The first Fair catalogue front was a reproduction of an antique textile
Since its inception in September 1985, The Decorative Fair has led the way in bringing together the world of interior design and antiques. In the sales booklet for the first Fair, talking about the then existing fairs scene, the Organisers stated: “to a certain extent, interior designers have been neglected. There has until now been no specialist setting in which designers can meet dealers… and where their particular needs are understood and catered to.”
Pages from the Fair’s Sales Booklet show the dateline was 1900 when for most fairs it was 1837; today the dateline is 1979. Among textile items ‘not allowed’ were white linens such as sheets and table cloths, now allowed, and very popular.“Antique furniture which has been repainted in the original manner will be allowed”– this above all was the element that distinguished the Fair from others, primarily for decorators who wanted to buy ‘The Look’ and at reasonable prices, not necessarily items in pure original condition which invariably came with high price tags, as it is so rare to find completely untouched painted furniture.
The growth in the 1980s of the interior decorating trade coincided with a trend for opulent and traditional interiors, after decades of post-war modernism. Decorators were hunting for a great variety of antiques that weren’t necessarily collectors’ items, had visual impact, and were priced at levels that worked within their budgets. Although they didn’t know it yet, but what they were hunting for became known as ‘decorative antiques’.
The stand of Patricia Harvey, founder of the Fair, at the first marquee event held at Chelsea harbour in 1991. The Fair moved from there when the Harbour site underwent further development in the mid-1990s.
The launch of ‘The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair’ (its original name) tapped in to that demand, and was a welcome initiative. Exhibitors were positively encouraged to be creative with their stand displays to inspire buyers; textiles were experiencing a boom in interest, with the ‘full’ country house look of swags and tails (plus ruched blinds) at the windows, chintz-covered squashy sofas loaded with cushions, and the fad for fabric-draped side tables at its apogee. Designers and decorators embraced the event, as did their clients, who came to shop in their droves.
The first Fair in Battersea Park, January 1997, was in a marquee structure close to the Peace Pagoda on the riverfront. A complimentary shuttle service has always been provided from Sloane Square to the Fair.
There had never been an antiques fair like it – and today the event continues to lead the way for the interiors trade.
After the first Fair in the autumn of 1985 and until 1990, the Fair took place twice a year in ballrooms of leading hotels in central London, including the Café Royal
