S I G N AT U R E
/ D E CO R AT I N G
THE ART OF
living beautifully
There’s nothing like walking into your home, taking a deep breath and feeling completely relaxed and at peace, surrounded by beautiful things that make you smile. This is the mantra collector Chris Hughes has followed for most of his life, having fallen in love with “stuff with soul” at a very early age. Now the co-owner of Brisbane’s glorious The Antique Guild, Hughes started collecting at the tender age of 10. His fascination began with tea parties, when his parents pulled crockery – “too good to use on a day-to-day basis” – from the back corner of cupboards. “I’d be given a plastic cup to drink from. But I wanted the cup with the gold rim,” he says. He began to collect silver cutlery, then dining sets. But not the kind you squirrel away. “I don’t want a cupboard of things never used. I want to experience the beautiful pieces I buy.” To Hughes, collecting antiques is about being enveloped by things you enjoy – things that come with a story
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1. Determine what you like and what’s important to you, whether that’s silver, glass, paintings or porcelain. What excites you?
Collecting 101
Decorating your home with beautiful things can inspire happiness. Here’s how to spark joy by surrounding yourself with pieces that have a story – and soul.
2. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find something you like straight away. A lot of collecting is about the joy of the hunt – about finding that one special thing when you least expect it. 3. Look in high-end stores, even if you don’t plan to buy anything. In any upscale boutique you’ll find pieces that are massively overpriced, and others that are wildly underrated. Educate yourself so you can determine which is which. And talk to the dealers – they hold a wealth of information. 4. Don’t buy pieces and expect to sell them for a profit in six months. Like other markets, the value of antiques fluctuates with demand and trends. 5. Remember: collecting can become an addiction. Many people (like me) become antiques dealers to fuel this addiction.
