ANTIQUES MAKE A HOME

Create a welcoming si"ing room with six easy pieces

The prices quoted are total, so the hammer price, plus buyer’s premium and VAT.

BUDGET: £1,500 BILL: £1,359

A sofa is one of the largest pieces of furniture you’ll buy and they are great value at auction, where you’ll find everything from handsome Regency designs to Victorian examples and early 20th-century lots in many different sizes. Hand in hand with the sofa goes the occasional table – everyone needs one, whether for a lamp, a collection of ornaments or for your glass of wine; usually lightweight, they are easily moved around. For smaller sitting rooms, a mirror is a must to reflect light around the space, making the room seem larger than it is. Round, oval or square, the choice is yours. Enliven the look with a few smaller pieces such as a vase, some bowls, a Staffordshire figure, a painting, print or poster, or maybe a lamp that casts a soft glow across the room.

1 This 19th-century Japanese woodblock print of a courtesan by Keisai Eisen would be an elegant addition to any interior, £91 at Duke’s 2 Late 19th-century Imari wares made in Japan will provide a decorative splash of colour – this trio sold for £124 at Halls 3 At nearly a metre tall, this Victorian gilt plaster wall mirror with scrollwork on the corners would look good above the mantelpiece, £195 at Mallams 4 Low tripod tilt-top tables are always useful and beautiful, as illustrated by this European fruitwood example dating to the 19th century, £234 at Woolley & Wallis 5 With its curvy lines and lovely wood, an Art Deco sofa such as this oak-framed example, £520 at Sworders, is easily integrated into contemporary interiors 6 An Art Nouveau painted glass vase, c1900, 28cm tall, £195 at Roseberys, is beautiful with or without flowers