Recently when returning a wine table I had restored for a couple, I noticed a beautiful 19th century French marble female statue.
Jim’s 88, he told me this was his first purchase aged 12. Jim’s equally wonderful wife Judith is 80.
Every time I visit them I learn more fascinating stories of their lives together, true romantics indeed.
Gives me a lot of hope, that’s for sure.
They have a fantastic collection of 18th-19th century furniture, art and ceramics.
Jim then showed me Norman Lindsay and Streeton watercolours he had purchased before they were famous.
It’s always nice going to customers homes that have a good eye for art and furniture.
I’ve sold them several pieces, including this 18th century English figured walnut writing bureau and 18th century English country oak chest of drawers.
My son Charlie and his girlfriend Victoria helped me deliver recently, I wanted them to see true romance still alive after around 60 years of marriage.
Such a wonderful business to be in. So many beautiful, fascinating people I meet daily…
From time to time I’ll continue showing beautiful parts of beautiful pieces inside my showroom or home…
This afternoon my shop.
Stylish shapes and angles of the decorative arts & furniture said, here I am, show my beauty…
“Snapshots of the elegance of design”
This is what I will miss once I make my final sale of my final piece of stock in the next year or two…
A slow retirement is certainly the way I’ll remove myself from the antiques & art trade…
No hurry from me, suits my obvious ‘working in country time’ style of doing things.
I hope you enjoy the beauty as I do…
Today’s photos are from my showroom.
A Terns head and tip to a wave, from beautiful Art Deco Bronze.
‘Constantinople’ showing on a perfectly maintained Art Nouveau Terrestrial Globe. Now Istanbul, changed 1930.
Lower right corner of a decorative English Art Deco chinoiserie design mantle clock.
The tip of one of a pair of 19th century tusks. They originally belonged to a gong that was dismantled.
The shaped coloured and clear glass lower point, from a mid century Italian Murano chandelier.
Central carvings on a 19th century French, fruitwood, burr elm & oak dough bin.
The corner of a decorative 19th century Japanese scalloped edge charger.
The moving mouth and teeth of a mid century Hanging Face ‘Ivory Coast’
The cheeky smiling faded rosewood face of a 19th century Chinese door gong.
The silver face on handle of a 19th century Persian jug.
Stock in showrooms, in storage and from our recently sold family home are now to clear.
Always best to make an appointment, but I’m usually in 11.30am til 4.30pm Mon – Sat.
Window signs supplied by Luke Signs, fantastic service as always, thanks Luke.
Lana Samuels & Marty Fox did a fantastic job. Also due to photographers not permitted to do their work, my great friend and exceptional photographer Russell Winnell supplied photographs he had previously taken for me.
Aprox ten days on the market and SOLD!
Professional service to ourselves and the purchasers closed the deal!
Sadly the buyers already have a lot of their own pieces so won’t purchase the furniture, art and lighting, that ever so graciously dressed our home over the past 20 years.
As my showroom and store rooms packed, I’ve decided to sell mostly online. Between Instagram & my website allpressinc.
I’ll post many special pieces over the next few days.
ALLPRESS ANTIQUES @ MELBOURNE – THE PAST FOUNDING THE FUTURE
‘Antiques are timeless classics that look wonderful in contemporary settings’*
Gaining and enjoying a sensitivity to a timeless design aesthetic has been part of the passionate life journey of New Zealand born Melbourne based antiques dealer Jamie Allpress. It began when he was only 11 years of age, working after school in an antique shop in the beautiful surroundings at Dunedin in New Zealand. It is also where he first learned the skill of maintaining original finishes, hand graining, colouring and wax finishing as he embraced the concepts of conservation and restoration of fine furniture.
A recent window display we did for Brunschwig & Fils in High Street Armadale, Victoria Australia.
It is a prominent company that designs and manufactures contemporary and historically inspired decorative fabrics, wall coverings, trimmings, upholstered furniture, lamps, tables, mirrors and accessories.
July 2010
Comprising of an unusually small 17th Century English Oak low dresser with an Italian Satyr figure to the right with a Flemish ebonized mirror behind, flanked by two 19th Century Chinese Water Colours on rice paper to each side.
I sub-let the shop next door to Milton Wine Bar and keep part of the garage for displays.
‘Brownlow Interior Design’ dressed this months room.
However, will stay as over the Christmas and New Year period.
Barbara and Alexandra Brownlow did a fantastic job, bringing the space to life with my furniture, Imari and art, adding their signature parrots, French Louis Style settee, Colefax and Fowler curtains, brass floor lamp, Chinese blue & white umbrella stands, Bragg & Co jungle green lamps and Behruz Studios pure wool flat weave rug.
Jamie Allpress of Allpress Antiques in Melbourne specializes in antique dressers.
He mostly sells them without their shelving units, because that’s what most people want.
“A ‘marriage’ should always be pointed out. i.e. where two pieces of the similar period and style have been put together to produce a more salable item”.
