About

Houlston are a husband and wife partnership specialising in period oak and vernacular furniture, complimentary antique textiles and works of art from the 15th century onwards.

David and Carolyn met as graduates working in the world of antique and fine art auctions and have built their business together sourcing the finest objects within their genres. Between them they have just over five decades of experience of working with wonderful historic artefacts. David is internationally recognised for his expertise in period oak and metalwares, having spent 25 years running the oak department at Bonhams where he handled an unparalleled variety of important pieces and collections. Carolyn gained a degree in Art history and assisted the celebrated late furniture historian Christopher Gilbert at Temple Newsam, Leeds, before leaning towards antique textiles whilst working at Phillips Auctioneers.

The pair are proud of their integrity and care acutely about delivering exceptional customer service. Combining their similar but distinctive tastes, they pursue honest, soulful and appealing period objects with an emphasis on practicality as well as historic relevance: items to furnish and live with as much as to collect and study. We aim to promote and share the enormous pleasure that comes from living with, looking at and using antiques in the home. Their beauty speaks for itself and now, more than at any moment previously, to continue to cherish and use these items well into their third, fourth, even fifth centuries serves as an antidote to our legacy of plastic landfill.