Specialist's Picks: The Principal Contents of Alderley House

Alderley House is a picture postcard, perfect, Cotswold Manor House. Quintessentially English, it has been lovingly brought back to life by Victoria Day and her husband. What I particularly like is the stylish combination of English Country house style and all embracing comfort.

^{Alderley House, Gloucestershire}

The piece I would most like to take home is Lot 21 a 19th Century French kingwood bureau plat with its bold scrolling shape and ormolu mounts, seated in my office at home, where I am preparing this, I would feel the master of all I surveyed. The piece carries an eminently reasonable estimate of £3,000-5,000.

^{Lot 21 A French kingwood bureau plat}

Pieces that eloquently combine comfort and style are two modern settees by Colefax and Fowler with silk upholstery by Scalamandre of the US, whose previous clients have resided in the White House. Lots 10 & 11 carry pre sale estimates of £2,000-4,000 each, a fraction of their original cost.

^{Lot 11 A modern silk upholstered settee, by Colefax & Fowler}

There are many old and new table lamps for offer which were part of the furnishing scheme of just about every room in the house, all have expensive modern silk shades, Lot 154 is a particularly stylish example, again modestly estimated at only £200-400, surely a bargain.

^{Lot 154 A French green-veined marble table lamp}

The house boasted 14 bedrooms and 17 beds, all with modern Orthos divans and top quality Hypnos mattresses, Lot 321 in the French Directoire style is a typical example.

^{A French mahogany and gilt-mounted double bed}

There are many more items I would love to highlight, however with space at a premium I will end with two lots no self respecting country house owner should be without, Lot 210 an enormous tractor mower which would cut most lawns in two sweeps and Lot 207 a battery powered clay pigeon launcher with a trailer hitch and most importantly remote control.

^{Lot 210 An Iseki 5XG22 ride-on mower & Lot 2017 A modern Bowman battery powered clay pigeon launcher}

Do join us on Tuesday 23 July for a traditional country house experience.