A leading Shropshire fine art auction house is advising homeowners to get modern design furniture and lighting, dating from the 1920s to ‘80s, valued because they could be worth hundreds of pounds .
02/08/2024
Halls Fine Art is holding a modern design valuation event by appointment at the company’s Battlefield headquarters in Shrewsbury on Tuesday, August 6.
Chloe Delpy-Harding, the company’s modern design cataloguer, will be available from 10am to 2pm to value pieces free of charge as she prepares for a modern and contemporary art and design auction on October 23. Entries close on September 13.
People wishing to receive valuations of modern design furniture and lighting are asked to take along photographs of items that are too big to bring with them. They can also email photos to Chloe at fineart@hallsgb.com or call her on Tel: 01743 450700.
Chloe fears that many modern design pieces are being disposed of because the owners are unaware of their potential value. She recently heard of a case interesting mid-century furniture having been sent to the tip in a house clearance.
“Whilst the younger generation has an eye for modern design, many people who have lived with these pieces for decades do not necessarily consider their design value because they are not antiques,” she said.
She would like to see pieces by Eero Saarinen, Alvar Alto, Verner Panton, Arne Jacobsen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Pierre Paulin, Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Giancarlo Piretti, Gio Ponti, Vico Magistretti and Marco Zanusso
“As a woman, I would particularly love to see the work of women designers, such as Gae Aulenti, Charlotte Perriand and Eileen Grey,” added Chloe. “But furniture and lighting does not necessarily need to have a designer name to be valuable. We sold an Art Deco 'Rocket' walnut display cabinet sold for £650.”
Examples of modern design previously sold by Halls Fine Art include an Arne Hovmand-Olsen (1919-1989) teak and steel lounge chair at £1,000, an Olivier Mourgue for Airborne Djinn sofa at £480, a Robert Heritage for Archie Shine 'Hamilton' pattern rosewood sideboard at £460 and a Luigi Massoni for Guzzini large mushroom table lamp, circa 1970, at £320.
“Including modern design with modern and contemporary art seems a natural progression,” explained Chloe. “Modern design takes so many different forms and anything that falls into the art category will be valued by Abigail Molenaar, our art specialist.
“There is definitely a market for these pieces which have aesthetic appeal to people who prefer to recycle furniture and lighting rather than buying new, and they are affordable.
“We are talking about well-made pieces of furniture that are not going to fall apart, will make a difference and fit the style of your home and you can take them with you when you move.
“Each designer found a material or a form to experiment with to make pieces that are practical, affordable, different and look great. For each decade, there was an evolution of design and it’s wonderful to see what different ideas they came up with.”
For more information, please contact Alexander Clement or Chloe Delpy Harding at Halls Fine Art on Tel: 01743 450700 or Duncan Foulkes, public relations consultant, on Tel: 01686 650818.
with Chloe Delpy-Harding
Halls Fine Art,
Halls Holdings House,
Bowmen Way,
Battlefield,
Shrewsbury,
SY4 3DR
BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT
.