Antiques

by Amelia Watson - creative writer

When you think of old you think decrepit, boring and musty. So when I say my biggest passion is for something that started thousands of years ago with stone, I tend to get looks of bewilderment.  It's simple to explain though: I love interior design, especially ancient possessions, during a time when things were built for purpose, but looked like art. Using a blend of Big Picture Thinking and Down to Earth qualities helps me to work in a unique way, being organised and detailed whilst also being creative and imaginative. That why I have such a passion for certain things like antiques. The amount of time the craftsman put into each creation is remarkable, the pure richness of materials allowing you to feel the passion and care taken to create the piece.  They're now possessions with personal effects with stories behind each carving. A lot of people look at old or antique possessions in two ways, "I wouldn't have it in my house? It's old." or "That's amazing you should donate it to a museum!"

Antiques are stable and dependable, but I still find it's more complex than that. In Lumina Spark certain preferences would be traditional or Cautious. Due to my preference for old over new, I think there is a misconception that Cautious (and indeed blue qualities in general) are dull. Just like I want to break down any preconception people have against old possessions, I want to break down the idea that being Cautious can be predictable. People perceive my admiration for antiques as sticking with what I know, and since Cautious isn't normally a quality of mine I find it hard to connect with the idea. Then again, after evaluating why they thought that, I suppose it can come across that way. The way I talk about how reliable and trustworthy they are. Truth is there are lots of reasons why I adore them, I love their complex ambiguity, normally allowing me to see things many people wouldn't. Imagination is a big part of my perception of antiques. I suppose since all of our antiques had stories (which I would play on as a child), it made me curious to the other possible stories. They've always inspired me. This is purely because of the way they make me feel so at ease and comfortable. I want people to know that great things can't be cherished when in use.

When choosing the interior for my flat, some of my choices may seem unusual to others as I have an acquired taste. My main aspiration when designing the interior was to achieve an environment I would feel comfortable and able to reflect and relax in. It may sound surprising but I have had to achieve a balance of Inspiration Driven and Discipline Driven qualities to achieve such an environment, luckily the Lumina Spark qualities allow me to achieve a balance. I need them to make me feel comfortable because of my own personal preference for things being organised and at the same time I need to be flexible depending on what I can find and in order to accommodate the preferences of others. I really want my house to have a welcoming feel. Comfort is essential to me in making where I live not just a house but more of a home. With me growing up around antiques, deep rich woods, French art deco, all of this has become very second nature to me and incorporated into my flat, a place where I can be seen to be cautious, because I'm using what I know to give the same results. 

My grandparents and mum's house were both filled with rich oak furniture, dark leather Oxfordshire chairs, all engraved with unique details. As a child my dressing up box was an 18th century chest, which my mum still has till this day. I find something in antiques I can't find in modern possessions. They have lived a lot, which some may argue is where my Cautious quality shines through again. With them being built to last, just the care and detail you see put into certain pieces could inspire even the most closed minds. Very rarely now-a-days will you find craftsmanship that can engage you, even if it's just the story of the soldier who hand-crafted the joints out of his old luncheon tin. To me that shows you the humanity behind pieces, I love asking about engravings/marks- The more worn a piece the more I loved the story. The Imaginative quality is often associated with creating stories to make things more interesting to create a bond to keep the interest strong.

So many people have misconceptions of antique furniture; they imagine them to be dirty, past their prime, with parts falling off them. This of course isn't true and if it is, you’re looking in the wrong places. Having grown up with people knowing where to buy the best kept secrets, maybe the more common places are shabby. Although if you look hard enough, actually considering what you want you will find one maybe two pieces that will inspire you, and be your saving grace. I can go into a shop one day and nothing will catch my eye, then the next day I can see multiple items I want to take home. I do have quite stubborn qualities which allow me to be fussy in the way I know what I like and I will voice it if I don't. Saying that I will always have a favourite piece, without a favourite I would just keep buying until I found that one piece. So far it's a lion engraved box, it's simply remarkable, and I adore everything about it. I like making the connection between the interior of my flat and my home, which is common in the Cautious quality. I'm very comfortable living in an environment which reminds me of the place I grew up in. I admire how they look and how homely they make a place feel, but I would never want to try and match my furniture. In my opinion, it would make the pieces lose their individual spark.

I believe, in order to admire the full potential of a piece, they should be individual and original- like nothing else you own. I have dark oak, mahogany, weaved bamboo, leather, and although most of my furniture is wood (because I believe it to be a more sturdy standing and beautiful material) I find the main reason I chose all of my pieces is because of their natural beauty.

People need to learn to look beyond first impressions and understand why others may feel a certain way about things. Having the Empathetic quality can be useful not only to see things through the eyes of others but also understanding how others make connections. People have a personal bond with the place they live and understanding why they like things how they do is a better way of understanding them as a whole. If you learn how to use your qualities efficiently you can be successful in any environment.

Some people see my views as old fashioned but I've always loved manipulating fabrics (it can be wood or textile), it's something my granddad always taught me. With him being in the war he reused/ recycled almost everything, making the most stunning robes and duvets, shelving and doors. He had a saying "Never throw something away you cherished so much to allow it to become so worn”. I love that because it's so true. I just find it such a pity people have little respect for how/where things are made.