Kathy Hilton’s Tag Sale: Classics with a Cause
From Baccarat crystal to a $30,000 Goyard trunk, Kathy Hilton parts with personal treasures in her Chairish sale—supporting California animal rescues.
Kathy Hilton is known as many things: a socialite; a designer; the wife of businessman and Hilton Hotels heir Richard Howard Hilton; a former child actress; a television personality. Now, her tag sale through Chairish, currently live, shows off her skilled eye as a collector.
Hilton’s love of antiques and collectibles is well established. In the 1980s and 1990s, she operated The Staircase on Sunset Plaza, a gift and antiques store in Los Angeles. Her home has been featured in Architectural Digest. The Chairish sale has over 200 pieces of furniture, decorative arts, and jewelry from her personal collection.
If you know Hilton for her outrageous appearances on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, or as the mother of Paris and Nicky Hilton, who became fixtures of 2000s pop culture through their wild antics and flamboyant fashion, her collection may be surprisingly classic. Pieces include Baccarat crystal, like a bowl etched with dandelions, priced at $500; blue-and-white ceramics like a lidded Volkstedt vase; and holiday decorations like a custom house, a handmade miniature Christmas tree, and a group of Easter bunny dolls.
Speaking to Chairish on Sept. 20, Hilton describes her personal style as “traditional with modern touches” and says she is “not a fan of Rococo and anything that screams faux. Less can be more.” She encourages adding modern decorations to classically styled rooms and recommends chairs and lighting as statement pieces.
Hilton shared her five favorite pieces in the sale. “These were hard for me to give up,” she admitted; each has a special meaning or unique story. A large, weathered Goyard trunk, priced at $30,000, came from the Paris flea market, one of her favorite travel destinations. A set of 17 Thanksgiving turkey figurines and place cards ($395) appeared on her holiday tables. A silver lionfish sculpture signed by Mario Buccellati ($17,000) makes a unique centerpiece. She describes a pair of blue-and-white pagoda-style cabinets with Chinoiserie decorations, which have already sold, as “really special side pieces with shelves.” Finally, a Waldorf Astoria burlwood letter box has, in Hilton’s words, “great energy!”
As close as these items are to her heart, their sale will support a cause that’s even closer. A percentage of the proceeds will go to two California animal rescue organizations, Camp Cocker Rescue and Yogi’s House.
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