This dreamy English country estate is filled with precious items and almost all of them will be sold at auction next month. The Hunting Lodge, which was once part of King Henry VII's estate, has been the rented home of British interior designer Nicky Haslam for the past 40 years. As an avid collector of paintings, antiques, furniture, art and books, this could be the ultimate house contents sale. Let's take a look at what's up for grabs...
Born to a well-off family and educated at Eton, the most exclusive private school in England, Nicky Haslam has always moved in glamorous circles, partying with everyone from Andy Warhol to Kate Moss. Haslam, who has worked with Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry and Prince Charles, began renting the Hunting Lodge from the National Trust in 1978 and has curated its contents with his usual impeccable taste. Now having fallen on hard times, he's having a clear-out to raise cash, before handing the property back to its rightful owners.
Every item in the house has been perfectly styled by Nicky's own skilled hands, so walking through the stately home is like the ultimate shopping experience. Haslam's love affair with this Grade II-listed building culminated in the 2013 book Folly de Grandeur, which gave the house its legendary reputation. It also gave people a glimpse at his unrivalled collection, all of which will go under the hammer at the Bonhams auction on November 20 in London.
It's rumoured that Haslam once charged TV presenter Anne Robinson £200,000 ($258k) per room to decorate her home, so it's no wonder that he has expensive taste. From Lucien Freud sketches worth at least £15,000 ($19k) to affordable Art Deco silverware at £200 ($258), he's selling the lot. This 19th-century French footstool is covered with needlework that Haslam designed using the rooftops of the Hunting Lodge as his inspiration.
Hung above the marble fireplace, this 18th-century oil painting of The Ecstasy of Saint Joseph of Cupertino is estimated to sell for between £2,000 ($2,581) and £3,000 ($3,872) pounds. It was bought on behalf of Nicky's father, William Heywood Haslam, and is one of the many heirlooms being put up for sale. These blue and white table lamps are 19th-century Chinese porcelain and are expected to go for between £300 and £500 ($387 and $645).
The great designer dedicated six decades to curating an unrivalled collection of artefacts, which all sit on display in the home's traditional yet stylish interior. In this regal bedroom, the framed 1920s poster of The Beggar's Opera is listed online for between £300 and £500 ($387 and $645). Above the bed, the carved wooden eagle corona could be yours for £400 ($516) to £600 ($774) and the red Italian bedside lamps from £100 ($129) for the pair if the bidding goes your way.
Whether you're looking for a 19th-century carved console table in a Louis XVI style, or a Chinese painted glass lantern, the Hunting Lodge auction has something for everyone. This collection, listed for offers over £700 ($900), includes a selection of white-painted plaster, ceramic, cardboard and perspex objects. Haslam called such decorative items 'tablescape' and the lot offers everything from a biscuit porcelain model of The Spinario to a trompe l'oeil brush pot.
Fans of classical sculpture will be thrilled to discover that Haslam is selling seven important works such as this. From a large 19th-century wax bust of Jean de Rotrou, estimated to be worth £3,000 ($3.9k), to a terracotta sculpture of Marie Antoinette, there is something to please every sort of collector!
Fancy owning a stately home? This enchanting fine house is on the market
If books and art are more your thing then don't fret because this house clearance has plenty of those too! From a group of six 20th-century drypoint etchings by the likes of F. L. Griggs and Hesketh-Hubbard priced from £300 ($390) to a self-portrait of Cecil Beaton listed for £3,000 ($3.9k), there's a piece of art for every budget!
Fine furnishings are used throughout the house and they could potentially be yours too. In this sunny living room, the green-topped mid-19th-century console table has an estimated price of £400 to £600, and the pair of floral sofas – designed by Nicky and upholstered in Nicholas Herbert 'Georgina' chintz fabric – will start bidding at £1000.
This unusual etching by Lucian Freud was given to Haslam by the artist himself and is the most expensive single item in the sale. It dates back to 2000 and was created in pencil on Somerset white wove paper. The image is a close-up detail from a larger etching, which Freud produced after being inspired by 'The Young Schoolmistress' by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin. If you like the look of it, then you'll need at least £20,000 ($25.6k) to be in with a chance of buying it!
