A conversation with Charlie about instinct, quality and finding antiques to live with, alongside Wick Antiques’ latest book, due to be published on 19 October.

Choosing an antique for a home can feel like a test of knowledge. Do you know the maker? Can you place the period? Have you understood its provenance? Those questions have their place, but they need not be the starting point. A piece has to appeal to you before its history can mean much.

At Wick Antiques, founder Charles “Charlie” Wallrock’s interests span furniture and maritime objects, bringing a broad range of possibilities to the designer’s search. A table might provide the starting point for a room, while a ship model or a framed naval flag introduces something more personal. These are objects with histories beyond the decorative, offering plenty to explore once something catches your attention.

Ahead of the publication of Rank and File on 19 October, we asked Charlie how he chooses, what research brings to an object and how he helps clients find pieces that feel right for them.

In conversation with Charlie

What first draws you to a piece, and what makes you decide it is exceptional?

It’s all eye appeal to me. If it takes my eye and I like the quality, then I usually try to buy it. I often buy items I know little about. I just let my eye lead me.

What should we notice about a piece’s craftsmanship, materials or design?

Always look for quality.

How do you uncover an object’s history, and what does that research bring to its story?

The research is key. It is often the design or the history that allows us to add to its story.

It does not always work out, but as long as you stick to the basic rule of buying quality, you are hopefully not going to go far wrong. But never say never!

Where could you imagine an antique sitting in a home today? Could it work in an unexpected or contemporary setting?

More and more I see modern and antique items working well together. It is just so important not to have things cluttered. Style and great design are ageless in my opinion.

What advice would you give a designer or client choosing their first significant antique?

Fall in love with it. What we buy is an extension of ourselves!

How do you help clients find the right piece for a particular room or collection?

It helps to chat with clients and try to understand their tastes, likes and dislikes.

Rank and File launches on 19 October

This year’s book, Rank and File, is the sixth in Wick Antiques’ Britain on the High Seas series. Following the now established format, it introduces objects from the extensive collections, each reflecting Charlie’s passion for all things nautical. From Trafalgar battleships to America’s Cup racing yachts, globes, cannon, paintings and scale models open up different aspects of life at sea.

Furniture has its own place in this maritime story. Wick Antiques makes the connection through the sea transport of imported raw materials and finished exports. The book draws on designers and makers including Chippendale, Sheraton, William Kent and Gillows, with decorative schemes for houses such as Blenheim Palace, Tatton Park and Harewood House providing further inspiration.

The title also points towards the people whose contributions might otherwise receive less attention. Alongside celebrated designers and grand provenances are souvenirs associated with humble midshipmen and work by skilled, unnamed makers. For anyone interested in the people behind an object,
there is much here to hold the attention.

Charlie’s three favourite pieces from Rank and File

With so many remarkable objects gathered in one volume, choosing just three favourites is no easy task. For Charlie, however, the pieces that stand out are not necessarily those with the grandest provenance. They are the ones that connect with something personal, whether a childhood memory, an appreciation of exceptional craftsmanship or a story of extraordinary human courage.

Here, he shares three objects from Rank and File that he would most love to keep.

1. Three Kelvin-engined motor boat models: A childhood connection

Of all the maritime objects in the collection, this rare group of three early 20th-century motor boat models holds a particularly personal appeal for Charlie. The models, made from mahogany and boxwood with brass fittings and preserved in their original walnut and glazed display cases, are thought to have been made for Bergius & Co of Glasgow around 1920. For Charlie, their appeal is also deeply personal: they remind him of his childhood playing at his father’s boatyard. He has never owned a complete set of three such models before, making the group all the more special.

Explore the three motor boat models

2. A table attributed to George Bullock: An eye for exceptional design

For Charlie, the appeal of this table attributed to George Bullock lies in the confidence of its design and the quality of its execution. He particularly admires the unusual leg treatment and what he describes as its “most glorious colour”. It is a piece that reflects his instinctive approach to collecting: responding first to proportion, materials and craftsmanship, then looking more deeply into attribution and history.

3. The White Ensign: A tribute to extraordinary courage

Ultimately, Charlie says the White Ensign is the piece he would choose above all others, not simply for its historical significance but for the people it represents. The smoke-stained flag was flown from Motor Launch 397, which served with the Dover Patrol during the 1918 raids on Zeebrugge and Ostend. ML397 helped lay smoke screens and took part in both the Zeebrugge raid and the second Ostend raid. The flag was later mounted in a decorative teak frame bearing the names of the volunteers associated with the vessel, with seven names appearing twice because they served in both raids. For Charlie, it is a moving reminder of the people who volunteered for these dangerous operations and of the individual lives behind
the wider naval story.

Discover Rank and File at Wick Antiques

From beautifully crafted furniture to maritime objects with deeply personal histories, Rank and File reflects Charlie’s belief that the best antiques offer something beyond their aesthetic appeal. They invite curiosity, reward closer examination and often reveal unexpected connections to the people who made, owned or lived alongside them.

For designers and collectors, the book offers a way into Wick Antiques’ collections through the stories attached to them. To enquire about Rank and File, due to be published on 19 October, or discuss a piece for your own project, contact Wick Antiques.

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