Welcome to the Haunt blog.
Heartened by the enthusiastic encouragement from those around me and my longstanding resistance finally eroded, I find myself entering into the curious activity of blogging ! A blog - the silly sound of the word itself exudes a reassuring casualness that allows one to produce simple musings on this and that rather than a body of fully fledged and formal thought . This blog will meander in a day to day manner through my idiosyncratic world of antiques and interiors in the hope of providing detail and context for those interested. It will be the et cetera, the footnotes to Haunt.
What better place to start than at a beginning ! After a very long period of interim flux with Haunt leading quite the boho existence moving from one broken down warehouse to the next after each large quake we have finally found a permanent home. Permanence is something that those of us interested in history and the antique are rather fond of , so it is with a great sense of relief that I welcome you all to the new Haunt gallery space at 80 Coleridge Street , Sydenham.
Haunt as always will strive to showcase a collection of unique antique pieces with a contemporary spirit. Fine furniture and objects from the past that compliment the modern interior. French antiques form the core of the collection but not exclusively as we cast our eye globally to find unique pieces that have that indefinable je ne sais quoi.
80 Coleridge Street is suitably tucked away in the back streets of Sydenham. As we are somewhat hidden and we do have the luxury of mobile phones and email for easy contact Haunt will be adopting a fluid approach to opening times. This is our workspace as well as our showroom space so we will be there often and you are always welcome ! If you are in the vicinity just pop in - we will have an open sign out whenever we are there. If you wish to check that we will be there at a specific time or to make a time convenient for you please text, phone or email. We will be opening every Saturday from 11 am - 4 pm so that you can safely plan a visit knowing that Haunt will be open.
Today the showroom is still looking like chaos , pieces thrown together haphazardly as they are stored safely from the pathway of electricians , the walls of wet paint , the new french doors being fitted and so forth. As I shudder with the anxiety of arranging an entire showroom before next Saturday I notice how charming an empire gilt mirror looks casually placed against a rustic butcher's table ; the unexpected placing of antique pieces never fails to inspire me. Each pairing is so exquisitely unique . Not unlike human relationships in a way, as separate and distinct personalities come together to make an extraordinary whole. We will spend this week carefully hanging mirrors, chandeliers and arranging furniture. We will agonize over the placement and pairing of each piece and coax the Haunt showroom into shape. By the end of the week we will have created a space of magic and beauty and look forward to welcoming you all on Saturday afternoon or in the very near future.