As former European Design Director at Soho House, James Thurstan Waterworth has lead projects across the world. His experiences living and working in LA, New York, London, Hong Kong and Barcelona has informed his aesthetic. Now based in London he designs for both residential and commercial properties, and deals in antiques and mid-century furniture and accessories. Here, he shares his top tips to working with antiques....
MIX ERAS
There’s no reason why you can’t use any piece in a modern setting, as long as you limit the number of styles. We recently paired a 17th-century Spanish walnut table with a 1960s ‘Curva’ chair by Brazilian designer Joaquim Tenreiro in a modern space. The balance worked incredibly well.
BUT WHAT YOU LOVE
It’s easy to get drawn into buying something just because it’s an investment, which is much riskier. If you’re looking online, I strongly advise seeing something in person if possible. You get to know so much more about a piece by touching it and seeing how it has aged.
SEE POTENTIAL
I look for antiques with character and a story to tell. I love 17th- and 18th-century Spanish and Italian walnut pieces, for example, because their colours are so beautiful and their simplicity feels so modern.
BE AUTHENTIC
When it comes to restoration, leave as much of the original piece intact as you can. If something needs new upholstery fabric, consider the colours of any surrounding materials and the space it is going into.
This article appeared in ELLE Decoration July issue
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