Perfectly proportioned, with plump cushions and upholstered in a fetching fabric choice – nothing makes an antiques-filled living room sing quite like a beautifully crafted sofa. And now, family-owned furniture retailer Barker and Stonehouse has collaborated with antiques dealer (and star of Quest TV's Salvage Hunters), Drew Pritchard, to design a collection of British-made sofas and chairs that fit the bill perfectly!
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Drawing on Drew's passion for antiques and heritage designs, his collection brings together decorative elements from a range of historic periods – from English Regency to the 1960s. The range includes 10 different designs, including sofas, armchairs and footstools, which are available in an array of fabrics, such as dramatic velvets and heritage-inspired florals.
'Barker and Stonehouse has a strong heritage and a wealth of knowledge that’s been passed down through the family over the last 75 years and that is something I greatly admire,' explains Drew. 'Being invited by the brand to use my knowledge to blend design cues from throughout history and combine them to create new styles was an inspiring challenge.
'While the collection naturally alludes to seating designs of the past, I was also keen to widen the field of historical reference,' he continues. 'For example, the arm of the Harling sofa features a curved top which takes its cue from the windows and arches found in architecture from the English Regency period, which are themselves modelled upon much older classical styles from ancient Greece and Rome.
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'I like to mix styles and periods; they often work really well together and it'sa great way of creating a space that captures what you’re about. That's whatI wanted for the collection too - for people to be able to pair these sofas, chairs and footstools with everything, from the ultra-modern to the antique. It's about having fun and mixing it up.'
The collection is made in the UK and is crafted with both affordability and quality in mind – each design is hand-crafted by a highly skilled team of artisans. Many of the pieces in the collection feature classic decorative touches such as button-backs or studding, all of which are added by hand and using traditional methods.
'The way that we decorate our homes has changed,' explains James Barker, Managing Director at Barker and Stonehouse. 'It’s no longer about buying a matching suite of furniture from one collection, it’s about choosing individual pieces that work for you, and Drew’s approach to buying, and now designing furniture, echoes this mindset perfectly.
'With more than 30 years’ experience in the antiques trade, his knowledge of historic styles, combined with his passion for good design, brings something unique to the collection that can’t be found elsewhere.'
H&A's top picks from the collection
Stowe button back chair
Buy Stowe button back chair from Barker & Stonehouse (£1,285)
Durant 3 seater sofa
Buy durant 3 seater sofa from Barker and Stonehouse (£1,475)
Blackwell large button stool
Buy blackwell large button stool (£935)
Fairlawn 2 seater sofa
Buy fairlawn 2 seater sofa from Barker and Stonehouse (£1,325)
More from Drew Pritchard:
How I got into the antiques trade
Drew Pritchard’s sofa collection with Barker and Stonehouse
How to create country house style
How to be a successful antiques dealer
The thrill of an unexpected find