Episode 1 The Extraordinary Collector

For the country's super wealthy,

there's only one man to turn to when it comes to good taste.

I think I've got what the antique trade

and the dealers call "the eye".

There's no question. I've got to buy all three.

I've got a very defined and, some would say, refined sense of taste.

What's extraordinary is how beautiful it is in this room.

Gordon Watson is one of the world's leading authorities

on 20th-century design...

-7,500 and we are friends!

-OK. Thank you very much.

-OK.

..turning his passion for collecting

into a multi-million pound business...

At 4,000,250. Sold!

It's a mania.

It's not natural, how much I buy and how much I need to buy.

Oh, my God! This is so exciting!

..always on the hunt for the most desirable pieces to buy.

Gordon, lovely to see you.

He's charming his way into the grandest of homes,

gambling he'll make the deal of a lifetime.

I reckon it's going to be an easy sell and I'll make a lot of money.

I'm hoping.

At a five-star hotel on the Waddesdon estate in Buckinghamshire,

Gordon is doing his homework -

swotting up on the dynamic story of one of the most wealthy

and influential families in Europe.

I'm meeting with Lord Jacob Rothschild at Waddesdon Manor.

Lord Rothschild is an incredible collector.

It's in his DNA, like all the Rothschilds.

They love buying, they love amassing beautiful things,

so me being at Waddesdon with Lord Rothschild could,

please, God, be the opportunity for me to make a few pennies.

Set in the English countryside, Waddesdon Manor was built in the

style of a French chateaux by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1877.

It was used as a weekend retreat - a place to hold extravagant

weekend-long parties and house the family's vast collection of art

and antiquities.

The Rothschilds have, for centuries, been a powerhouse in banking,

amassing the largest private fortune in the world.

They showed their power and status by building magnificent houses

and starting exquisite collections.

This began a strong family tradition of building and collecting,

which Lord Rothschild continues today.

I think it's a really interesting place to have kept going,

and I'm really proud to have added to its collection,

to have added to the architectural interest of the whole place.

Gordon has not been to Waddesdon for many years

but he's done his research and will be looking for an opportunity

-to add to one of the world's finest collections.

-How are you?

-Hi, Jake.

-I'm very well.

-Very good to see you.

-Good to see you.

-Thanks so much for inviting me.

-Early in the morning.

-Oh, very early in the morning, a wet morning.

-A wet morning, yeah.

I'm so excited.

I've heard, on the grapevine, you've done so many new projects,

you've bought so many new things.

-Let's go in and we'll show you a few things.

-Perfect.

-So shall I follow you?

-Yes, do.

-Thank you.

'Lord Rothschild is one of the people I admire the most.'

He's deeply passionate. From his youth, he was buying.

'From the age of 19 and his early 20s,

'he was buying extraordinary pieces.'

Waddesdon holds an unparalleled collection of 18th-century art

and furniture, and one piece has pride of place.

So it's an automaton, isn't it?

You wind it up and everything moves and the flowers move

and the trunk moves.

-Can we see it working?

-Yes. Let's wind it up and see it working.

Oh, my God!

CHIMING

Oh, it's truly amazing!

-You know the story of it?

-Of the Shah?

What happened was that the Shah of Persia was persuaded to come

and stay here. His son was very spoilt

and Ferdinand's response to that was to go out and look

for an object that would keep the son amused over the whole weekend.

How could this not enthral anyone?

The elaborate automaton is over 150 years old.

It was made in France

and is believed to have taken nearly a decade to construct.

With its hundreds of intricate moving parts,

it's one of the crowns in Lord Rothschild's collection.

It's extraordinary. Look at the eyes. Oh, my God!

Gordon only has a limited amount of time with the Lord to find out

if there's anything he can sell him.

It's not going to be a piece of 18th-century furniture,

as the collection here is unparalleled.

So, Jacob, what do we have here?

Well, this is an extremely beautiful piece of furniture.

This is a rather small piece made for Marie Antoinette's

dressing room.

