Rooms Reimagined: The Period Home Sale


October 2026

There's a particular kind of magic in imagining a room built entirely from auction lots, each piece chosen not just for its own merit, but for how it might sit alongside another. It's a different way of looking at a sale, less about individual lots and more about the life they might go on to lead once they leave the saleroom. We've taken a handful of lots from our previous Period Home sales and imagined them at home in four classic rooms, from a quiet bedroom retreat to a scholarly library.

Read on to see how they might have come together and what each lot achieved.

A Quiet Retreat

A bedroom built around this selection would lean elegant and personal. The Regency mahogany kneehole dressing table, in the manner of Gillows, would anchor the room, its surface set with a Victorian Thomas Webb cameo glass scent bottle catching the morning light. Against the wall, a William & Mary oyster-veneered chest would provide storage with real presence, while the early 19th century mahogany combination wardrobe would complete the case furniture with quiet grandeur. On the dressing table, an Edwardian miniature silver carriage clock would keep time, and the Victorian silver provincial snuff box, its lid engraved with a railway presentation inscription and still holding its original sod of earth, would sit as a small, deeply personal piece of history, exactly the sort of object a Period Home setting is built to showcase.
In the manner of Gillows - Regency period mahogany kneehole dressing table or writing desk...In the manner of Gillows - Regency period mahogany kneehole dressing table or writing desk...Sold: £2,600Victorian Thomas Webb silver mounted cameo glass scent bottle, hallmarked Sampson Mordan a...Victorian Thomas Webb silver mounted cameo glass scent bottle, hallmarked Sampson Mordan a...Sold: £320William & Mary period laburnum and walnut oyster-veneered chest, the rectangular top with...William & Mary period laburnum and walnut oyster-veneered chest, the rectangular top with...Sold: £3,600Rare Victorian silver provincial snuff box, of rounded rectangular form, the hinged cover...Rare Victorian silver provincial snuff box, of rounded rectangular form, the hinged cover...Sold: £1,000Early 19th century figured mahogany combination wardrobe, the breakfront architectural cor...Early 19th century figured mahogany combination wardrobe, the breakfront architectural cor...Sold: £1,100Edwardian miniature silver cased carriage clock timepiece, hallmarked Henry Clifford Davis...Edwardian miniature silver cased carriage clock timepiece, hallmarked Henry Clifford Davis...Sold: £260

Gathering in Style

A dining room furnished from this group would centre, naturally, on the table. Bevan Funnell's Regency-design extending mahogany dining table would seat family and guests alike, surrounded by a pair of Edwardian inlaid mahogany elbow chairs from Hampton & Sons, carrying provenance from Kirkham Hall. A George I figured and burr walnut bureau-cabinet, unusually small in proportion and bought at Sotheby's in 1977, would offer both storage and conversation. On the table, a 19th century Meissen cabinet plate with its reticulated trellis border would add colour and craftsmanship, while a Northern European silver peg tankard would speak to the room's more convivial history. An early 20th century brass mantle clock would round out the mantelpiece.
19th century Meissen cabinet plate, the reticulated border modelled with trellis panels an...19th century Meissen cabinet plate, the reticulated border modelled with trellis panels an...Sold: £700Northern European silver peg tankard, probably late 18th/early 19th century, of cylindrica...Northern European silver peg tankard, probably late 18th/early 19th century, of cylindrica...Sold: £1,800Hampton & Sons (Pall Mall 1830-1957) - Pair of Edwardian inlaid mahogany wheel-back elbow...Hampton & Sons (Pall Mall 1830-1957) - Pair of Edwardian inlaid mahogany wheel-back elbow...Sold: £650Quality George I figured and burr walnut bureau-cabinet of unusually small proportions, th...Quality George I figured and burr walnut bureau-cabinet of unusually small proportions, th...Sold: £3,100Bevan Funnell Reprodux - Regency design mahogany extending dining table, circular radial v...Bevan Funnell Reprodux - Regency design mahogany extending dining table, circular radial v...Sold: £800Early 20th century brass mantle clock, the face and case profusely engraved with floral sc...Early 20th century brass mantle clock, the face and case profusely engraved with floral sc...Sold: £600

