Introducing The Bristol-Based Couple Who Scour The World For Unique And Characterful Vintage Furnishings

Ben Bailey grew up surrounded by antiques and heirlooms, working in his family’s old-worldly furniture shop in Bristol, U.K. It’s also where he met his now wife, Cathryn. Today, the couple own and operate Cart-House, a well-stocked vintage and antiques company they started together nearly a decade ago. Offering elegant 18th- and 19th-century wooden tables, cabinets, upholstered furniture, Moroccan rugs, and more, everything is beautifully shot and styled in soothing colours on their website and social media. And if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, they will cast around to source it for you.

How did you first get interested in the design? In your own words, what are some of the signatures of the pieces you source and stock? Ben’s parents had an interiors shop, which he worked in from quite a young age. So he has grown up in this world. I actually met him whilst working there.

We like to stock a wide range of English and European furniture with a handful of bright kilim rugs and more folky pieces mixed in.

What are some of the home design trends and buying patterns you are noticing in clients? Over the past 10 years, there’s been quite a shift from industrial and mid century towards natural materials showing character, and mixing styles rather than committing to a single look. Also, with more people working from home, there’s a lot of emphasis put on the quality and comfort of our living spaces. People want to be in a nicer environment.

What gives you hope at this moment? Across the board, there’s been a shift in people’s attitude towards re-use, with more consideration for what they buy and where it comes from.

What are some of the most far-flung places you’ve visited to source pieces? We once found ourselves in an old communist grain factory in Hungary, surrounded by a few feet of snow. That was an experience. But our visit ended in a hot bathtub in Budapest, which made it worthwhile.

What have been some of your favourite and standout pieces over the course of running Cart-House? Generally folky pieces are our favourite. Recently, a yellow Romanian door was one of our prized possessions. It was amazingly well made with just the right amount of wear. You could see it had lived a life, and it really reminded us of the old town in Hungary.

What is unique about English style and design? The ability to take influence from all over the world and made it our own.

How has social media changed what you do and how you do it? It has made a huge difference! We are much easier to find now, and we are very lucky in that we have lots of returning customers. Also, it’s always great to see pictures of our pieces in our customer’s new homes.