{"id":10840,"date":"2022-05-12T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T08:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=29806"},"modified":"2022-05-12T10:29:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T08:29:10","slug":"a-london-home-filled-with-mid-century-furniture","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-london-home-filled-with-mid-century-furniture\/","title":{"rendered":"A London home filled with mid-century furniture"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Jo Leevers\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 12 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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When George Sims started to collect mid-century furniture<\/a> many years ago, he began with the basics: good wood. \u2018Back then, I wasn\u2019t familiar with the top names,\u2019 he admits. \u2018Instead, I looked out for solid, well-made pieces in teak or rosewood. I was drawn to the timber rather than the designers.\u2019<\/p>\n

As time went on, George became far better informed about the nuanced features of furniture from certain designers, countries and eras. But, he maintains, focusing on quality rather than getting hung up on provenance gave him the best possible introduction to furniture design. \u2018Above all, most people love mid-century furniture because it is beautifully made and it endures,\u2019 George says. Hannah, a creative director, shares his outlook. \u2018Having worked in fashion, I\u2019ve learned to buy what I love, rather than being swayed by labels,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n

You only have to glance around George and Hannah\u2019s east London home to see how their down-to-earth approach has paid off. Yes, their collection now includes pieces by \u2018star\u2019 names, such as B\u00f8rge Mogensen and Walter Wirtz, but items by unknown or unnamed designers have equal prominence. Take their pared-back 1950s pine daybed in the home office, by an unknown British maker. \u2018It was part of a farmhouse sale at an auction<\/a> in Harrogate and the pine had been varnished a bright, shiny orange,\u2019 says George. \u2018But, once we stripped it back, you could see its simple beauty.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Then there\u2019s the shapely chrome chair that takes pride of place in the living room. \u2018It\u2019s definitely 1970s and British, but that\u2019s all we know,\u2019 says Hannah. \u2018A friend spotted it in a shop in Leicester and we had it reupholstered<\/a> in green velvet. It\u2019s one of those chairs that\u2019s so comfy, it\u2019s an effort to get out of it!\u2019 With hindsight, George recognises that his early approach did have its drawbacks: \u2018Now I\u2019m more informed, I realise that we let some really excellent pieces go. But there\u2019s no point in getting hung up on the ones that got away<\/a>,\u2019 he smiles.<\/p>\n

The couple now run a shop in Walthamstow: Everything But The Dog. The name was Hannah\u2019s idea and refers to the fact that their hound, Billy, is the only thing in the shop that isn\u2019t for sale. Their business approach is a reflection of their style at home, combining the cream of mid-century design with contemporary pieces. But before they could put their stamp on the house, it needed a lot of renovation. The couple lived in one room upstairs and gradually worked their way through the space.<\/p>\n

The biggest structural changes were adding a side return extension. Now the kitchen side wall in shadow-gap cedar continues into the garden for inside-outside continuity. \u2018We wanted a Scandi-cabin vibe, but in red-toned cedar to add warmth,\u2019 explains George. Underfoot, polished concrete adds a modern surface, while vintage Turkish kilims, 1970s artworks and 1980s music promo posters add shots of colour to the timber-rich spaces.<\/p>\n

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