Marie Antoinette, one of the most famous women in history,

sat here, wrote probably secret notes that she stashed

away in a secret drawer, and then she got her head cut off.

-I mean, it's pretty poignant, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You've got a great sense of history.

I'd also read the little anecdote that your relation,

when he bought this, I think he paid £6,000, and he was

slightly ridiculed for spending so much for such a little table!

-I think it cost a bit more than that.

-Oh, did it?

-How much did it cost at the time?

-I think it cost £8,000.

-8,000.

-I'm so sorry.

-That's all right.

But I love the idea that Marie Antoinette sat here.

I mean, it is extraordinary, isn't it?

-It's an extraordinary story.

-It's living history.

On the tour so far,

Gordon has yet to find anything that the Lord might need.

What can you sell to someone with a vast fortune,

who's spent their lifetime collecting the finest art?

When I'm invited to someone's home, the blood courses through

my veins a little quicker, my pulse goes up,

because you've got the possibility that there might be something

that you see that they need,

and I think it's going to be something to do with furniture.

I've sort of got an idea but, as usual,

I just sort of float around and then something will happen.

So...

Well, I know who it's by, I know what it's called,

but what's extraordinary is how beautiful it is in this room.

It's Ingo Maurer, isn't it, the great German lighting designer?

Yes, and the story of him making the chandelier is an amusing one

because he had an exhibition in Milan,

didn't like the way they had done it,

picked up a pile of plates, threw them on the floor

and smashed them, and then he felt remorse

and made them into this rather crazy but beautiful chandelier.

You see, I've got this theory - I think

this is the way to go forward in the historical houses.

This is the 21st century in one of the most

classic 18th-century French boiseries.

I think this is the way to go. I mean, it's so exciting.

I think, provided you do it very selectively and pointfully...

Yep, absolutely.

Gordon might just have found a way in.

In what might be a surprise to some,

Lord Rothschild might be receptive to something contemporary.

He loves lighting,

he loves the frisson of a new piece in an old environment,

and I just suddenly thought, that's what I can try and sell him.

All these lights, all these candles would have been lit

and there would have been a blaze of colour.

I can make this like a fairy castle for him.

Gordon's spotted what he can do and it's bold -

to introduce new light to the old collection at Waddesdon.

Like all collectors, Lord Rothschild likes to show off a bit.

He's got this new project, it's the newest thing,

it's just been finished.

He wants to show it to people who will appreciate it.

It's called Flint House and I'm also excited.

I'm really excited to see this.

In the true traditions of the Rothschild family,

Lord Rothschild has become a patron of modern architecture,

having commissioned the most extraordinary modern guesthouse

to be built on the estate.

It's a private residence

and another building to house his ever-expanding collection.

It's also an opportunity for Gordon to suggest how he might fill it.

It's astonishing.

Seeing it in this sunlight, the sun appearing,

forcing its way through the clouds, I absolutely love it.

Good, fantastic. I mean, it's an amazing site.

Designed by architect Charlotte Skene Catling,

the Flint House has won the coveted RIBA House of the Year award.

What gives it its remarkable look is the thousands

of hand-knapped flints.

Dark at its base and lighter towards its summit, the house is

a man-made mountain on which the illusion is the sun always shines.

-Should win every prize known to man.

-Let's pray. OK, thank you.

Gordon's now in his stride and feels confident enough to

comment personally on the traditional interior.

I'm curious about the decoration.

My overriding thought is, whilst it's comfortable and fabulous,

I would have loved it to just be a bit edgier, that's the only...

-Have a bit more of that flavour.

-A bit more courage?

You going away from your comfort zone a bit. I think that's the...

I'll think about it.

Gordon hasn't an idea for the interior,

-but the exterior might hold an opportunity.

-What are these, Jacob?

-These were probably 18th-century flint vases.

-Oh, I see.

-So there's a tradition?

-And then I got the Flint team to copy them.

And they made this?

And they made that, which I designed with them, actually.

-And I think it works very well.

