key role buying antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes greatly to the sustainable initiative. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency reported stark figures that each year in Ireland 1.2 million reusable bulky items, primarily furniture goes into landfill. Similar to the problem of ‘fast fashion’, the constant production and consumption of new items is leading to rapidly growing waste problem. We want to acknowledge those who are already buying second hand or antique furniture at auction and to encourage new buyers by highlighting the benefits of acquiring affordable, well-made quality items that are built to last.
Irish author, recipe creator and lifestyle influencer, Indy Parsons, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
.jpg)
Cork-born Irish actress, Sarah Greene, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Yvonne Aupicq had met Orpen, we understand, while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’. Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference. They relocated to capital and over the following decade he painted her numerous times, often nude as in Amiens 1914, or The Rape and Nude Girl Reading (1921). Working with her as his model during these early years after the war allowed Orpen an opportunity to re-fuel his creativity.
Editor-in-Chief of IMAGE Publications, Lizzie Gore-Grimes, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on September 13th features a prime example of Van Cleef & Arpel's renowned 'Mystery Setting'
Our June auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the great masterpieces of Irish art and icons of Dublin’s history.
Georgia Chiesa selects some of her favourite lots in the upcoming Vintage Wine & Spirits Auction
"Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record."
Adam’s in conjunction with Suzanne MacDougald are proud to host an online timed auction of artworks to aid the Irish Red Cross’s humanitarian work in delivering vital services to millions of people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. With no buyers premium 100% of the hammer price will go directly to the Irish Red Cross.
Ros Drinkwater writes of Jack B Yeats' 'The Boat' in the Business Post:
With a consolidated result of €320,000,the At Home sale in Stephan’s Green, was a great success.
James Adam & Sons Ltd, Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, 26 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
D02 X665, Ireland
