Arnaud | The Estate at Home
Arnaud Besse-Ciller – Webb’s Collector, PhD Student, Sustainability Data Analyst
Introducing the next profile in our The Estate at Home series
Arnaud Besse-Ciller knows how to make a house a home: the Sustainability Data Analyst and PhD student resides in Beach Haven with his husband Markus, Harry the Shiba Inu and Maggie the cat. Their 1920s home is a true collectors’ haven and he is often found at Webb’s, buying and selling at The Estate.
How did you become interested in decorative arts?
I grew up on the French Riviera, there's a lot of beautiful decor, beautiful houses, beautiful people… so I have always been around taste or aesthetics.
How have you found the stock of items you get in New Zealand?
I really like it! It’s such a melting pot, it’s at the corner of so many civilisations and cultures and I’m trying to educate myself more and more about Māori and Pacifica and Asian influences, which are great.
How and when did you start buying at The Estate?
I guess six years ago when I moved to New Zealand, from Switzerland, to work on my PhD. Webb’s was my first introduction to auctions and I especially liked The Estate. I like the variety of things and that you never know what you are going to need until you see it!
I came to New Zealand only with a suitcase and it was a great opportunity to start collecting and turning a house into a home.
What was the first object that you purchased?
It was a Philipa Blair painting it’s on a wooden frame, has a blue background and its orange and white… quite abstract.
You also consign things with Webb’s, correct?
Yes, it's a very smooth process. I think I've started to collect too much from The Estate and my house is small so I needed to start selling things and make room to buy more things! Just find it so convenient to sell something off and pick something up. I often just send out an email with what I want to sell and they send me an estimate straight away of what I can expect and I drop it off.
Do you have any strategies for bidding on the items at The Estate?
I guess I do what most people [do] and wait for the last minute by spending my Tuesday evenings on the website! I do come in to see the things I am interested in before buying. I come on Saturday, which is always a good opportunity and the team is great: Cameron, Karen, Harrison.
What do you like about The Estate and what have you been collecting recently?
There are a lot of unique and different pieces. Lately I have been collecting lots of plates and ceramic animals. I've always wondered why old people end up with so many ceramic animals, but I think it will [become] one of them!
Any one in particular one that you like the most?
The little pig! It's quite funny, I feel like it's following me around. Like it's looking at me from the corner of his eye and looking over my shoulder and making sure I’m doing work!
It's the Mona Lisa of pigs then.
Exactly like the Mona Lisa of pigs!
You also have a lot of other beautiful items at home tell me a little about them and how do you select what you surround yourself with?
I have a Hay Lamp, also a beautiful turntable. The lamp above the pig is a piece from my godfather who is an artist living in Marseille — one of the only pieces I brought from overseas because it packs flat. Right next to it is a Volta Mobile from World. I don't think I have a concise style, I like colourful pieces you know… neutral backgrounds then textures and colour. I just get whatever I fancy or whatever is fun, interesting or unique.
