The art of the dealer
Dickinson’s Real Deal star Tim Hogarth talks about selling his country home and the antiques he is tipping as best investments. Sharon Dale reports.
Aregular on ITV’s Dickinson’s Real Deal, antiques expert Tim Hogarth knows a Chippendale from a Hepplewhite all right but he’s no snob when it comes to furnishing his own home. While there are some exquisite antiques, they sit alongside more affordable collectables and even some well-crafted Titchmarsh & Goodwin, period style furniture from the 1980s.
“There is lots of stuff in here that’s old but not very valuable and we’ve bought it because we like the look of it,” says Tim, a lifelong dealer and owner of the renowned Red House Antiques centre in York.
The result is that the barn conversion he and his wife, Nicola, bought 14 years ago is beautiful and packed with interest but feels relaxed and homely. “The decor is country house style, which we both like and never dates,” says Tim, who is preparing to say “goodbye” to his much-loved home.
Low House Farm in the village of Queensbury, close to Halifax and Bradford, is on the market for £495,000 as he and Nicola have bought a renovation project in North Yorkshire.
The couple and their daughter, Hester, now 19, looked at “hundreds of houses” before buying the pretty barn in a quiet rural spot with exceptional views.
“As soon as we saw this place we knew it was the one and it has been wonderful in lockdown,” says Tim.
The property is one of three period dwellings in a cobbled courtyard and has 1.69 acres of land including a hen house, a small barn, a potting shed and a tree house. Inside, there is a hallway, wc, front sitting room, open plan kitchen/dining area leading to a second sitting room plus a mistal with potential to convert into a home office/annexe. On the first floor are five bedrooms and two bathrooms.
When the couple got the keys to the impressive front door reclaimed from Kirklees Hall, they immediately made some big changes. The separate kitchen and what was a sitting room next door were combined to create the open-plan kitchen and dining area with French doors leading out to the rear courtyard garden.
The original stone-flagged floors in the adjacent rear sitting room have been topped with sisal and a wood-burning stove ensures that the room is always warm and cosy. Most of the furniture is old or handcrafted. “You can pick up a Georgian chest for £200 at auction so why would you buy from Ikea? Plus antiques are the ultimate in recycling,” says Tim. The walls are painted in Zoffany neutrals and are full of art, including framed antique needlework and a plethora of prints and paintings. One by Hungarian artist Laszlo is a favourite and his lady with a fan looks splendid between two chairs in the front sitting room.
Blue and white 18th and 19th century, Chinese decorative ceramics are another passion. “I love the way they look.
They don’t have to be expensive and