|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
The main reason purely and simply is because of (more…)
Finding that perfect piece of antique furniture
Making the decision to ‘go antique’ as a presiding theme for your home décor cannot be gone into lightly. When buying new or repro, many pieces of furniture are sold in sets, and buying as much or as little of a themed arrangement is entirely up to you. However, when buying antiques, purists will want sets of antique chairs from the same era, design and possibly the same workshop, but finding these complete sets of furniture that have stood the test of time can be quite difficult and expensive.
There are of course other ways of doing it, and most people who theme their home with antiques will follow this course of action. Buying what you like and not sticking to a particular period or designer gives a house that element of individuality that new furniture will never be able to replicate; and of course whatever you buy will be an investment for the future. Michelle George, writing about antique furniture in the (more…)
Antiques expert Judith Miller, writing in the Daily Telegraph recently, has lined up her own list of where the general public can find quality antiques. The necessary knowledge and advice required for investments and speaking to specialist antiques dealers also comes high on her list.
Antiques dealers can be found in most towns and cities throughout Britain and usually come under the heading of general or specialist dealers. General dealers tend to locate their stock predominately through house clearances and may have some knowledge of the items they sell. However, the specialist dealer makes it their business to know a lot about antiques and, contrary to popular belief, sells quality antiques within most people’s price range. Specialist dealers will always heavily research each antique they buy and know exactly what an item is worth, plus its provenance or history. So those of us wishing to buy an antique for investment purposes should (more…)
Despite the credit crunch and a downturn in the antique furniture market, there is still plenty of business being done. Everyone likes to think that they are getting a bargain, and buying antiques is no exception.
In a depressed market, where 50% off the price of antiques compares very favourably with a 20-30% downturn in the housing market, investors should certainly be buying plenty of antique furniture. A good reduction in the price means that everyone benefits. At auction, fewer bidders means less competition, with less people taking part and more competitive prices as a result. However, when attending the (more…)
Collecting antique furniture is like setting out on a voyage of discovery. Each piece comes with its own history or provenance, and patinas – where people have come into direct contact with pieces over many years.
There are two main aspects to collecting antique furniture. One of course is that you like to have artefacts around the house that can retell our social history, but also there is the financial aspect where, due to their rareness, they will appreciate in value. However, many people are daunted about where to begin because expensive mistakes can be made.
Being able to recognise a Chippendale antique chair for example is a good place to start, but chairs designed by Thomas Chippendale have been revived many times so finding a period piece from his workshop will be (more…)
For those of us who are planning to buy some antique furniture, here are just a few points to watch and remember.
Dining Chairs
- Chippendale was a designer, not a maker, so it is unlikely you will find a chair made by the great man
- Dining chairs in sets are usually numbered using Roman numerals
- Stuff over seats should be nailed onto rails made of beech, which is less likely to split
- Check the back legs for wear and weakness as this is where they go first
Dressers
- Mortise and tenon joints should show on the outer surface of drawers
- Dressers tend to be rather plain – elaborate friezes may have been added later
- Marriages between tops and bases however are not (more…)
Furniture designer David Linley, son of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, has just produced a new book on how to spot a good antique. In the Daily Telegraph recently he listed some dos and don’ts on both looking after and buying antiques. (more…)
Coming to grips with these three famous mid 18th century furniture designers can be a nightmare where their names are bandied around a great deal within the antiques world. There are also many revivals of their styles which are still manufactured today. However, there are ways to approach these differing styles with a certain amount of working knowledge about what to expect.
If we start with Thomas Chippendale, chairs designed by him were usually made of mahogany and quite square set, with highly carved splats on the back. Chippendale incorporated many influences into his basic designs from the French Rococo, the Gothic and his famous fretted ‘Chinese Chippendale’. The legs perhaps are the most recognisable part of (more…)
Going to the antiques auctions can be very exciting, particularly when there is something that you particularly want. However buying antiques is a precise art and novice antiquers need to be wary of fakes and marriages that will detract from the value of the item, although large auction houses will usually refund monies if the article is later proved to be a fake. (more…)
The Victorian era was very much one of revivals when it comes to antique furniture of the period and much was borrowed from earlier designs. Victorian furniture manufacturers also used a great deal of poetic licence to satisfy their mass markets and very few of these revival pieces were faithful copies of the originals. Not only did they differ in quality, where mass production took away much of the hand crafted cabinetry of period pieces, but also materials and construction methods were used ad libitum to create an eclecticism of choice for the fashion and class conscious Victorians.
Although mass production does tend to detract rather from what the discerning antiques aficionado is after, there were many attractive pieces, hybrid or otherwise, produced during this period that remain to represent all the eccentricities of the period.
There are however a few faithful copies where the quality of the piece (more…)
Older Posts »
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|