Antique furniture adds personality to new homes – and auctioneers are using AI to show it

Дата публикации: 15-08-2026 04:00:00

Bray auction house is catering for a younger clientele in newly built residential developments

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Some auction houses are now turning to AI to make their furniture more enticing to a younger clientele. For example, Mullen’s Laurel Park Auction House in Bray, Co Wicklow, has recently embraced AI to inspire homeowners to furnish newly built homes with antique and vintage furniture.

With a large number of new apartment blocks in the lands surrounding Mullen’s in Woodbrook, just north of Bray, the team noticed an increase in younger clientele attending their viewings this year, but many had the same question: would antiques work in their new home?

Drawing on the expertise of interior designer Michelle Burnett, Mullen’s decided to offer “inspo” images on their social media pages to show new homeowners a variety of styling options.

“I wanted to highlight that you don’t need to live in a grand house or a period property to enjoy the beauty, craftsmanship and value of antiques,” says Burnett.

So by dropping auction pieces into photos of new apartment spaces, Burnett has shown auction rooms can provide functional pieces for modern homes. For example, she showed how a glass-fronted bookcase is perfect for holding shoes and how an elegant mahogany hall stand can fit comfortably in a small entrance hall.

“I’d love to see less people rushing to flat-pack superstores to kit out their new homes, especially when there’s so many great ready-made solutions in antiques,” says Burnett. She believes that if you have the patience to wait for the right piece, you’re guaranteed to find excellent furnishings at auctions. “Antiques add immediate personality, allowing you to create a unique decor scheme,” she says.

Some homeowners will also welcome not having the frustrating task of assembling their newly purchased items once they get them home. Burnett herself moved to a “white-box” new-build apartment last year and kitted it out mostly with antiques. “As soon as the van unloaded my furniture, the apartment went from generic to cosy in an instant, yet it still has a fresh, contemporary vibe,” she says.

“I mixed eras so it’s curated rather than museumish. Everyone is drawn to my Georgian bureau which is my work-from-home desk that folds away when I’ve clocked off at work – an important feature for open-plan living.”

Some sample pieces from Mullen’s current online auction, which ends on Sunday, August 16th, include a circular mahogany table (€600-€800), small enough to fit in many modern homes.

A Georgian mahogany snap-top table whose top flattens down to the side for easy storage (€80-€120) and a Victorian mahogany demilune fold-over work table (€220-€280) are other examples of practical pieces for smaller spaces.

Katie Taylor portrait

A portrait of Bray boxer Katie Taylor as a teenager is also included in the online auction. The early portrait of the former world lightweight champion and her opponent, Belfast boxer Alanna Audley, at what was the first women’s fight under the auspices of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association in 2001, has an estimate of €1,000-€1,500.

Artist Paul MacCormaic tracked down the young boxers to their clubs and asked them to pose for the portrait, having heard the 15-year-old Taylor interviewed on the Marian Finucane show on RTÉ Radio 1 on the morning before the fight, which she went on to win.

He chose to style the large artwork on the classical art pose of Holbein’s 1533 portrait The Ambassadors, positioning Taylor and Audley with their prized possessions of videos, CDs and sports jerseys. MacCormaic’s painting, also titled The Ambassadors, was shown in the 2002 RHA Annual Exhibition.

“We’re very proud of our Bray local Katie Taylor, so it’s an honour to have this remarkable portrait of exceptional quality in our current auction,” says Joe Mullen. “To think that this was painted 25 years ago at the start of her stellar career, and we’re now on the eve of her Croke Park homecoming final fight [on September 5th], it’s a very special moment indeed.”

Viewing of all items continues on Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th, from 10am-4pm at Mullen’s Auction House, Woodbrook Park, Bray.

Contents sale

An auction of the contents of Ardsallagh House in Co Meath is to be held on August 24th. The Tudor Revival-style house was built circa 1844 for the Duke of Bedford and was later owned by the family of philosopher Bertrand Russell. It is for sale seeking €3.15 million.

Over 260 of the 850 lots in the next auction from Keighery Antiques in Waterford City are from Ardsallagh House.

Standout items in the auction include a good selection of Persian rugs, with estimates between €400 and €1,800, and a rosewood brass-bound campaign chest (€500-€800). A pair of mid-20th-century flycatcher shades (€60-€100) and two vintage radios (€30-€60) are also likely to catch someone’s eye.

Viewings of the furniture, art, jewellery, rugs, china and Waterford crystal chandeliers on offer will be held in Keighery Auction Rooms in Waterford city from Monday, August 17th to Friday, August 21st, from 9am-5pm and on Saturday, August 22nd and Sunday, August 23rd, from 12pm-5pm.

Mullenslaurelpark.com, antiquesireland.ie

What did it sell for?Gaelic League typewriter

• Estimate €100-€200
• Hammer price €1,500
• Auction house Purcell’s

Cast-iron ducks

• Estimate €270-€470
• Hammer price €500
• Auction house Victor Mee

Tom Corkey’s Dublin (1980, Mercier Press)

• Estimate €100-€200
• Hammer price €100
• Auction house Purcell’s

Cast-iron chicken

• Estimate €120-€240
• Hammer price €200
• Auction house Victor Mee

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