When you shop for antique furniture, you’ll discover stunning one-of-a-kind items that can complement any style and home design…from rustic to country to sleek modern/contemporary. However, you must exercise caution because the market is rife with forgeries and replicas. Doing some research prior is the greatest approach to prevent getting lured to buy a fake or copy…
Discover and become familiar with the names of the styles and eras that you prefer. Furniture is typically categorised by style, such as Victorian, Queen Anne, Chippendale, Louis XVI, etc.
For books and resources on your preferred style/period, visit the bookstore’s antiques section or consult the library. The Internet is a fantastic resource for knowledge and images of various furniture designs.
Find out what the different terms—such as bow front, broken pediment, reeded leg, etc.—mean. These are the words that you’ll most frequently see in auction catalogues, sales tags, advertising, and vintage listings.
Learn the names of the styles you like the most (there may be more than one, depending on the country). Typically, vendors would categorise their products by to style, such as Louis XV, Queen Anne, Chippendale, and so on.
Visit historical sites and museums; seeing actual antiques in person will make it much easier for you to recognise them when you come across them in shops.
Recognize any characteristics, including damage to the surface or structure or new hardware, that might diminish a piece’s value or authenticity.
Get to know antique merchants and stop by an antique furniture store to talk about your unique demands and preferences. If they don’t currently have what you’re searching for, bear in mind that they have contacts and partners in other parts of the nation and the world that can help you discover the perfect item. They’ll also aid you in distinguishing between genuine and phoney antiques.
Visit furniture auctions and choose an auction business that will guarantee the quality of the items it offers to be sure you’re getting the best. If you’re not seeking for museum-caliber items, country auctions are a fantastic alternative. Who knows, you could even discover a genuine deal!
For estate sales, search online or in the newspaper. At the sale, you could run across a relative who can provide some background information about the object.
Look for advertisements in vintage periodicals or use the Internet to look for flea markets and antique furniture fairs.
Any expectations of perfection in a piece of furniture that might be over a century old should be “checked at the door.” Genuine antique objects should exhibit ageing and wear in predictable locations, such as chair arms, table tops, the underside of chair legs, and behind drawer runners.
Remember that definitions might change whenever you buy for antique furniture. To be labelled antique, an object must be at least 100 years old, according to industry consensus. Everything that is more contemporary is regarded as vintage or modern. And always buy items you’ll use; very few of us have spare rooms in our houses to fill with a “untouchable” collection of antiques that are meant to be admired but not touched.