{"id":14725,"date":"2025-07-22T05:35:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T05:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/14725\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T05:35:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T05:35:09","slug":"the-ultimate-interior-designer-sourcing-blend-what-percentage-should-be-bespoke-new-and-antique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/14725\/","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate interior designer sourcing blend: what percentage should be bespoke, new and antique?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In James Thurstan’s Wiltshire house<\/a>, a bespoke sofa designed by him and an antique African throne chair, sourced by James, are arranged around a coffee table that he had made from an old piece of chestnut. The abstract painting is by Basil Beattie.<\/p>\n

Martin Morrell<\/p>\n

A well-layered interior is often considered the foundation of a great design. Indeed, experts cite it as the defining difference between a space that feels flat and one that feels truly lived in. But what exactly is a layered interior? Most interior designers agree that it is the clever mixing of different textures, finishes, materials and time periods that creates a feeling that the space has gently evolved over time. And at its heart is a finely-tuned combination of new, bespoke and antique pieces. This interiors<\/a> cocktail forms the backbone of many beautifully designed homes – think the patina of an 18th century sideboard against the shapely lines of a custom-made sofa and a handcrafted pendant light. \u201cA thoughtfully composed interior tells a story, one that balances history, individuality, and functionality,\u201d agrees James Thurstan Waterworth, founder of interior design studio Thurstan. \u201cFor us, a blend of new, bespoke, and antique elements is essential for achieving that sense of place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The biggest challenge, however, is successfully mastering the secret to the alchemy. \u201cFor me, there\u2019s no fixed formula but if pressed, I\u2019d say the balance often lands somewhere around 40 per cent antique, 40 per cent bespoke and 20 per cent new,\u201d says James. \u201cOur recent snug for WOW!house is a perfect example of this mix in practice – new lighting<\/a> by Hector Finch sits alongside meticulously crafted bespoke pieces and enriched by a curated selection of antique textiles, furniture and objects, and 20th-century British artworks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emma Burns, managing director at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, encourages a similar ratio. \u201cIt\u2019s quite intuitive but we probably use about 40 per cent antiques. They bring in history and a lived-in feel which is important. Then the majority of the rest would be bespoke and the smallest proportion would be new. But even with new pieces, we might reinvent an antique like a sofa because that might be a more cost-effective way of doing it and you can sometimes find a wonderful shape you won\u2019t get elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a Wimbledon flat designed by Emma Burns<\/a>, a Thirties rug by Marta Maas Fjetterstron and \u2018Craft\u2019 fabric in \u2018Curcuma\u2019 by Pierre Frey on the bespoke Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler sofa. The tapestry chairs are from French dealer in the Dordogne.<\/p>\n

Mark Anthony Fox<\/p>\n

Emma stresses that a balanced curation is key to a successful interior. \u201cA house full of antiques can feel too self-important \u2013 a comfortable home is one that does not take itself too seriously. At the same time, a home where everything is bespoke or new can feel soulless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Emma, interior designer Anna Haines aims for a higher proportion of older furniture and up to half of the pieces she uses are antiques. However these do not have to be overly grand or expensive. \u201cIn a project I always tend to put in an antique cricket table, often with turned legs. What is most handsome about it is generally the patina,\u201d she says. \u201cI’ll always strive to source antique mirrors, especially in bathrooms where most things are new. An antique mirror just helps to take the newness out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bespoke furniture, she adds, is often around 30 per cent of her sourcing. \u201cThese tend to be our big ticket items like sofas and banquettes which need to be tailored to a space and ensure comfort and balance.\u201d In addition, custom joinery can solve practical challenges. The remaining 20 per cent tends to be made up of new pieces. \u201cThis usually includes lighting as well as sanitaryware and tiles. We often make new curtains<\/a> but source an antique ticking to line them to feel more unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

For modern properties, the ratio of contemporary furniture can increase. \u201cBut even if it is a new build<\/a>, we will always encourage older pieces of furniture, perhaps mid-century<\/a>. We try to source pieces that have a story to them so the room feels more evolved,\u201d says Anna.<\/p>\n

Going bespoke is also a focus for designer Laura Hanbury, director at Sarah Vanrenen, who veers towards 60 per cent custom pieces.\u201dFinding antique sofas in the right dimensions is never easy,\u201d she explains. \u201c Similarly with rugs, while we are always on the hunt for beautiful antique ones, finding them in the right size is always a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christian Bense’s Battersea flat<\/a> features an armchair from 1stDibs, upholstered in a Northcroft fabric. The cabinet is bespoke by KUDOS and was originally designed for Christian’s Wow House room at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour in 2023.<\/p>\n

Mark Anthony Fox<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In James Thurstan’s Wiltshire house, a bespoke sofa designed by him and an antique African throne chair, sourced…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14726,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,9836,9835,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-14725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-buying-antiques","tag-decorating-advice","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}