-These are the chairs that you're...

-These are the chairs, yeah.

-They're horrible!

THEY LAUGH

-Do find some nice ones.

-Jacob, it's my mission. I've got a few missions.

-I think we've got to find something that...

-They're not great.

They're not great

and we're going to have something amazing sitting here.

With the busy Lord moving on to meetings,

Gordon has come to a conclusion.

These chairs aren't up to Jacob's scratch.

I mean, these probably are IKEA.

I mean, I absolutely hate them.

It needs some new energy, it needs a little bit of impetus.

I think I'm the person to give that energy, I think I'm the person to

find the pieces for him.

I want this to be as beautiful as the rest of the house.

To find something to impress,

and hopefully to sell to Lord Rothschild,

one of the world's great collectors, Gordon is going to have to find

contemporary lights for Waddesdon and chairs for the Flint House.

-Hello, Nicola.

-Hello.

Nicola has just arrived. OK, I'll call you later.

There's something else I'd forgotten I needed from you. Hello, dearest.

-How are you?

-I'm fine.

-You're lovely and cold.

Back in London, Gordon has been hard at work searching for some outdoor

chairs for the Flint House.

It's been so hard to source outdoor chairs, so I've settled on

the thought of buying him four

Heatherwick chairs. What's his first name, I've forgotten?

-Thomas.

-Thomas.

He's found what he thinks is the answer from a British designer.

Thomas Heatherwick first designed them as a piece of sculpture that

happened to be a chair. You know, this moves on an axis,

and you can set upright or forward, or you can lounge back.

They're quite fun.

The Spun chairs were originally cast in copper

and other semi precious metals, but they are small

in comparison to the other projects for which the studio is now famous.

The Routemaster bus in London, the 2012 cauldron at the Olympic Games,

and the still-to-be-built Garden Bridge across the River Thames.

And this is what I think Lord Rothschild will not be able

to live without. He'll probably hate it.

He'll probably sit in it, break his neck and I'll be sued,

but that's life, you've got to take risks.

Knowing what he wants is one thing.

However, the Spun chairs are proving impossible to track down -

especially for Luddite Gordon.

I'm, like, in a Kafkaesque situation here.

I just can't get them, and I'm losing my temper,

so would you mind now, in front of me, trying to locate them

and making a few phone calls?

The prices seem to vary from 280 to 320, plus VAT.

Nicola is my right hand.

Nicola is just, you know, everything.

-She runs my little empire.

-OK, and so you've got those in stock.

Can you tell me the price of them?

VOICE OVER PHONE

And then for delivery, how does that work? OK.

You're much luckier than I was.

Oh, God.

Not easy.

Gordon's reputation has been built on his knowledge of antiques,

but today he's flown to Amsterdam,

a city with a growing status in the world of modern design.

He has an idea that he'll be able to find a light for the Lord here.

We're in the centre of Amsterdam, in the old part.

It's unbelievably quaint, in the nicest possible sense.

I'm going to see Studio Drift. They make the most incredible lights.

I'm specifically going with Lord Rothschild in mind.

I'm in the mood to buy, I need to buy, I think

there's nothing like waving a cheque-book under somebody's nose.

Gordon's been tipped off about Studio Drift,

set up by award-winning designers Ralph and Lonneke.

They specialise in contemporary lighting installations,

and just might have the solution for the darker

corners of Lord Rothschild's Waddesdon Manor.

'Hello. It's the next door on the right.'

-Hello. Ralph.

-Yes.

-God, you're so tall.

-Thank you so much.

-I've seen you at exhibitions.

Have I just grown shorter? Lonneke. Hi. We know each other.

Yeah, we met before.

-My God, it's a factory. How many people are working here?

-15.

-And it is by hand, isn't it?

-Everything...

-I mean,

that's a rare thing in this world today.

I already can see so many things I want to buy. The fever's starting.

Can you just show me something fabulous?

Incredible. What was the thought process behind this?

What we try to do with all our pieces is bring something to life,

because it is the combination of these two different worlds.

