All of these things can add a layer of patina to an antique. Mostly this is apparent in pieces loved during a period when people had the time to care for their furniture and objects. We don’t seem as able to find the time to make the little things important today. However, one of my favourite sayings: ‘Fashion fades, only style remains the same’ is by Coco Chanel and she was dead right. When I buy things for myself, it’s with the idea that I don’t need another one – ever. If you do that, you can build up your own patina on something you love, while contributing to its history.

The antique market is recognising the beauty of items with wear more and more. Today, a piece with fabulous patina has added value at auction. I will pay much more for an item with just the right level of patination, such as a 19th-century leather desk chair with beautiful wear that you then team with a 1970s Italian desk and a mid-century lamp. The contrast is wonderful and the chair adds to the stories of everything in the room. Not only that, but its sense of history makes that piece truly unique.

My favourite object that I’ve ever bought is a toolbox that once belonged to Malcolm Campbell of Bluebird, the British racing driver who broke the land speed record nine times between 1924 and 1935. It’s painted the same blue that the Bluebird cars were all painted and, when he was knighted, ‘Sir’ was roughly added onto the box. Its story, coupled with its provenance and scale of wear, makes it special – it is history wrapped up in a box and is completely unique. There is only one in existence and it’s worth a six-figure sum. I look at this treasure and, because of its condition and wear, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. If it were restored, it might be worth considerably less.

There are still some antique dealers who insist on highly polishing all of the pieces that pass through their hands. I go into these shops and all I see is a symphony of shiny mahogany. I visited one recently – they had a fabulous campaign chest that had never been touched. It was so worn it was like a lovely beaten up pair of comfortable old brogues. I asked if they’d sell it to me, but they declined. So I went back a month later and there it still was. They’d replaced the original brass handles, relined the drawers and polished it so much I could see my face in it. In other words, they’d sucked the heart and soul out of it. To me, it was ruined. Every time you repolish a piece, you remove a layer of history that you can never get back. Restoration isn’t always the answer. If you’re unsure whether to restore, my advice is below.

TO RESTORE OR NOT?

Don’t do anything straight away. Let a piece sit and rest, ideally in the place you’ll eventually give it a home. Really think about what actually needs repair and what will make it usable. Then do the bare minimum. Just think, every time you remove a layer from an antique’s surface, it devalues the item and removes a layer of its history. Minimal conservation is the aim. If, for example, there is a large rip in an old leather chair, consider if a visibly new panel will be an honest repair and part of its journey. It could be. Get a professional to work on it. Don’t be tempted to have a go yourself – this is a task for the experts.

Colour can bring a relaxed, comfortable and uncontrived feel to a home, depending on how you use it. People have walked into my house and said, ‘Oh, nothing matches,’ but I don’t even think about that. I put things together that work in harmony so that the look is eclectic and personal, like decorating in the country house style on a small scale. I actually think that creating this colourful look – making it seem like it’s evolved over time – can be one of the hardest to pull off. It has to feel effortless, glamorous and very English. It’s something that antique dealers like me have been doing well for decades, as we’ve had a lot of practice putting pieces together, but it is something that anyone can learn.

For me, the key to creating a successful room is colour. I always start with the wall and floor coverings; I look at colours and artwork for the walls, and rugs for the floors. I’ve chosen a pale green for my living room and an ornate rug in reds and blues. Then I build up from there, adding in other elements as I go.

Using antiques is a great way to achieve a colourful effect. Age and patina bring texture, creating a softness of layering, and show colour aged by time. I tend not to worry about wear – it can be beautiful and can be the best thing about a piece, like a pair of comfortable old shoes with character, or an old car that you particularly love.

If it’s a grand room, you need to work that bit harder to make people feel at ease. Think about adding lovely old worn surfaces and battered chairs that people aren’t afraid to sit in. Otherwise guests wonder, ‘Should I take my shoes off?’ and are afraid to put their glass down. We’re all different, but that’s not the sort of place I want to call home.

When you start to decorate a room, you may become aware that you tend to lean towards a certain colour. For me, it’s warm reds – ones that are almost pink. I have two antique mercury plate horseshoe mirrors where the red velvet has impregnated the glass, which I love. Also a pair of very worn red Moroccan leather chairs and a Thomas Jeckyll fire surround with pink tiles. These antique pieces work particularly well in these tones. The background colours they rest against – by contrast – are deliberately very muted. It’s all about balance. The main thing is not to be afraid of colour. Go for what you love in the pieces you buy. For those who want more guidance, here’s my advice.

DREW’S TIPS FOR INCORPORATING COLOUR

• Use bold colours if you love them, just be careful how you do it. A splash of something brash can be great – like a crazy neon light in the corner, or a flashy piece of Pop Art on the wall – but if you put another one on the other side of the room to make a pair, you’ll lose impact and create a room that’s too contrived. The thing is to keep things relaxed!
• When you’re buying painted antique furniture, try to choose stuff that has its ‘first paint’ (its original paint). Antique pieces that have been recently repainted have – in the majority of cases – been devalued in the process.
• The wear that you get on leather, carpets, wall hangings, and paintings is all fine and adds to the story of those items. Don’t be afraid of wear, or of faded colours. But to steer clear of anything with visible or heavy restoration. Unrestored is always better, even if it has more damage.
• I like to mix in colourful ceramics to pull together a room and create a relaxed feel. They don’t have to be expensive antiques – I picked up a great old pot for £60 last week in Wales that just looks great in my new home!