The East Hampton Antiques & Design Show returns to Mulford Farm in East Hampton Village this weekend and promises something for everybody.
Presented by Ralph Lauren, the show with its array of antiques, jewelry, textiles, collectibles and elegant furniture and accessories, benefits the East Hampton Historical Society.
It opens with a preview cocktail party on the evening of Friday, July 14, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and then opens to the public on Saturday, July 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“As the current owner of the treasured and iconic Grey Gardens, the historical structures of East Hampton are near and dear to my heart,” says Liz Lange, a fashion designer, author and podcast host who serves as the honorary chairperson for the preview party.
“The buildings that the East Hampton Historical Society maintains are vital and make up the composition of one of the loveliest and best-planned villages in America, a village I have been lucky enough to have been coming to since my childhood,” she adds.
“It’s a great evening because old and new East Hampton are all together, thinking about how lucky we are to be here…and the shopping is fun! So come and shop, come see your friends, come meet some designer you’ve always wanted to meet. It’s a highlight of the summer and an event I never miss. I have found some of my favorite possessions there including jewelry, tabletop and even the outdoor table we use on our back patio.”
Tickets for the Friday night VIP Preview Cocktail Party start at $250 per person and include return visits over the weekend. Advance tickets to the show are $15, and the price goes up after Friday.
The eclectic offerings of art and wares at the show come from a diverse assembly of more than 50 antique and art dealers. The show focuses on both vintage decorative items for the home and garden. Items for sale will include classic rattan and bamboo furniture, lighting, textiles, architectural elements, American and European country-decorated furniture, Art Deco and Moderne, wrought-iron accessories, industrial items, paintings, trade signs, period jewelry, weathervanes and mirrors.
Styles of the items for sale range from classic to contemporary, ensuring that there will be a perfect find for everyone. Some common themes include a departure from minimalism to “maximalism,” objects rich in colors and textures; “cross-over collecting,” the careful curation of items from multiple eras that express personal individuality; the return to entertaining at home with an elegant tabletop; and more.
Ronald J. Wells from Wells & Company in Hudson, NY, explains the upcoming trend of maximalism: “It’s rich in colors, textures and collections of objects that are personal to the buyer. Just think of extreme minimalism and take it to the opposite direction. I have had multiple clients in the last year purchasing items to increase their collections with objects that are desired and important to them, such as folk-art carvings, painted 19th-century boxes, small looking glasses. But that does not mean that you are adhering to one particular time period. Instead, clients are looking at quality, rarity and personal appeal rather than what’s ‘hot’. It is a true sign of autonomy of thought in design.”
Brian Ferguson, co-show manager, brings almost 50 years of experience in identifying trends in the antiques market. He desires to find “the best of the best” when looking for the perfect antique, he says. “The BEST is always desirable. The market is changing – for the past 15 to 20 years Mid-Century Modern was hot. Now I see clients mixing modern with top-of-the-line 18th and 19th-century furniture, art and folk art. By curating with restraint and cherry-picking the best from each period, you can create tremendous visual appeal. That’s how you achieve the Wow Factor!”
Generous support from Ralph Lauren, media sponsor Veranda Magazine, and managers Green Tree Events and Brian Ferguson Antiques of Massachusetts made the East Hampton Antiques &; Design Show possible this summer.
Advance tickets for the Antiques & Design Show cost $15. The show offers an on-site café offering light bites or a full meal with local flavor, so patrons can enjoy a snack while they continue to shop.
“There’s something very human about collecting, whether it’s antiques, autographs, or baseball cards. Antiques provide a tangible connection with the past. To me, the value of the object comes from the story it’s able to tell,” says Stephen Long, executive director of the historical society.
For tickets, call the East Hampton Historical Society at 631-324-6850 Ext. 1, or e-mail at info@easthamptonhistory.org. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting the Events page on the East Hampton Historical Society’s website at easthamptonhistory.org.
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