Business
“I am immensely proud of this very exciting adventure into the decorative arts”
T
he Pantiles Arcade is a new, indulgent shopping experience dedicated to showcasing decorative art and design from the 17th Century to the present day. And since it opened last month it has proved to be very popular with both locals and those from further afield... Stage one of the ongoing refurbishment to one of the most iconic buildings on The Pantiles is now complete and the one-time theatre and Corn Exchange has been reinvented as a retail space for highend decorative arts. A curated collection of diverse objects d’art is already being presented in the most stunning of locations; historic English porcelain and glass, silver tableware, art deco furniture, sumptuous art glass and an evergrowing selection of Tunbridge Ware to ensure that the business properly
20 | August 2021 | SO Magazine
celebrates local craftsmanship and reflects its illustrious clientele. Front and centre of the experience will be Eric Knowles – the much fêted and popular figure from television, renowned for his expertise in many avenues of antiquarian endeavour. Eric has come on board as Chairman having embraced the idea of being able to translate an existing and successful on-line business – ScottishAntiques.com – into a bricks and mortar manifestation from where he can readily project his personality and share his enthusiasm and knowledge with anyone who is kind enough to pay a visit. Eric says: “I am both pleased and immensely proud to have been asked to be the figurehead for this very exciting adventure into the decorative arts – it's an opportunity to both indulge my own enduring passion and share it with other people on a whole new level.”
“The whole enterprise is a paradigm shift away from the conventional idea of a quiet, dusty store tucked away in a back street”
Photos © David Bartholomew
Tunbridge Wells has an exciting new decorative arts and design emporium headed up by TV presenter and specialist Eric Knowles. SO finds out more about this Aladdin’s Cave of aesthetic artefacts…
