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In his new book, The Layered Home: Inspiration for Crafting Cozy, Collected Rooms, design editor and stylist Benjamin Reynaert takes readers into the personal homes of creatives around the world. In this exclusive excerpt, antiques dealer Ambrice Miller opens the door to her home and atelier in Suffolk, England, filled with one-of-a-kind treasures old and new.
Every room in antiques dealer Ambrice Miller’s home outside of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England, features exuberant vignettes, curated collections, and compelling artwork, seemingly on every tabletop surface and wall throughout. It feels sweetly unpredictable, yet masterfully coordinated in how it all comes together. In Ambrice’s unfettered approach to hanging art, nothing feels overly precious or too measured, and there’s a sense that things can and will change if you blink.
Antiques dealer Ambrice Miller in her welcomingly chockablock sitting room. Miller also leads clients on sourcing and buying tours in Europe.
Manuel Rodriguez
“When I first got the oil painting, my little boy, who was just starting to speak, would point to it and call it ‘Bubba,’ the nickname we use for him. It made me think we all see a little bit of ourselves in art we love.”
Manuel RodriguezThe atelier that is Relic Interiors can be seen as a catchall for old-world finds destined for new beginnings. These rooms are ever-changing in the inventory they hold, sometimes only for the swiftest of stints before they’re claimed by a buyer and shipped off to another address. It’s an atmosphere Ambrice is used to, relocating wares to make room for the latest antique market discoveries while assessing how these treasures will resonate with her audience and devoted clientele.
The bronze heads featured on the table are a combination of mid-century Benin Bronzes (copies of original bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin, modern-day Nigeria). “They would have been ceremonial or celebratory pieces honoring kings and queens,” Ambrice explains. She crafted the large ceramic featured in the middle.
Manuel Rodriguez
Gold frames add a touch of brightness in the hallway leading to the front door. The grassy-hued paint color on the far walls is Night Vision by Valspar.
Manuel Rodriguez
A dining room wall is full of character and variety. The horse bust is from a shuttered equine shop, where it was used as a tack model. Ambrice says, “I fell in love with it immediately because it looked like a piece of modern art.”
Manuel RodriguezIn the atelier, and in her private living spaces, absolutely everything is on display, from a family of chandeliers that dangles above a stately Italian bust, to the array of portraits, to an exotic painted wood peacock situated upon the dining room table (a set design remnant from a 1980s production at the Royal Albert Hall).
An understated corner in the kitchen, hung with copper pots and cutting boards, is one of the busiest spots in the home.
Manuel Rodriguez“When I group similar items together, it feels like different artists’ or cultural takes or interpretations of the same thing.”
AMBRICE MILLER
The kitchen mantel creates a shallow stage for more art and vessels. Ambrice purchased the terra-cotta vase at an antiques fair in the U.K.
Manuel Rodriguez
A repository of linens and unusual objects is a go-to spot when creating a new tablescape. “I probably get as excited to decorate a dining table as I do for the actual dinner party.”
Manuel RodriguezGrowing up with interiors-obsessed parents was only the start for Ambrice. From those beginnings, what bloomed was a deep-rooted love of art and discovery that further evolved into a cultivated shop where fixtures, furniture, and artwork coexist in shambolic harmony waiting their turn on a wall or as a tabletop centerpiece. Ambrice says that the goal of all this goes beyond feeding a joy of collecting to nurturing younger generations looking to invest in their own collections: “Everyone remembers the first couple of pieces they bought. Especially if you’re a student or if you’re a new entrant to the workforce and you buy something with your first couple of paychecks, you’re like, wow, it’s really something special.”
Amplifying the number of patterns makes this room, known as the Map Room, feel “like the inside of a grandmother’s apothecary cabinet,” says Ambrice.
Manuel Rodriguez
A door hedged by greenery becomes a whimsical focal point. “It was this brick wall and wooden gate that made me gravitate toward the property when I first saw the listing,” Ambrice recalls.
Manuel RodriguezAmbrice believes that the best home life is one filled with color, history, and a touch of the dramatic. Everything is cherished but not so overly precious that it’s untouchable. Even her young son bopping around is constantly exposed to the rotating parade of finds and wares that come inside. “Our homes are meant to be lived in. I can’t imagine anything worse than not being able to feel like you can properly relax in your own home.”
