Thurlbourns

Cracking Antiques is a brand new series presented by antiques expert Mark Hill and vintage dealer and interior designer Kathryn Rayward. The duo are determined to drag antiques down from their pedestals, and blow the dust off them to show they can be more affordable, stylish and better made than much of what the high street has to offer. Using their knowledge, skills and expertise, they are showing how antiques can be for everyone and no longer the preserve of stately homes.

Whether you want to know how to make money from buying investment pieces, turn tat into treasure with some clever handiwork, or simply learn how to use antiques to create beautiful interiors that don't blow the bank balance, then this series is for you.

In this episode, Mark and Kathryn meet Jodie and Adrian Thurlbourne, who are doing up their first home. Inspired by films like Sherlock Holmes and The Golden Compass, they want a quirky, unique sitting room cum dining room full of intruiging pieces with bags of character.

If money was no object, then this wouldn't be a problem - it's a trendy look with a hefty price tag. But with only a thousand pounds to furnish the entire room, antiques expert Mark Hill and interior designer Kathryn Rayward have their work cut out.

Plus, in his investment guide, Mark suggests two areas where he feels the antiques of the future may well lie - Alessi homewares and British studio glass. Meanwhile, Kathryn shows how making a patchwork cushion can transform an old family heirloom into a thing of style and beauty.