Best described as a design and furniture destination; Talisman contains an exciting array of eclectic furniture, lighting and garden statuary. Ken Bolan, the owner, moved his successful business from Dorset to London in 2006 greatly expanding his offering of contemporary pieces.

With this move, Bolan has established Talisman as one of the leading sources for the design-savvy collector and their growing appetite for mid-to-late 20th century American furniture. Bolan intends to be the first to introduce this style to London in such a way that his aim is to make names such as Tommi Parzinger, Karl Springer and Michael Higgins synonymous with Talisman.

“The design-conscious customer is increasingly interested in the pedigree of a piece, its distinctive nature, and its place in design history. While some of my clients are collectors attracted to a very specific style, an increasing number of people are creatively mixing styles and periods. For instance a stunning Roman bust can look incredible on a Karl Springer side table from the 70's.”

Talisman is perfectly situated on the New King's Road in an awe-inspiring, 16,000sq ft, three-storey Art Deco building that dates to 1939 and served as a working garage until Bolan's company bought it two years ago. His first attempts at acquiring this jewel of a building were thwarted by developers who had planned to level it and create flats. However, in a fortuitous move, Bolan managed to purchase it and rescued it from meeting its demise.

He has painstakingly restored the façade, and created the perfect stage from which to show off this incredible collection, one that can only be described as accessible as it is beautiful. Prices range from £100 for a lamp, to £2,600 for a pair of 1940s Italian chairs, and up to £500,000 for a serious piece of art or sculpture.

Walk in on the ground floor and you are greeted with a cacophony of beautiful objects. Central to this area is a magical courtyard that is completely open to the elements, and functions as a type of urban oasis. The main bulk of the American mid-to-late 20th century pieces, all handpicked on Ken's buying trips to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Miami, will be shown throughout, hand in hand with 17th and 18th century furniture from Europe, romantic Swedish painted furniture for which Talisman is famous for, bold pieces from 1940's French designers, classical statues and garden statuary. Delve into the collection and you could find anything from a set of screens designed by Paco Rabanne to a Baroque fountain.

The first floor acts as a gallery space sparsely dotted with furniture. “We are leaving this clean and simple” Ken says. “It is a perfect space to be used for events, launches and fashion shoots, as is almost any other space in the building.”

Be transported into a different world on the second floor where the central atrium has windows for a ceiling allowing acres of light to flood the exquisite garden statuary area. This is where water nymphs will romantically rub shoulders with oversized Apollo fountains and where heavenly stone benches sit beside gorgeously gothic iron gates.

“I have scoured the world and sourced each piece at Talisman. Each chair, table, lamp...everything is authentic and has its own fascinating story,” says Ken, whose critical eye has brought together an incredibly fresh mix of furniture, some serious, some fun, all original and expertly selected. And, if none of the floors have what the customer is looking for, Ken is more than happy to create bespoke, one-off pieces.

Talisman confirms London's place in the world as one of the premier destinations in which to buy stylish, authentic pieces for the home and garden. To visit such a place which houses an ever-changing collection of lifestyle pieces embedded with so many stories is a huge inspiration, and the sheer scale of the building, something that hasn't been done before in London, makes Talisman a truly unforgettable experience.

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Talisman is located at 79 - 91 NEW KINGS ROAD, LONDON, SW6 4SQ Telephone: 020 7731 4686 www.talismanlondon.com

For further press information and images please contact: Amy Dollamore Camron PR Tel: 020 7420 1700 Email: amy@camron.co.uk