25/04/2024 General News
Much as the internet has allowed collectors, dealers and other bidders to see instantly every lot which we offer for sale at the saleroom in Aylsham, so the web also enables us to take a peek at the fabulous properties which are for sale in our fine county, writes henry Hammond.
It is not so long ago that a £1 million house was a rarity in Norfolk. But as this week Rightmove shows that there are currently 245 properties for sale with asking prices in seven figures.
Partly this is a reflection of a housing market which has continued on an upward trend despite a few economic bumps in the road, but it is also an indication that our county has a plethora of fine homes, ranging from grand stately homes to large former rectories, stunning barn conversions to architect-designed top-end modern houses.
Inevitably in a county with so much history, a large proportion of those bigger homes are period properties. And for the people who decide to make such places their home, finding appropriate furniture is not the simple process you might imagine.
Buying off-the-shelf modern pieces is not really an option if you want to maintain a fitting feel for your Georgian or Victorian home. Yes, you can commission reproduction pieces, but this can be an expensive option, and given our increased concern about how we eke out our planet’s scarce resources, not the most sustainable choice either.
Perhaps it is that plentiful supply of period homes in Norfolk which is driving a growing demand for antique furniture in the saleroom, bucking a national trend which has seen furniture sales in the doldrums for some years.
At Keys we are seeing strong demand and solid hammer prices for good quality antique pieces, and even for those larger items which seem more difficult to sell in other parts of the country.
Our last two Fine Sales saw brisk bidding for just this kind of item, from an early 20th century oak framed Orkney chair which sold for £1,200 (four times its pre-sale estimate), a Georgian gilt wood framed wall mirror which sold for £1,100 against a pre-sale estimate of £300-£500, and a regency rosewood and brass inlaid card table, which sold for £800, double its estimate.
George I and Queen Anne walnut chests of drawers are particularly in demand, with three sold in a matter of minutes during our spring Fine Sale, all well above their estimates.
It’s not just furniture where the strong local market in period homes is mirrored in the saleroom. The 18th and 19th centuries were the heyday of impressive house-building in Norfolk, and art from the same period is also very popular, especially when created by East Anglian artists. Norwich school painters such as John Crome and John Sell Cotman are always in demand, as are later landscape artists such as Campbell Mellon and John Arnesby Brown.
Our county’s impressive roster of period homes continues to see strong demand for furniture and furnishings from the same eras in the saleroom. This is good news: not only is it preserving our important local heritage, but it a much more sustainable way forward than commissioning ever more new pieces.