I have worked in the antiques and auction business for over forty years, so I have seen many things go in and out of fashion and prices going up as well as down. It’s all about tastes and fashion.

At the moment mid-20^th Century is especially on trend with the younger generation furnishing their homes in this style. Furniture from this period which a few years ago fetched very little at auction is now very sought after and is known for its clean lines, uncomplicated and functional designs. The names to look for are G Plan, Ercol, Nathan and Macintosh so check the inside of cupboard doors, the sides of drawers or the back of a sideboard to see if your items have a label bearing one of those sought after names.

So, let’s have a look at the history of one of these firms G Plan. The G Plan range was introduced in 1953 by E. GommeLtd., a long-established furniture firm from High Wycombe. Its aim was to make stylish fashion forward contemporary furniture in contrast to the utility furniture of the war time and dark heavy furniture of earlier decades. The first range launched was called Brandon and designed by Victor Bramwell Wilkins. This Scandi inspired range was in light wood although some darker pieces were made and often had splayed legs and solid wood handles. The Astro coffee table from the mid 1960’s is an iconic piece with its four shaped supports and glass top and in good condition can fetch around £100-200 in auction.

Another sought after brand of mid-Century furniture is Ladderax, which was made from 1962-1987. Ladderax was a mix and matching shelving system,  which could be changed and added to when required and could incorporated record cabinets, writing desks, drawers etc.

Recently in our Spring Fine Art sale we sold a wonderful Charles and Ray Eames style swivel chair and matching footstool. It was one of my favourite lots in the sale and realised £580. It was a true design icon and typical of mid century furniture with a simulated rosewood frame and black leather upholstery. These chairs were sold by the American furniture company Herman Miller and were first introduced in 1956. The chairs were inspired by the traditional English club chair and were made until the early 1990’s. They consisted of five layers of plywood shells and then covered in veneers. Examples of Eames chairs can be seen in many museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and have appeared in movie and television room settings.

Another mid-Century brand that is hugely popular at the moment is Whitefriars glass which looks great on a G Plan sideboard! It is known for its bright and vibrant colours such as tangerine orange, turquoise and yellow. Their main designer was Geoffrey Baxter and many of the designs had textured finishes with dark, nails and wire being placed in the moulds. The Banjo, onion and the drunken bricklayer vases are some of the most popular designs named after the objects they represented. Sheffield Auction Gallery were pleased to sell a Whitefriars Cello vase recently, in meadow green, which realised £600 which was consigned at one of our Huddersfield valuation roadshows.

So, what else looks the part on mid-Century furniture? My pick would be Troika pottery which was a Cornish firm set up in 1962 in St Ives and closed in 1983. Their vision was to produce pottery as art rather than having a function. The firm soon became very successful and were even stocked in upmarket London shops such as Liberty and Heals. They were known for their abstract designs on a textured ground often in shades of blue and brown. Their pieces again were named after their shape such a coffin or cube vase. Plaques were also made as well as Aztec inspired mask vases which can sell for up to £1,000 at auction.

If you would like to buy or sell mid-Century pieces here at Sheffield Auction Gallery we regularly include some wonderful examples in our online auction catalogues so do take a look.