Friday, 5 December · Sambourne House, London
10.30am–12pm GMT
When you step through the front door of Sambourne House in Kensington, it’s as if Linley Sambourne – Punch magazine’s celebrated satirical cartoonist – has just stepped out for a moment, leaving behind a whirlwind of pattern, colour and Victorian eccentricity.
On 5 December, Auctionet Academy will be visiting this remarkable home, and we warmly invite you to join us.
Get to know the Sambourne Family
Even for Victorian tastemakers, budgets were not always limitless.
When Linley Sambourne created his home with his wife Mary Ann, he did so according to a principle that shaped every room: only the very best, achieved on a limited budget.
That small truth says a great deal about Sambourne’s world. His home in Kensington, now the Sambourne House museum, is a study in creative ingenuity: cracked porcelain bought at auction, imitation leather wallpaper, and reproductions arranged with almost theatrical precision.
A house shaped by artistic company
The Sambournes surrounded themselves with illustrators, photographers and tastemakers of their time, and their home reflects that network: not grandiose, but imaginative; not museum-like, but lived-in and layered. The drawing room, the studio, the patterned walls — nothing feels staged, yet everything seems considered.
About Auctionet Academy
Auctionet Academy is for anyone with a passion for art, antiques and design.
Founded by Auctionet, Europe’s leading auction platform, we offer flexible learning — online and in person — exploring the stories behind the objects we live with and love.