We imagine this lot will be even more popular though! This attractive pen and ink sketch of Coco Chanel (pictured left) was created by Cecil Beaton and is thought to be worth between £4,000 ($5k) and £6,000 ($7.7k). The pretty drawing comes complete with a Cecil Beaton Studio Sale stamp, which proves its authenticity. On the right and also up for sale, a self-portrait by Beaton as it appears in the lodge.
Perhaps you're more interested in the designer's key accessories? The Bonhams auction is jam-packed full of unique fixtures and finishes, all carefully chosen by Haslam himself. This late 19th-century gilt metal column table lamp is listed for £500 ($640) along with this terracotta figure dating from the late 19th century.
Love this? Take a look at the grandest stately homes from around the world
This mid-century continental tole dahlia lamp is one of the auction's most expensive light fixtures. The base is highly decorative and mimics a basket of flowers. Listed for bids between £800 ($1k) and £1,200 ($1.5k), it's a unique piece that just needs the right buyer on the day.
If you're in the market for smaller trinkets, then consider this attractive little box that dates back to the early 19th century. It offers a lead covering and a beautiful paper lining and was originally buried in the estate's grounds before it was discovered and dug up. The container comes complete with a selection of letters belonging to members of the Haslam family, sent during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The box is listed for offers over £500 ($640)!
This item is perhaps the auction's most unusual lot. The late 18th, early 19th-century Vienna porcelain bowl has a diameter of 81 inches and is enamelled with floral sprays. Oh, and it also happens to contain a collection of lobster models from a Cartier polo party that Haslam was in charge of decorating! If you fancy buying it, then you'll need at least £200 ($260) to be in with a shot.
As well as iconic art and rather peculiar ornaments, the auction also offers plenty of kitchenware. You will find two separate kitchen lots: the first includes a Colefax and Fowler painted wood and glass three-tier flower stand and a collection of decorative jugs and ceramics, while the second boasts a 'tablescape' of items including a Parian bust of Apollo and stoneware storage jars, both listed for £200 ($260).
The Hunting Lodge is famed for its stunning grounds and Haslam is also selling off plenty of exterior pieces, too. Perhaps you'd like a late 20th-century painted urn in the neoclassical style or maybe you'd prefer a pair of Regency Gothic Revival wrought iron garden seats for as little as £1,200 ($1.5k) and a beautifully weathered sandstone basin to go with it?
Fascinated? Here's what it really costs to live in a stately home
This attractive watercolour is just one of Haslam's own works available at the auction. The piece depicts a drawing room design and was completed by Haslam in May 1999. Other key artworks by the man himself include a painting of the Haslam family crest and a watercolour of a Vanity Fair launch party for Tina Brown, worth £1,000 ($1.3k). If you fancy, you could also snap up a couple of portraits of the designer, including an unusual piece by Michael Wishart and another by Vanessa Garwood.
If money is no object, then perhaps you might consider the auction's pricier offerings. A photographic portrait of Mae West by Diane Arbus is the second most expensive item for sale and is estimated to be worth between £8,000 ($10k) and £12,000 ($15k). Andy Warhol’s The Philosophy of Andy Warhol book, inscribed by the man himself, comes in as the third most expensive lot and seeks bids over £5,000 ($6.4k).
Fancy living in luxury? These incredible homes might cost less than you think
Those with less cash can consider the auction's lowest-priced items: a mid-19th century Staffordshire figure of Garibaldi and a selection of metal objects (pictured left), including a Middle Eastern travelling pen case, both of which could be snapped up for as little as £100 ($130). Bonhams' Director of House Sales and Private Collections, Charlie Thomas, commented: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snap up a piece of design history... from the Gothic Revival garden seats on the terrace to the shelves upon shelves of signed books and biographies."
In 2009, Haslam celebrated the property in his autobiography 'Redeeming Features', where he stated: “…to me the Hunting Lodge is quite simply the prettiest small house in the world.” Though sorry to be leaving behind the home he has cherished for decades, Haslam also accepts that it is time to give this stunning building back to the National Trust: “I am not sad. Life is too long to be sad." The auction takes place at 15:00 BST, on November 20th at Bonhams London.
Love this? Discover the incredible secrets behind 12 abandoned stately homes