Nature and technology.

I mean, it's mesmeric just looking at. It's calming, isn't it?

Exactly, you can't stop looking at it, basically.

Especially when we are talking now...

I can't look at your beautiful face, and certainly not yours.

What I love about this is the juxtaposition of the delicacy

of this and the femininity, and then the masculinity of that.

-And it is quite phallic, isn't it, in a sense?

-Well, maybe, yes...

Do you know, in...

Every corner I turn, there's something I want to buy.

This is a really inspirational studio,

inspirational designers, and I want to buy something.

There's so much Gordon wants,

but he's finally struck on something remarkable.

A chandelier built of copper...

-and dandelions.

-How long will they last?

I know there's a Faberge egg in Russia that has a real dandelion inside

and it's still, I mean, it's 100 years old, so it's still in mint condition.

Aren't they supposed to be able to survive a nuclear holocaust or something?

-Yeah, they'll lie dormant.

-In all parts of nature, in science...

-So, if I blew...

-Try.

-Oh, it's...

-It's glued.

-It's extraordinary.

So, the fact that they don't blow away is that all the seeds are glued

individually on the LED lights.

Each of these tiny little... these little seedlings,

-each of those is glued to a stalk?

-Exactly.

The fact that this is nature, that you've harnessed nature

and you've adapted it and you've made lights out of it,

excuse me, is the most extraordinary thing.

And not only is it functional, it's also astounding, isn't it?

It's outstandingly beautiful. I mean, I'm just blown away by it.

What I'd love to do now is, could I...

-I'm longing to see 15,000 dandelions.

-Yes, let's do that.

Yeah. Can we do that?

Oh, my God.

We take all the seeds off,

and we need to use all the seeds of one flower

because they have different lengths, different colours, the seeds...

I see, so you can only put the seeds of one flower head back on.

And then this has slightly... Well,

this one didn't open completely, but has slightly the same size.

And this is why it works, we put glue in, and one by one,

we start on the top, glue the seeds back on.

-But when you see this, it's just...

-It's amazing how it's constructed.

And especially when you look at it on this detail level.

I'm absolutely hooked now. I can feel the adrenaline.

You know, I'm a shopper, that's why I'm an antique dealer.

So what can I...

Here and now, what can I get my Eurocheque out and buy?

Oh, we don't sell it ourselves.

We have a gallery who's in charge of this.

-And I'd have to contact them to get the price?

-Absolutely.

-OK.

-Well, that's easy, that's a phone call, isn't it?

-Exactly.

-Very good.

Gordon may have been blown away by the work of Studio Drift,

but they've refused to sell direct, and he leaves empty-handed.

I thought absolutely every single thing in there was beautiful.

I have an idea that Lord Rothschild would

really like one of the dandelion pieces.

One of the lights I've just seen.

The problem is, I'm not sure what's available, what price,

or what size, so I've got to call the gallery, find out exactly

the status, if there is anything available, and find out the price.

Oh, how romantic.

Be careful you don't get killed.

You're too precious.

With his discovery of the dandelion chandelier, Gordon believes

he's found an object worthy of Lord Rothschild here in Holland.

But he's relying on a British designer,

Thomas Heatherwick, for the lord's outdoor-chair problem.

They've proved hard to track down, but one of six moulded

plastic Spun chairs is being delivered to Gordon's home today.

This is bigger than we thought, isn't it?

-It looks like chocolate brown, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

Sit in it.

Dare you.

-I dare you.

-SHE LAUGHS

I don't know, how is it...

Oh.

Oh, it's rather nice.

Isn't that an amazing design?

It can take all of 13st of me, it's amazing.

I think they're going to look really great on Lord R's terrace.

And that Thomas Heatherwick is a genius.

Gordon may be delighted with the Spun chairs,

but his lighting solution for the lord is proving more difficult.

He couldn't buy the dandelion chandelier

direct from the designers in Amsterdam

as it's not just any old light, it's a work of art,

so he must go through their agent in the UK.

