Antique Shops & Designers

By Toma Clark Haines

Spencer Swaffer is known by many names. Some call him The Flea Man. The French refer to him as "L`inevitable" because it`s inevitable he`ll be the first in line at the best antiques trade fairs buying the best pieces of stock. His look is old money grandeur with a humorous twist - effortlessly glamorous and achingly stylish. I simply bow when I address him as "The Lords of Antiques".

For forty years Spencer Swaffer has been holding court in a tiny market town fifty miles southwest of London. His business today is one of the most celebrated in the world of decorative antiques with his client list reading like a Who`s Who in the world of interiors. While his clients are from both trade and private sectors - Spencer describes himself as a dealer`s dealer.

Despite the stores exalted position at the top of the trade it remains what it has always been - the place where the antiques trade comes to buy. "I own my building" Spencer explains, "I have no borrowing, and overheads are low in the countryside. If I buy something for £2,000 I am happy to turn it over for £2,200 - and I always have been. I always say I can`t wait to buy it - and then I can`t wait to sell it!" One of the most successful decorative antiques dealers in the world - with 85% of his business coming from overseas buyers. Spencer thinks the secret of his success as an antiques dealer comes from paying close attention to the antiques trends. Spencer still does all the buying for the shop himself and his exclusive eye choreographs not only his own collections but with so many dealers buying directly from him - he has shaped the stock found in some of the top antique stores around the world.

Spencer is the consummate professional  - he`s been doing this job since the ripe old age of eleven. As a child Spencer trawled the hills around his home looking for Neolithic flints and shards of Roman pottery and after amassing an impressive collection he dubbed his childhood bedroom The Swaffer Museum charging his friends and family admission. When BBC radio got wind of Spencer`s museum, they featured him on the air giving the young lad his first brush with fame. By chance an antiques dealer from Brighton heard the program and made an appointment to visit Spencer`s collection. He paid his admission fee - but then offered Spencer another fifty quid for two pieces of Egyptian pottery. Spencer realized he would rather have the money than the exhibits. He instantly converted his bedroom from museum to antiques shop. And the rest is history.

Today clients purchasing from Spencer buy with the same speed and enthusiasm. Spencer remarks, "If you love it. Buy it. Trust your instinct - buy what speaks to you." Every piece is unique, With the constantly revolving inventory and parade of international buyers his showroom decor changes nearly every two weeks.

Spencer`s rambling 6000 square foot showrooms range over four floors in an Elizabethan bow front dating back to the late 16th century. The building meanders as invitingly today as it did when it was an inn nearly 400 years ago. Coffee and tea are always ready to be served. If you arrive late in afternoon a glass of wine is sure to be offered. Behind the store, a walled garden is tucked below behind Arundel Castle - a restored medieval castle. His courtyards beckons invitingly with a Roman font and garden statuary.

Spencer`s home - like his shop -  is equally inviting. He and his wife Freya live in a double fronted Georgian town house located a short stroll from his shop. For years he lived in an apartment above his shop. Today Spencer and Freya`s house has a shiny red door no one can miss. It`s flanked with white columns and has a walled garden set into the hillside where Freya lends her hand nurturing English herbaceous classics and cultivating a kitchen garden.

While Spencer might be The Lord of Antiques - Freya, his wide is clearly the Lady of the Manor. After purchasing the property they immediately began a renovation process that spanned six months stripping centuries away to uncover the period details. The result is inviting and comfortable knodding slightly towards the rustic with its unvarnished original wide oak floorboards and an 18th C limestone fireplace Spencer sourced in France.

Perhaps the most striking difference between Spencer`s home and his store is the paired down approach. Freya explains, "Less is More." The couple allows each piece in their home to breathe - using muted colors on the walls and casual fabrics on upholstered pieces. While the shop is constantly changing, Spencer and Freya`s home stays reassuringly the same. Their home is sparser, cleaner and a tad more ethnic than you`d find in the shop. And while there is a country influence in the decor - this 200 year old home feels decisively contemporary with open spaces and light filtering from the southern coast of England into the windows.

About:
Author Toma Clark Haines is owner of The Antiques diva & Co Europe`s largest antiques touring company offering customized one on one buying tours to both tourists and the trade. Tours are offered in France, Belgium, England, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands. For times when clients aren`t able to travel oversea, The Antiques Diva & Co offers buying services helping dealers and designers stock their store. for more information email toma@antiquesdiva.com or visit the web www.antiquesdiva.com