On The Crush List because…
When done well, a space full of authentic antiques can make you feel like you’re living in history.
The Antica Collection booth at the Fall Show had a spectacular sketched portrait of Emperor Tiberius looming overhead. Remember I Claudius? That was a favorite book and even more enjoyable mini-series for me, even if I got a little mixed-up at times because everyone’s name was practically the same.
I remembered Tiberius as a less than noble emperor, but I wasn’t sure exactly why, so I googled him up. As I’ve said before, you don’t come here for a history lesson, so I won’t go into all the details of Tiberius’ life. But I will say that he was a bossy but rather lazy Roman emperor who made a point not to be “overburdened with work.” Well, we can’t all be Augustus now can we.
Antica specializes in early period European furniture and decorative items that are not quite from the Roman Empire, but they’re old. What’s surprising is how fresh and light and very modern their booth feels. It’s a photogenic space with textures and subtle colors that are easy to capture.
If, like Tiberius, your second retirement takes you to the Isle of Capri please hire me to help with the interior decor. Jackie Onassis loved Capri, so I think we might go for an Upper East Side meets Med-Chic thing, with elaborate Roman baths of course.