He's on the back foot with no idea if a piece is available,

or how much it will cost.

I've got to go and meet one of the co-owners of Carpenters Workshop.

Carpenters Workshop are the most powerful force in the world

today for contemporary design, in terms of furniture and lighting.

The man I'm seeing is called Loic and he's pretty frightening

and on the odd occasion where we've been introduced

through a mutual friend or a client, he's very, very standoffish.

C'est de l'art.

Part of the exhibition.

-Hi, Loic.

-Hi, Gordon, how are you doing?

-How are you?

It's so kind of you to give me... I know how busy you are.

What size is this, Loic?

This is actually a small one because I wanted to have

-the perfect piece to fit within the space.

-Right.

-It looks amazing here.

-But, obviously, you know,

it can be sort of different sizes and shapes.

We've had endless phone calls and e-mails,

and phone calls and e-mails,

and I've been told there's only small lights available.

Small doesn't work for Lord Rothschild.

We need something big and imposing and powerful.

Let's discuss the difficulty of my life.

Normally I wouldn't say but I think, as time's pressing,

and there's no point being candid,

it's for Jacob Rothschild, Lord Rothschild.

He's starting to mix... contemporary

in that amazing Rothschild red interior.

That's beautiful but it's too small for the space that I'm thinking of.

Is there any chance of having a bigger piece?

I think what you're looking for is a piece that we have called

the Dandelion Chandelier.

-And is that part of an edition?

-Yeah, that's part of an edition.

When would you actually need it, Gordon?

I'd need it, erm, Thursday morning in the week, literally...

-Not to, you know...

-I love, I love, I love impossible requests.

-I know, it's good.

-But this is our speciality.

Price?

-Price, I'm going to check this.

-Yeah, check.

HE SPEAKS FRENCH

We do have this one piece

-and the price is 62,000 euros plus VAT.

-Right, yeah, OK.

This is the Dandelion Chandelier I was telling you about.

Yeah, perfect. I couldn't ask for more.

Luckily for Gordon,

Loic has the size of Dandelion Chandelier he needs,

but at a whopping £50,000,

Gordon will have to pull in another favour.

I'm going to have to ask him, can I borrow it?

I don't want to be forced into buying something I don't want to

and, actually, the real reason is I've spent all my money.

I'm going to have to ask you a great favour.

Could I possibly take the chandelier on consignment?

I don't want to buy it and then he doesn't buy it, do you see?

-Could I take it on consignment?

-You... You can...

-Yeah, of course.

-Yup. OK.

-Of course.

-OK. OK.

-It's not a problem.

-Perfect.

-God, it's so easy. Who knew?

-It's...

OK. Thank you, Loic. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

He said yes. I mean, he was so easy.

I think he was a pussycat.

Goodbye. We make nicer door handles. I should show you.

Instead of thinking, "Big fat zero and it's going to be a disaster,"

I would say I'm, would you agree, 80% there?

60%. 90%.

What can go wrong?

-These are heavy.

-Ah, it's not too bad.

Don't get scared.

It's the day of the big reveal,

and Gordon's back at the Flint House,

busy preparing for the arrival of Lord Rothschild.

Protect the floor - I don't want all of this mud.

-No.

-I mean, I've got mud all over my shoes.

-No, no, I will make sure...

-You've been kind enough. Great.

-OK.

With the help of James and a team of specialist art handlers,

Gordon is hoping that he's found the right contemporary pieces

that Lord Rothschild might add to his collection.

The last time I was here,

we had a discussion and he said he desperately needed...

Well, he didn't say "desperately".

He said he needed chairs for the outdoor terrace -

the most difficult thing in the world to find but I've found them.

They're by our great designer Thomas Heatherwick.

I'm very excited, so I'm showing them those.

The real reason I'm here...

I looked around for a modern light that would really give,

you know, that wow factor, and I've found it.

It's so filled with love and labour and madness,

and I think that Lord Rothschild will love this piece.

