It’s easy to style your home sustainably at auction
24 February 2023 Looking for a new piece for your home or to do a complete overhaul? At auction it’s possible to shop for pieces that are both stylish and sustainable without breaking the bank.
This set of four drop chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen in red plastic have an estimate of £300-400 at Tennants of Leyburn on March 4.
Ready for even better news? Going to auction doesn’t mean lining your walls with oak sideboards or overstuffed armchairs. You can go sleek and sophisticated with mid-century Modern pieces (think Mad Men) that fit right in with minimal Scandi or more lavish settings.
Take for example this mid-century ebonised teak extending dining table offered with four dining chairs going under the hammer at Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers of Cheshire on March 2-3. A report commissioned by Auction Technology Group showed that buying a second-hand dining table at auction saves 0.46 tonnes or 460kg on carbon emissions versus buying one new. The fact that this dining set is estimated at just £100-150 is a bonus.
This mid-Century dining set has an estimate of £100-150 Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers of Cheshire on March 2-3.
Buying other furniture second hand can also save on emissions. An armchair second-hand saves 0.16 tonnes of CO2 emissions compared with buying one new, while a sofa means a carbon saving of 0.563 tonnes or 563kg. If you’re after a really authentic look, this Biedermeier maple sofa does the trick. It has an estimate of £300-500 at Sworders of Stansted Mountfitchet on March 14-15.
This Biedermeier maple sofa has an estimate of £300-500 at Sworders on March 14-15.
On March 5, Thimbleby & Shorland of Reading offer a teak G Plan chest of drawers on March 5. Suit you? If so, you’ll be pleased to hear that a second-hand chest of drawers can equal a saving of 0.32 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Plus, the estimate is only £60-80.
This teak G Plan chest of drawers has an estimate of £60-80 at Thimbleby & Shoreland on March 5.
For more storage options, there is also a mid-20th century teak G Plan modular corner bookcase fitted with cupboards and drawers, which Thomas N Miller of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne offers on February 28. It has an estimate of £50-70.
Need storage? There is also a mid-20th century teak G Plan modular corner bookcase fitted with cupboards and drawers, which Thomas N Miller of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne offers on February 28. It has an estimate of £50-70.
Discover the furniture you need at auction: tables, chairs, sofas, chests of drawers.
Want to learn more? Use our handy buying guides to get the inside track on what and how to buy at auction.
The Antique Furniture Buying Guide