Comfort and Curiosities

This room would be for slower afternoons. An early 20th century oxblood leathercloth Chesterfield armchair, set before a Regency-design brass and green leather club fender, would invite you to sit and stay a while. Above the fireplace, a portrait after Rembrandt, a small oil of a bearded man, would draw the eye, while an Edwardian inlaid mahogany corner hall-robe would offer a graceful, practical corner piece. A mid-19th century dial clock would keep gentle time, and the mid-18th century Meissen figure group, The Tyrolean Dancers, would bring a touch of playfulness to the mantel.
Mid 18th century Meissen figure group, The Tyrolean Dancers, circa 1740, modelled as two s...Mid 18th century Meissen figure group, The Tyrolean Dancers, circa 1740, modelled as two s...Sold: £8,200After Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch 1606-1669): Portrait of a Bearded Man, oil on board unsign...After Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch 1606-1669): Portrait of a Bearded Man, oil on board unsign...Sold: £1,100Edwardian inlaid mahogany cylindrical corner hall-robe, projecting cornice, figured veneer...Edwardian inlaid mahogany cylindrical corner hall-robe, projecting cornice, figured veneer...Sold: £1,100Mid 19th century dial clock the white dial inscribed 'Bethel Jacobs, 7 Whitefriargate, Hu...Mid 19th century dial clock the white dial inscribed 'Bethel Jacobs, 7 Whitefriargate, Hu...Sold: £900Early 20th century style oxblood red leathercloth Chesterfield armchair, deep buttoned sha...Early 20th century style oxblood red leathercloth Chesterfield armchair, deep buttoned sha...Sold: £550Regency design brass and green leather club fender, padded cushion cornersRegency design brass and green leather club fender, padded cushion cornersSold: £750

Scholarly Elegance

No period home is complete without a library, and this room would have one worth lingering in. A pair of mid-19th century mahogany cellarettes by Thomas & George Seddon, one lined for wine and finished in sarcophagus form, would flank the space with real gravitas. A Victorian figured walnut and kingwood-banded ladies' writing table would offer a place to work, beneath the imposing form of a late 19th century ebonised and gilt-bronze mounted musical longcase clock. A late Victorian Royal Worcester vase would bring colour to a shelf, alongside a mid-18th century Furstenberg figure of a beggar with his peg leg and bare foot, an unusual and characterful addition. An Edwardian silver and enamel Coronation chocolate box would finish the room with a note of ceremony.
Thomas & George Seddon (1815-1870) - Pair of mid-19th mahogany cellarettes of sarcophagus...Thomas & George Seddon (1815-1870) - Pair of mid-19th mahogany cellarettes of sarcophagus...Sold: £1,800Late Victorian Royal Worcester vase of baluster design with gilt handles and painted with...Late Victorian Royal Worcester vase of baluster design with gilt handles and painted with...Sold: £220Late nineteenth century ebonised and gilt-bronze mounted musical longcase clock of impress...Late nineteenth century ebonised and gilt-bronze mounted musical longcase clock of impress...Sold: £3,000Victorian figured walnut and kingwood-banded ladies writing table, the raised superstructu...Victorian figured walnut and kingwood-banded ladies writing table, the raised superstructu...Sold: £1,000Mid 18th century Furstenberg figure, modelled as a beggar or mendicant with peg leg and ba...Mid 18th century Furstenberg figure, modelled as a beggar or mendicant with peg leg and ba...Sold: £900Edwardian silver and enamel Coronation chocolate box, the lid enamelled with oval portrait...Edwardian silver and enamel Coronation chocolate box, the lid enamelled with oval portrait...Sold: £1,700

Ready to Consign?

From bedroom to library, these imagined settings show just how far a well-chosen collection can go, and how much history can live in a single room. If you have similar pieces of quality furniture, silver, ceramics or clocks, we'd love to hear from you.

We are now inviting entries for our next Period Home auction, a celebration of classical design and sophisticated living inspired by the Georgian townhouse, featuring mahogany and satinwood furniture, gilt mirrors, lighting and decorative furnishings, complemented by fine porcelain from Rockingham and Worcester, silver, crystal and objets d'art. Entries close on Friday 30th October, so get in touch soon to discuss consigning your items.
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