Finders Keepers: Exceptional objects found by James Thurstan Waterworth

FINDERS KEEPERS | MASTERS & MUSES | WORLD OF CABANA

James Thurstan Waterworth, an avid collector and founder of London-based design studio Thurstan, shares beautiful images from the Thurstan x Hector Finch snug at Wow!House 2025, and reveals the stories of two exceptional objects that have passed through his hands: his greatest find and the piece he'll keep forever.

INTERVIEW BY CAMILLA FRANCES | MASTERS & MUSES | 27 JUNE 2025

The Thurstan x Hector Finch snug at Wow!house 2025, featuring James' Keeper: a 17th century Spanish frame © Martin Morrell.

London-based interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth, founder of Thurstan,  recalls spending weekends in his stepmother's antique shop. "I was around seven or eight when I remember really starting to notice, and be interested in, all these old things," James tells Cabana. He credits his stepmother, who gave him an intriguing gift on his 18th birthday - "an 18th century French gilt finial, which I still have on my mantelpiece to this day" - with igniting his appreciation for the power and presence of objects.

A successful career in interior design followed - James worked for Martin Brudnizki, Richard Caring and Soho House, where he was European Design Director - during which he sourced multiple antiques for clients before establishing his own studio, Thurstan. James' talent for both interior design and antique sourcing can be seen in his excellent 'snug', created for Wow!house 2025 at London's Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.

Read on to see beautiful images of the snug, and discover the stories of two extraordinary objects that have passed through James' hands.

My Greatest Find: An 18th-century Walnut Cabinet

"I was in the south of France on a buying trip, at a particularly good warehouse crammed full of things, when I came across this cabinet. It was hidden away, but I spotted something that caught my eye, and had to move things and dust away a few cobwebs to get a proper look. It’s more decorative than I’d normally relate to, but I love old 18th century walnut and this was a really beautiful warm color, with a high level of detailing, likely Italian. The inlay details and mechanisms of the drawers were beautifully detailed. I hadn’t seen a piece quite like it before, which always gets me excited.

"I had to haggle quite hard because the dealer knew the value of the piece, and how much I wanted it. At that point, I didn’t know where I’d put it, or who would buy it, but I knew I had to have it. We took it home and lived with it in our home in Wiltshire for around five or six years, but when we moved it seemed the right time to think about selling it.

"I took it with me to the Battersea Decorative Arts Fair and it sold, to an eminent dealer based in LA, within a few hours of the fair opening. He loved it, but it was a bit heartbreaking. Had we not moved, I’d have probably kept it. The dealer understood its value and appreciated its beauty, so I sold it to him - for around 10 times what I’d paid for it - and he found a buyer within a couple of days."

The Piece I'll Keep Forever: A 17th-century Spanish Frame

"At all the different fairs and markets, you see the same faces again and again and become familiar with people. This particular dealer speaks no English, and I speak no Spanish, but there is a mutual understanding about the antiques we both appreciate. One day, I went to his stand and spotted a frame resting outside, not yet on his stand.

"This dealer loves the game, and the deal, so he always gives a price that’s about three times the real value. But even knowing that - and knowing where it would end up - the price was pretty punchy for me. It’s an unusual frame, Spanish, 17th century, and highly decorative with floral detailing. But there’s something quite pared back too.

"It hasn’t been over gilded or over decorated. The patina is more humble than it may have been once; things have warped and faded over time so there is movement and imperfection, which I love. Different colors come through when the light touches it, and you can see the age, and depth. There is some real gravitas about it.

"That evening, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I always ask myself: if someone else buys it, how will I feel? I knew I’d be devastated, so I went back and basically begged the dealer to let me have it for my best price. I think our mutual respect for each other, and the fact that he could see how much I appreciated it, meant that he was happy to let it go for a price I could afford. That might be a romantic notion, but I like to think that.

"Either way, he sold it to me. It’s always a little bit nerve wracking waiting for the piece to come back in tact after shipping, but I find it really excited unwrapping it all. I fell in love with it all over again and took it home immediately."

A moodboard for James' Wow!house 2025 scheme, including fabrics by de le Cuona.