By Vivienne Milburn, FRICS Independent Antiques Auctioneer & Valuer
Industrial chic has moved well beyond the world of fashionable lofts and converted warehouses.
In today’s antiques auction market, the look has become a significant collecting trend for its combination of utility, patina and unapologetic character.
At the heart of the fashion is the appeal of honest materials, weathered steel, cast iron, galvanised metal, reclaimed timber and aged brass, contrasting and complementing traditional antiques and contemporary interiors.
Pieces such as factory stools, workshop cabinets, machinists’ benches, industrial lamps and architectural salvage are attracting attention precisely because they were made to work rather than merely to impress.
Industrial chic benefits particularly from the auction-room environment, where authenticity counts and evidence of use can add to an object’s appeal.
Faded paint and grime are no longer necessarily defects. Instead, they can be viewed as a record of working life, giving an object the kind of authentic patina that reproduction furniture struggles to replicate.
Industrial chic is not simply about buying something that looks old and rugged. Increasingly, buyers are interested in the story behind the object: what it was used for and how its design reflects a particular period of manufacturing, whether originating in textile mills, engineering works or railway workshops.
The industrial chic trend started with a more user-friendly furniture in the aftermath of World War II, when surplus materials used for the manufacture of military aircraft were turned into furniture.
The connection between P.B. Cow & Co and Hunting Aviation Ltd is a fascinating post-war collaboration that merged wartime manufacturing expertise into peacetime consumer products.
P B Cow was a household name for creating “Li-Lo” air beds. During the war they mass produced inflatable emergency dinghies and life jackets for the RAF. Post-war they used surplus materials to produce furniture that have a collector’s value in the current market.
For auction buyers, industrial chic offers some rare individuality. In a market crowded with reproductions and mass-produced interiors, an authentic industrial object carries visible evidence of its own history. Its imperfections become its signature and help to add to its value.
If you require a valuation on your antiques and collectables,
it is worth getting the advice of an Independent Antiques Valuer to assess your works of art. For information, please contact Vivienne Milburn on Mobile 07870 238788 or 01629 640210. www.viviennemilburn.co.uk email – vivienne@viviennemilburn.co.uk