Found Objects

Lewis Bowman delves into the interiors treasure trove that is Talisman Antiques.

For 25 years the savviest furniture-lovers would travel from across the globe to visit Dorset interiors emporium Talisman.  Owner Ken Bolan sourced his stock from places just as distant and diverse as those whence his customers came, and assembled a rarely-equalled collection of antiques European furnishings and American mid-late 20th century pieces that proved only too desirable to design aficionados.  Denizens of west London had little choice but to travel in order to experience the many delights of the Talisman showroom – until now.

With the recent relocation of the Talisman enterprise to New King’s Road, the capital’s interiors insiders have seen their lives made a whole lot easier: now all the treasures procured of Ken Bolan’s travels have been brought much closer to home.  Visit the showroom – an Art Deco converted car park built in 1939, and threatened with demolition by property developers until Bolan saved it – and you’re sure to be inspired by the same varied and exquisite assortment of furnishings that have captivated existing clients for so long.

“The design-conscious customer is increasingly interested in the pedigree of a piece, its distinctive nature, and its place in design history,” says Bolan. “While some of my clients are collectors attracted to a very specific style, an increasing number of people are creatively mixing styles and periods.  For instance, a stunning Roman bust can look incredible on a Karl Springer side table from the 70’s.

It is just this open-minded expertise that has made Talisman such a success.  The showroom – all 16,000 square feet of it – has been painstakingly restored to provide the perfect exhibition space for the treasures within; a space  that centres on a wondrous courtyard, open to the elements and imparting a kind of magical charm on the rest of the building.  In the rooms springing off it reside the fascinating pieces discovered on Bolan’s buying trips to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Miami.  These are placed with great flair and subtlety alongside 17th and 18th century European furniture, examples of a richly romantic Swedish design (a Talisman hallmark), and bold pieces from 1940s French designers.  Classical statuary adorns intimate corners and the surfaces of seemingly incongruous pieces; except that nothing here is incongruous, Bolan’s keen eye for interiors ensuring that nothing seems the slightest bit out of place.  Talisman is as fine as example as any of how good taste transcends limits, be they temporal, geographical or stylistic.

Or indeed height-based: ascend to the second floor and you are greeted by a sky—lighted atrium that allows sunlight to flood the courtyard, and its collection of garden statuary, below.  The upper storey has been partially reserved for exhibitions and events, including a show by  prestigious rock photographer Pierre Terrasson, running until 15 October.  Even here though, carefully selected pieces from the interiors collection accompany the exhibited work.  “I have scoured the world and sourced each piece at Talisman,” says Ken, “Each chair, table, lamp… everything is authentic and has its own fascinating story.”  And it all works, which is what makes this large-scale enterprise so fascinating – and so enjoyable.  In an age of mass production, it is increasingly rare to find furnishings of such character and uniqueness – and rarer still to find someone who, like Ken Bolan, can present them with such innovation, tactfulness and taste.  Be thankful, then, for Talisman: Dorset’s loss is surely West London’s gain.