About us
About Bridgeman Antiques
The hunt
The hunt is at the heart of Bridgeman Antiques. I source pieces throughout the Netherlands and far beyond, both within and outside the European Union. From castles and country houses to forgotten barns, estate sales and quiet storerooms, remarkable objects can appear in the most unexpected places.
Every piece must pass a personal test. I need to feel it with my hands, see it with my own eyes, and recognise the character it carries. Nothing enters the collection without it.
The standard
Every object must have presence. It needs to communicate something the moment you see it: character, atmosphere, craftsmanship, or a sense of history.
I look for genuine patina, honest age, strong proportions and the small details that reveal real quality. Sometimes that quality lies in a remarkable mechanism, clever construction, or a hidden function that still surprises today. Other times it is found in the finer details: the way wood has aged, how bronze was cast, how drawers glide, or how a piece was finished by hand.
Story matters too. When you understand how an object was made, why it was created, or where it once belonged, it gains a deeper kind of value. The more you know, the more you appreciate the piece.
My story
My passion for antiques began when I was seven years old. During the summer holidays in my hometown, there was a Tuesday street market where children could sell from blankets and small stalls. My aunt Annie gave me a selection of old antique jewellery to sell, and that morning I earned 150 guilders. For a young boy, it felt like discovering an entirely new world.
From that moment on, I kept collecting, trading and learning. I became fascinated by antiques, craftsmanship and history, by how things were made and the stories they carried through time.
Later, I worked as a classic car restorer, where I developed a deep respect for materials, detail and traditional workmanship. But the dream of becoming an antique dealer never left me, and for years I continued buying, selling and studying antiques alongside my regular work.
One day I decided to commit fully. I left everything behind and chose the path of building my own business. It was not an easy road, but I have never regretted it for a single moment.
What moves me most are objects that tell stories. When I stand beside certain pieces, I find myself imagining the people who once walked past them in another age, the homes they stood in, the hands that used them, the lives that surrounded them.
Today, Bridgeman Antiques is the result of that lifelong passion. I have learned a great deal, met remarkable people along the way, and continue to discover something new every day.
What I love most about this profession is that no two days are ever the same. It feels like an adventure, and in this world, you never stop learning.
A particular love for English furniture
Within the wider collection, I have a particular fondness for fine English furniture — and especially for English gentleman's wardrobes, including the celebrated Compactom and rare Art Deco Compactom models. These antique wardrobes are extraordinary feats of cabinet-making: ingeniously designed, beautifully proportioned, and built with a level of craftsmanship that is almost impossible to find in modern furniture. Each one tells the story of a time when a wardrobe was not simply a piece of storage, but a quiet work of art.
As the collection expanded significantly over time, I established a shop in Apeldoorn. Interested in seeing these antique pieces in person? Visit us at our location, open most Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m (will be posted on instagram)., and available on other days by appointment.
Address: Molenstraat 120, 7321 BH, Apeldoorn, tel: 06-21400512