The Man

Some 28 years ago Ken Standrin entered the world of antiques and art working for the world-renowned antiques dealer Joe Blanchard at his prestigious shop of J W Blanchard Ltd, 12 Jewry Street Winchester, UK.

After 16 years of antique furniture restoration, having gained invaluable first hand experience of working with high value classic period English furniture, object d'art, he subsequently developed an interest in working with creative and experimental finishes and techniques.

The Business

Following a natural progression, in 2005 Ken opened the doors of his first galley to the public.

Motivated by the concept of mixing vintage and contemporary furniture to create a different and individual look, the clash of the chrome and mahogany, then throwing into this mix cutting edge and vibrant contemporary art, from up and coming local artists, the gallery was born.

Running alongside the gallery, Ken operates his own small antiques restoration and design studio, where he continues to undertake restoration work for private clients, using traditional techniques.

During 2008 Ken began to experiment, transforming average vintage furniture into something else. Something a little, well, 'off the wall', like the vivid and lively 'funky' Victorian armchair [Funky Chair] and the surreal Victorian stone effect cupboard [Stoned Cupboard] (which was originally a mahogany chiffonier).

There was also a collaboration with Ellie Gosse of Loominellie.com, from which the KenEllie™ range has been born. Starting with luxury patchwork cashmere stools produced during 2008, the range is set to expand during 2009!

The Ethics

During his 28 years in the world of antiques and art Ken has developed a very focused, honest and ethical approach to his work. His integrity is not just reflected within Standrin, it forms a core component of all business areas, from client facing tasks through to the procurement and sale of items.

Ken has designed the Standrin business model to embody, operate and to grow around his ethical approach to both his private clients and the business alike.

The Future

We have some exciting plans for 2009, including expanding the KenEllie™ range of luxury upholstered items. We also have a collaboration project with Brand-X Art lined up. So watch this space for details!

In addition to the above projects, we have plans to introduce a range of online services enabling both private and corporate clients access to our sourcing network across both Europe and Russia.