Category Archives: Home Decorate

A Primer for Appraising Antique Wood Furniture

The aging of wood alters its colour according to the timber from which it is made, and according to the treatment it has received over the years. Even the hidden inside parts change with time; if a drawer-lining is scraped it will show at once how the surface has aged. Equally, the old polished outside surfaces mellow, and repolishing changes the colour of the wood completely. New screws differ markedly from old; prior to about 1850 they did not taper to a point, Also, the slot in the head was hand-cut and seldom central; in modern machine-made screws it is invariably exactly across the middle of the head. Old veneers were cut with a saw by hand, and are consequently quite thick; many of them almost an eighth of an inch. Modern veneers, however, are cut with a machine-driven saw, and are much thinner. This, with other factors, is a useful indication of the genuineness of a piece.

If you are really interested in discovering more ways to appraise antique wood furniture, then the most comprehensive book on all aspects of old English furniture is The Dictionary of English Furniture, by Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards. It is in three large volumes, copiously illustrated, and was first issued in 1927. A further edition, revised and enlarged by Ralph Edwards, was published in 1954. Also, an excellent guide to the period 1720-1820 is Georgian Furniture, issued by the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1951. A standard work on French furniture is Les Ebenistes du XVIW Siecle, by Comte Francois de Salverte, of which the fourth edition was published in Paris and Brussels in 1953. Also written in French, but less exhaustive and cheaper in price is Les Meubles Francois du XVIW Siecle, by Pierre Verlet. It is in two volumes: i, Menuiserie, ii, Ebenisterie, published in Paris in 1956. In English the Wallace Collection, London, Catalogue of French Furniture, by F. J. B. Watson, issued in 1956, containing a great deal of information and many illustrations. The more you educate yourself on the matter of fine wood furniture, the better eye you will develop over time, resulting in an antiques collection to make you the envy of all your house guests!

Useful Tips Before Buying Antique Furniture

If you are not sure what you are about to buy, better defer your shopping plans until you get complete education about the product than going ahead with the gamble of making an uninformed choice! This article precisely aims at educating you about all you need to make sure before you buy antique furniture. These tips will help you make a better choice on your requirements pertaining to antique furniture as well as provide you with some useful insights to avert a possible scam. Since antiques are high in demand. They also command a higher price. And due to lack of proper understanding about antique furniture, many Smart Alecs find it easy to dupe people by selling cheap fakes in the name of antiques.

To save yourself from embarrassment, the first obvious step is to make sure that the furniture article on offer is actually ‘antique’. A true antique item is at least 100 years old. Now, how to make sure that what you are buying is actually, in fact, an antique?

Take a good look at the furniture by taking it outside the closed interiors. The first sign to observe in true antique furniture is the non-uniformity in its dimensions. This is so due to the fact that wood shrinks as it ages by up to 1/8 inch per foot. The finer aspects in wooden antique furniture may seem missing. If every nook and corner, length, breadth and width of the furniture seems perfect, this is the first sign that something is not right with the antique.

If you are told that a particular antique furniture item is of Amish made furniture, make sure it is genuine. Typically, Amish furniture is made of 3-pieces. These are joined together by different techniques but the number of sub-pieces is always small. If it is genuine Amish handcrafted furniture, it will show its class by the bulkier weight and fine craftsmanship.

Before buying the antique furniture, make sure that it has not lost its sturdiness in the years gone by. If the furniture item is not too light and delicate, you can easily test the sturdiness by sitting on it or shaking it lightly. You can also check out for cracks and cuts by running your hand smoothly all over the furniture surface.

A typically old piece of furniture item will appear discolored from certain places. Some kinds of natural wear and tear at the corners will be evident by a close look at it. This is due to the exposure, over the years, to environmental and other hazards. But the damage should look natural. For instance, the corner blocks should be the same color as surrounding wood. Any variation is a sign that the nature of woods used in a single furniture item is different.

Any kind of hardware used on the antique furniture must be original. The knobs, sliders, screws and bolts can be easily checked by careful assessment of the wood behind these attachments. Any sign of plugged holes means that the hardware has been tampered with.

The next thing is to ask the dealer for necessary warranties and guaranties. Ask all other relevant questions you may have in mind before buying any piece of furniture. For instance, the nature and periodicity of repairs undertaken on the article, the best price for the furniture etc.

Always seek second opinion before buying antique furniture and educate yourself with some useful literature on antique furniture.