Autumn @ Hoptroff & Lee

Welcome to Autumn, that beautiful time of the year when the last of the sun's rays brighten the tops of the trees and there's a burst of colour and in the fields and parks. Birds are getting ready to fly South, animals and insects are building their nests for the coming cold Winter months. We can all take inspiration from this wonderful season to decorate our homes and gardens, and what better way than with some well-chosen antiques, vintage & collectables!

It's always good to know what's on trend at the start of the season

At Hoptroff & Lee we search for items with Autumnal colours, tasteful things that lift our spirits, and pieces that add light to the darker evenings.

Here are a few things to look out for.....

Colour

Like last year, coloured glass is a firm favourite especially now when light is at a premium. Cranberry, jade, vibrant green and cobalt blue look great on a windowsill where they can be caught by the light. The traditional colours of the season are rich deep browns, russets, oranges and reds. Leather-bound books and those with colourful covers can brighten a corner and add to the overall Autumnal feel. Pick up some little rosewood boxes with brass inlay & consider small pieces of deep-bronze furniture to give your room a cosy feel! Put tee-lights in your favourite coloured drinking glasses for a special moving glow!

Coloured glasses are in stock, & in October we will have our usual collection of blue, green and brown apothecary bottles.

See our coloured glass candlesticks from October 2nd!

Light

Candlesticks and holders are very much on trend this year, and you can usually lay your hands on some unusual examples. For the traditionalists, a large single, or pair of, large brass church candle holders may be the choice for your mantlepiece, or a smaller version of the same, based on the space you have. "Diamond" and "beehive" designs are particularly good for catching the glow.

Where the quirkier versions are concerned, Cobra-shaped candlesticks are popular at Halloween or for the man cave, where as coloured glass alternatives may be more your choice. It seems that it is fashionable to arrange your candlesticks not only in pairs, but to gather odds ones together on a table or window nook. Let your creative juices flow for a Bohemian or truly vintage look! Always use good quality candles, protect surfaces, display in a safe place away from curtains etc and ensure a lit candle is never left unattended. There are some very nice decorative tee-light holders and lanterns around too, the latter casting some beautiful patterns when lit. Use these inside or outside for great effect. Have you considered an oil lamp? There are some nice brass examples with striking glass shades in a myriad of colours. Use lamp oil or purchase a lamp that has been converted to electric.

See our vintage cauldrons & candlesticks collection from October 4th!

Warmth

Copper and brass are still very much on trend this season! They are both great at reflecting the glow of flames. Cluster copper items around an open fire or group of candles and watch the light! Coal buckets, rustic log baskets & a companion set make a good display. Add a brass toasting fork with an interesting finial, and toast crumpets and marshmallows around the fire.

Consider grouping odd pieces of brass & copper on a side table to catch the light at different times of the day. Hand bells are available in all shapes and sizes and are often very cheap to buy, & there are some very nice copper tankards & measuring cups to complete the scene. A warm, glowing scene is comforting for all on a cool evening, so cosy up this Autumn with some antique favourites!

The Outdoors in Autumn

On trend this year are the nature book, binoculars and humble magnifying glass! Nature walks, particularly in the colourful trees and leaves of Autumn are very popular, and bird-watching and bug-hunting have become regular pastimes. So gather up some trusty vintage examples and head-off today! You can also hunt for natural specimens in your own back garden, and building a small bug house is fun! Vintage nature books always have really nice illustrations, they can be pocket-sized and the text is often easy to read. You can always add a modern take on this by using your mobile phone camera or using AI to create a montage of your pictures! *Collect leaves, seeds, insects, minnows, seaweed, fossils, and study them with your desk or hand-held magnifier, sketch them, learn about them! At H & L we have a collection of British wild animal, insect and bird books to be getting on with! There's also compasses, magnifiers and binoculars in abundance.

*Always remember to free your wildlife specimens after you have studied them, they all have an important job to do!

When planting and harvesting in the garden, there are some lovely old plant pots around for your autumn tasks! Some age-worn terracotta pots, old buckets and bowls, crates, and baskets make a great display and ideal containers for autumn bulbs. Old trugs and baskets are a delightful way to collect and display fallen fruit, the last tomatoes, and grasses and flowers for drying. Group baskets and pots in the garden with your gnomes and stone squirrels for the best end-of-year display in the street!

A few nice vintage terracotta pots remaining instore for purchase.

The Autumn Bar!

It may be time to move inside with your home bar now, but there's always space for a few drinks indoors! This cooler time of year would not be complete without a drink or two to warm us up! Cocktails and hot drinks for the Autumn season need to be colourful, warming, spicy and sparkling, with a surprising refreshing taste and perhaps a little kick! There are endless drinks ingredients and recipes to get you in the mood, but here are a few ideas..and they're

all tried and tested!

Colour:

For true autumn colours the ingredients of choice are the jewel-coloured liqueurs like watermelon, orange, pomegranate, cherry. These can be mixed with iced tea, cider or vodka in amounts to your taste. For a non-alcoholic alternative try apple juices, and syrups like grenadine and agave. Pumpkin flesh can be added to a margarita cocktail for colour and texture if properly strained beforehand. Well, that's one way to use your pumpkin! Top it off with a helping of fresh cream!

Warmth:

Sparkling ginger beer is delicious on its own but it also mixes well with gin, apple juice and cider. Add lots of sliced apple, orange and lemon to garnish.

Spice:

Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla pods to your drinks.

Sparkle:

Prosecco, champagne or ginger beer can be the base for a sparkly drink. Or why not try an original retro drink like Babycham with a tad of brandy and 3 cocktail cherries! Cranberry juice with sparkling water, lemonade, apple juice or champagne sound good. Add a berry liqueur to your champagne or prosecco. Gin mixes well with ginger beer. Gin also goes well with lemon and orange juice if you don't like tonic.

Glasses:

It's good to add a special set of vintage drinking glasses for your seasonal revels. It makes all the difference to the taste! Use champagne flutes, coupes, saucers, sherberts, & Martini-style: all lovely vintage names for drinking vessels of a bygone era!

Hot drinks:

Add pumpkin spice syrup to a hot coffee. Other syrups for a comforting effect include caramel and gingerbread. Another favourite addition to coffee is an Irish cream liqueur of which there are many flavours like mint and orange, or a good quality brandy might be your favourite; and the quality DOES count! Mulled wine and spiced cider are traditional warming winter drinks. Add sloe gin to them for a little extra kick! There are lots of proprietary brands of hot chocolate these days and they are particularly delicious spiked with rum and spices, or that famous Irish cream liqueur again!

Herbal teas are becoming very popular again and these can be warming and colourful too! Try rosehip or cranberry, orange spice and lemon and ginger. A good reviver is fresh mint tea, or for sleepy evenings there's lavender

and camomile!

Cups: don't forget to present your hot drinks in long, clear glasses or suitably-coloured cups and mugs for the season: gold, copper, reds, yellows and chocolate browns! It all adds to the warmth! Vintage teapots are great fun so look out for the novelty ones like little owls or cats, or a good old simple Brown Betty with knitted cosy!