To stand any chance of a sale,

Gordon must make sure his presentation is immaculate...

..but, on opening the crate, Gordon's mood plummets.

It just looks terrible. I mean, it just... It couldn't look worse.

The colour of the wood is leaching the beauty of the copper.

I mean, he's never going to understand it.

It's just almost pointless showing it to him.

It's one of the great designs of the 21st century

and it just looks terrible.

You know, it's a lot of money, this piece. I mean, it's...

It should look like that.

It should just be this floating, you know,

ethereal thing that looks as though it would just, you know,

this object that just looks as though it would float away.

And, you know, I had visions of it in the red velvet,

with soaring ceilings at Waddesdon, and it would look extraordinary,

and it looks...

It doesn't look extraordinary here, by any stretch of the imagination.

Anyway, things can only get better

because they certainly couldn't get worse.

With his borrowed chandelier unimpressive,

the chance of making a sale is diminishing.

It falls to art handler James to come to the rescue.

-You're quite the seamstress, aren't you, James?

-Yeah.

You're so talented. And, oh! I love it, now.

-Do you do all your own sewing?

-I do.

-Do you?

-I do indeed.

-God.

And your own washing?

And my own washing.

As usual, with a bit of genius, we're draping it in black to

make it look much more like a piece of sculpture.

I thought I was going to lose my hair.

I just thought, "Oh, my God, Lord R is going to come

"and it's in an ugly bloody pine box."

-HE EXHALES

-So now I've got to calm myself.

I just love it.

I hope he does.

Jacob, I've got something to show you.

-I've got two things.

-Right.

-One thing to show you, not for here -

-it was just an idea I had for the big house.

-Right.

-Good. Good.

-For the manor, but come with me.

-OK. OK.

I want you, for dramatic effect, to stand there.

-Stand here?

-If I may, yes.

-OK.

James...

Oh, look, it is rather fantastic, isn't it? Yes.

-It's wonderful...

-Right.

..and probably as many awards as you're going to have

-for the Flint House.

-Yeah, it's rather wonderful.

And do you know what? They're dandelions.

You mean, they're simulated dandelions?

-No, no, they are.

-They're real dandelions?

-I've been there.

-They cull, or glean, or gather 60,000 each year.

-How extraordinary.

-And how long do the dandelions last?

-They last forever.

-Forever, really?

-Absolutely, they've been...

You know, you need the volume for those incredible rooms at Waddesdon.

-You know, it's a very beautiful thing.

-Yeah.

-Very beautiful.

Lord Rothschild seems impressed by the Dandelion Chandelier,

but noncommittal.

However, Gordon's not done yet.

These are the famous Spun Chairs.

That's right... Now, he's a friend of mine, Tom Heatherwick.

-Is he?

-Yes.

-Oh, God, I'm one of his greatest fans.

-But how do you sit on it?

-Well, just wait. I'm addicted to them.

So, you anchor your feet.

-You sit.

-Right.

-You adjust.

-You can sit up high, look, and you could eat like that...

-OK.

..or you could lounge, which is my favourite thing, or you could rock.

-And it doesn't make you nervous?

-No. Most things make me nervous.

You make me nervous, but this doesn't.

And the colour, of course, is perfect with the flint.

-How much do you think these cost?

-I don't know. Tell me.

-Around £300 each.

-Are they really?

-I think it's a genius thing.

I'd like to make a little profit, of course.

-Well, that's...

-That's why I'm a dealer.

No, I think they're incredibly good value.

-Aren't they the best value?

-Yeah.

And they're totally durable.

-I love the way they rock in the wind.

-Yeah, yeah.

They're very beautiful.

Well, I've gone on a bloody roller-coaster.

I wish you could lose weight from being nervous, and emotion,

because I would have shed two stone today.

He came, he saw, and hopefully I conquered.

Having somebody really like something and saying, "Well done,"

I mean, that's praise indeed, and we all like praise,

and especially from Lord Rothschild.

Yes, so I'm feeling very proud today.