Forget pine scented mince pies. There are more palatable ways to make your Christmas table stunning this year – such as surrounding it with Victorian balloon backed dining chairs in a festive fabric. This is one of many Christmas decorating ideas currently doing the rounds at online antique resource sites. The biggest directories even have sections devoted to Christmas gifts for the home and family – naturally, all very much “pre-loved”.
No matter how much tinsel you put round, if your furniture looks tatty and threadbare so do the decorations. A new settee is often top of the Christmas shopping list when it comes to smartening up the home, but don’t be tempted by the ugly, eco-unfriendly suites in the TV ads. Instead, take a look at what’s on offer in the antique shops of Preston. As well as Victorian dining chairs , they also stock a wide range of Victorian sofas and armchairs. Luxurious, comfortable and pleasing to the eye, they are often professionally reupholstered before being resold. Modern copies in wood can cost thousands – so why not simply invest in the best, and buy the original? It will be far cheaper.
However tempting it is to buy a large dining table at Christmas, they can be impractical for everyday use. The answer is to look for antique dining tables with extending leafs or drop-down flaps (called Pembroke tables). If you want a sound investment, ask antique dealers in Preston about antique dining tables bearing the Gillow’s of Lancaster stamp.