Blogs

A Provençale Easter is the mood this month at Haunt inspired by one of our most ancient western festivals. A captivating French plaster and polychrome Virgin and child takes centre stage atop a rustic, almost monastic, 18th century coffer. An array of candlesticks create a ceremonial atmosphere and a pretty mid 19th century, Provençale bergère adds a botanical note.
The tradition of offering eggs at Easter dates back to antiquity when the egyptians and romans would gift eggs in the springtime to celebrate life and rebirth. A very apt symbol for Christchurch at the moment perhaps as we look forward to rebuilding and renewal.

With Autumn just around the corner it feels like time to get cooking !
Having uncluttered time to immerse oneself in the kitchen is one of the great pleasures of life and it is always exciting to change and improve our culinary interiors. A sensitive blend of antique and contemporary pieces bring authenticity and warmth to the heart of the home .  Antique pieces add charm and beauty but are also practical - the process of cooking has not changed that much after all ! A 19th century chopping block can provide a decorative and useful work surface , freestanding or cleverly placed adjoining an existing bench. Vintage industrial shelving serves as characterful storage for plates and serving dishes or pots and pans. If you are lucky enough to have space for a kitchen table there are a large array of French café tables  amongst the collection at Haunt - the perfect setting for your morning coffee !
 

 Wishing everybody a happy and festive Christmas and a relaxing summer break.

The Christmas break is always the ideal time to dream up new Haunt ideas and this summer will be no exception. I am looking forward to the coming year at Haunt with many new pieces waiting to be showcased and my little notebook brimming full of summer inspiration to begin the year ! Most of all it is always a pleasure finding others with a shared fascination for the antique in our modern world - thank you very much for your continuing support and interest in Haunt.

Haunt will be closed from the 22 December until the end of January but please do keep in touch via the website and if you have any enquiries over the holiday period please do call, text or email.

Urban rusticity is a contemporary look which brings a casual charm and warmth to any interior. The raw aesthetic of industrial pieces coupled with the cosiness of vintage leather is a delightful combination which is easy to live with and compatible with so many other styles. Simply add a modernist lamp, an abstract painting or at Haunt we like to accent the look with a hint of 18th century !
The gorgeous French workbench featured here has just come into the showroom and is the perfect choice for a feature storage piece with that covetable rustic appeal.

This is the very last large workbench from the latest shipment so be sure to pop in to have a look if you happened to miss out on the recently sold workbenches !

We have had a fabulous opening week at Haunt . After an enjoyable, festive and thankfully sunny opening day last Saturday we have been busy with an enthusiastic stream of visitors all week . Thank you all so much for your continued support and interest in Haunt. I thought I would post a few photos of the new space for those who have been unable to visit in person yet and we look forward to seeing you all back at Haunt soon. Keep an eye on the website as I will be loading new pieces as they come into the showroom and if you are in Sydenham don't forget to pop in -  to be absolutely sure that we will be there just text before you plan a visit.

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.