New trend-setting Talisman comes to town

After many years in business, most people tend to move from the city to the country for a quieter life.  But for the antiques dealer Ken Bolan and his internationally known dealership Talisman, the opposite is the case.

He has left his country base and created a new London trade landmark.

Ken spent more that 25 years dealing from The Old Brewery, Wyke, near Gillingham, in the heart of the countryside and, during that time, his stylish, eclectic mix of antiques, statuary, garden items and all manner of exotic fare attracted a worldwide clientele with an emphasis on decorators.

The Talisman look was nothing if not dramatic, exemplified by their stands at past Olympias where they were among the pioneers of that somewhat over-the-top theatricality now so admired by fair organisers.  Having created an antiques destination in the country, Ken, at the age of 55, decided to face his biggest challenge and transferred his whole show to the capital to make a bigger splash in London.

To this end, he sold much of his stock at Sotheby’s last year, then bought and completely redeveloped a familiar part of the Fulham landscape, the definitively Art Deco 1939 garage at 79-91 New King’s Road, London SW6.
With the help of architects and much money, Ken has converted the garage into one of London’s most distinctive and stylish emporiums.

It started trading in the summer, and opened officially with a grand celebrity bash in September. It is now operating at full throttle – and with much success.

The London version of Talisman offers 16,000 sq. ft of display space and, while it has all the trademarks of the old Talisman, Ken has greatly expanded his holding of contemporary work.

The whole ambience typifies much of what is currently successful with eye-catching antique fare mixed with mid-to-late American 20th century furniture – Ken’s tip for the design-savvy.

Talisman exemplifies the fashionable formula of mixing styles, periods and media and, while it retains stock of 18th century Swedish furniture for which it is famous, there is a set of screens by Paco Rabanne and a Baroque fountain nearby. The sheer scale of this enterprise is laudable and the fact that Ken Bolan has pulled it off is only good for the London trade.  Talisman has indeed added a design and antiques (or perhaps “lifestyle” would be a better word) destination to the London scene.