Drayton Hall Living with Antiques: A Meaningful Practice for Young Collectors

Living with Antiques: A Meaningful Practice for Young Collectors

Moderated by Michael-Diaz Griffith, author of The New Antiquarians: At Home with Young Collectors

Panelists: Aldous Bertram, Chelsea Handegan, & John Pope

The Palladian Circle’s Young Collectors Committee welcomes four notable tastemakers in the decorative arts community as they discuss the significant role antiques play in their work. As a complement to The Charleston Show, these preservation-minded professionals will illustrate their use of antiques in everyday settings and suggest a renewed appreciation for our material culture. This talk will present the layered depth decorators achieve when they follow their curiosity and choose antique or vintage objets over new goods.

Friday, March 21st at 1:00pm at The Charleston Show, Festival Hall

*Your ticket includes a boxed lunch (available starting at noon) and Friday access to The Charleston Show

Panel Moderator

Michael Diaz-Griffith

Michael Diaz-Griffith is the Executive Director and COO of the Design Leadership Network. Michael most recently served as Executive Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation, the New York-based nonprofit supporting the Soane Museum in London. Previously, he served as Associate Executive Director of The Winter Show (formerly the Winter Antiques Show), and he has consulted on strategy and business development for fairs, auction houses, galleries, and museums. He currently sits on the Steering Committee of The Winter Show and co-chairs the Masterpiece Collectors Club for the art and design fair Masterpiece London, and he was recently named to House Beautiful’s list of “Visionaries” for his advocacy of antiques, historic art, and preservation. His book on collecting, The New Antiquarians, was published by The Monacelli Press/Phaidon in Spring 2023.

Panel Participants:

Aldous Bertram

Aldous Bertram is an interior designer based in Charleston, South Carolina. Constantly inspired by this historic city, Aldous is known for his nuanced mix of eclectic colors, patterns and objects old and new. Growing up in a Queen Anne country house in England, Aldous was exposed to historic design influences from a young age. Well-placed to absorb the best of European interiors, he continued his education at Cambridge University, where he gained a PhD in 18th century gardens and architecture.

In 2020, Aldous published his first book, Dragons & Pagodas, which visually explores the subject of Chinoiserie throughout history. After touring the country giving lectures on this subject, he is currently writing and illustrating a book in collaboration with the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach.

Aldous continues to enjoy watercolour painting, producing interior renderings for his clients and for designers, as well as house portraits, illustrations, special commissions, and prints of his favourite works. Last year, Aldous designed and painted a range of mirrors with Fleur Home.

Featured in numerous top publications, Aldous continues to develop his interests with each new opportunity.

Chelsea Handegan

Guided by years of experience in residential design, native Charlestonian Chelsea Handegan launched her eponymous studio in 2019 with an aim to develop long-lasting relationships and create beautiful, comfortable designs that endure for generations. She holds a Master of Arts in Interior Design from Savannah College of Art and Design, and her design aesthetic was shaped by a decade of experience at Amelia T. Handegan, Inc. Chelsea was selected to Frederic magazine’s inaugural It List in 2023, which honored thirteen up-and-coming interior designers. She resides in her hometown with her husband and young daughter. Their home was recently featured in Southern Interiors: A Celebration of Personal Style, published by The Monacelli Press/Schumacher.

John Pope

John Pope graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in historic preservation and began working as an antiques dealer in Charleston soon after. Architectural Digest referred to his collection as “the city’s best repository of accessories, offering all manner of enchantments.” His personal residences have been featured in ELLE DECOR and the book Southern Interiors: A Celebration of Personal Style, published by The Monacelli Press/Schumacher. Featured on the pages of House & Garden UK, Southern Living, The Wall Street Journal, goop, and Garden & Gun, John regularly exhibits at the Dewberry in Charleston and shows in Cashiers, North Carolina, and Aiken, South Carolina.