Centre for Early Furniture & Art

CEFA, The Centre For Early Furniture & Art, is a specialist auction house based at Swinton Park, the ancestral home of the Earl of Swinton, owned and run by the Cunliffe-Lister family.

Set in 200-acres of parkland on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, the castle makes a perfect setting for the CEFA auction and preview events, showcasing the very best of furniture and masterworks of art dating from 1500-1900.

The design of the 216-page catalogue allowed the images to really sing and show the stunning detail of the unusual and historic pieces being sold.

POP played a broad design and marketing support role for the auction house, with work encompassing branding, collateral design, web design, exhibition and signage design; even working on-site for two weeks leading up to the first big auction, entitled ‘The English Country House 1600-1900’ to ensure the preparations ran smoothly. Not only did the branding and design work have to be sympathetic to the works being auctioned, but also (as there was signage and environmental graphics produced) to Swinton Park itself.

One of the key design pieces was the 216-page perfect-bound A4 auction catalogue containing beautifully shot images of all the auction lots. The design of the catalogue allowed the images to really sing and show the stunning detail of the unusual and historic pieces being sold.

To build awareness of the auction house and first big event, POP produced advertising for national press including The Telegraph, together with regional and trade press such as The Yorkshire Post and The Antiques Trade Gazette.