The Quest of The Colonial

A memoir of sorts about home decorating and the thrilling search for antiques to decorate their newly acquired old house in New York State. 

Considered an absolute charmer of a story when it debuted, Americans fell in love with Robert and Elizabeth and their hunt to outfit their home piece by piece, story by story, experience by experience. Had they been able to afford it, they could have gone to an antique shop and furnished their whole house at once, but they were on limited means and wanted to embrace the art of curating and collecting pieces on their own.

The equivalent to modern-day thrifting, the Shackletons traveled all over the East Coast looking for candlesticks and chairs, mirrors and wardrobes, sofas and dishware.  Their escapades took them to forage through old barns and boathouse, through cabins in the woods of Virginia to workshops in New England to country houses along river banks in the South. 

During their journeys the Shackletons share interesting history about the places they are visiting, the antiques they find, and the people they meet. They share tips and tricks about how to recognize genuine antiques as opposed to fakes or reproductions, how to tell different styles of furniture apart and how to refurbish, restore or just spruce up an old item to give it new life. There are photos and detailed descriptions, pretty illustrations and interesting stories throughout.

Photos and decorations by Harry Fenn