Sustainable homewares: Why you should visit an auction house for your next unique furniture find

It’s not always the obvious choice when it comes to deciding on where to pick the furniture for your new home, but auction houses are full to the brim with unique finds that will give your living spaces character.

From mid-century couches in impeccable condition to sought-after art that usually adorns the walls of galleries, there’s always something worth bidding on at auction to decorate your home with.

Michael Thomas, an auctioneer at Raffan Kelaher & Thomas in Sydney, says that what makes auction houses special is that every week is different.

“I think that the main thing with auctions is that you never know what’s going to come up. You come and see us on a Saturday morning, and there’s 2000 pieces going to auction, but then you come the following Saturday, and it’s completely different again,” he explains.

Buying at auction is also a sustainable way of furnishing and decorating your home.

“What you buy at auction is sustainable, and there’s a story behind it … your house won’t look like an IKEA catalogue, and the pieces we sell are made to last,” he says.

Surprising auction sales

If you’ve ever watched an episode of Antiques Roadshow, you’ll know that it’s often the stories behind the pieces that are the most precious.

Chiara Curcio is head of the decorative arts and interiors department at Leonard Joel in Melbourne and has seen some incredible antiques come through the auction room during her 12 years there.

“Just recently, we sold a 15th-century Italian panel painting for over $100,000. We also sold an autographed letter from Horatio Nelson [a heroic 18th-century British naval commander] a couple of years ago – there are so many special pieces that we get to see,” she says.

Thomas recently auctioned a 1950s surgeon’s table to an S&M shop owner in Sydney who had plans to convert it for use in the pleasure industry.

“That was one of the more surprising sales I’ve seen,” he says.

Often, it’s the things you least expect that are worth the most: Curcio once worked with a client and uncovered a rare item that earned her thousands of dollars.

“She was showing me some pieces she thought would sell well at auction and, it was during COVID times, so it was on camera. I asked her if she could show me the rest of the room and I spotted something and said ‘what’s that?’ and she said ‘this wooden thing?’, which was on the donation pile. Turns out it was an incredibly rare Maori weaving peg, which we sold for $243,000 – it’s probably in some institution now as a collectible.”

Times are changing, and so are auction houses

Auction houses can conjure up images of dark wooden antiques and Victorian crockery; however, the modern auction house offers a far more versatile collection of decor.

“What we’re seeing now in the changing face of the auction market is a focus on pieces from the 20th century or mid-century design. There’s a lot of stuff from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s coming back in bulk,” Thomas says.

Currently, Leonard Joel has a modern design section, which features rare retro pieces with recent sales that included an original Grant Featherston Mark II Sound chair, which sold for $11,780, along with an Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Snoopy lamp, which sold for $2200.

COVID-19 also forced the auction market to evolve, with live auctions moving online. This has attracted a larger crowd bidding at home or simply watching for entertainment.

How to approach an auction

So, how do you bid on something at auction? There are some simple steps that will likely have you hooked for more auctions to come.

• Choose your item: Either visit the auction house before the auction is set to take place or browse the catalogue on offer. Decide what you want to take home and make a note of its number so that when it’s called out, you know to get ready to bid.
• Bidding: The auctioneer leads the process like a conductor. As each item is brought up for bidding, the auctioneer will call out prices and wait for a bid. The auctioneer will continue adding onto the number until the final price is called and the hammer comes down.
• Passed-in pieces: Even if you miss the auction, you can check to see if the piece you liked is still available. If it is, call the auction house and make an offer, and the seller can make the decision as to whether to sell.