Russell Kaplan has never been one to shy away from objects with a little bit of a history. A former antiques dealer and now the owner of an auction house specialising in fine art, antiques and collectibles, he has an eye for detail, a nose for hidden treasures, and an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of 20th-century design and contemporary art.
But the bricks and mortar of the city seemed intent on thwarting him. Around the turn of the millennium, Russell started looking for a new home in the heart of the historic CBD, when confidence and investments in Johannesburg’s inner-city were at an all-time low – and so were the property prices. This made it even harder for him to find what he was looking for. Then, out of the blue, he got a call from an estate agent who said she’d found exactly what he was looking for: a planned sectional-title development in Braamfontein, just north of the city’s main train station.
Over time, the way Russell inhabited the space evolved. It was a lot more minimal when I moved in,” he says, looking over an interior that, over the years, has been colonised by a diverse assortment of items – folding screens, chinoiserie juxtaposed with Italian glass, and African totems. It’s how my eye sees things,” Russell says. It’s in the nature of who I am. I collect, I amass and I enjoy things.” A gallery’s worth of art is just barely contained on the walls; it spills over onto tables and is even stacked on the floor.
A collection of vintage globes — some of them lamps — sit in front of a limited edition print of William Kentridge’s 9 Films and a mirrored screen panel. The apartment’s floor-to-ceiling windows become incidental gallery walls, propping up Skull by Gerhard Marx, an intricate work on paper.
The impressive art collection continues into the bedroom, which features a large monochromatic artwork by Serge Alain Nitegeka behind the bed. The gilt-and-wood Chinese-style 19th-century screen contrasts with collectible antiques and contemporary artwork.
In the compact kitchen, a Smeg fridge is bookended by artworks: The General by Robert Hodgins (left) and watercolour skulls by Joni Brenner (right). The boudoir is separated from the rest of the living area via a corridor.
A standalone tub sits in front of a gilt-framed mirror, surrounded by Asian antiques and more skull-themed accoutrements. Claudette Schreuders’ Love Story (print) is nestled on a table behind a black and white novelty money box, taxidermy bird and another oversized apothecary bottle.
The post An auction house owner’s hunt for the perfect urban loft appeared first on Home Journal.
