Antique Furniture
Antique furniture comes in all different styles and pieces. Different types of wood, craftsmanship, and finishing materials contribute to the individuality of each piece. Understanding how to assess the quality of antique furniture and how to care for it can make a difference when selecting a piece.
What sorts of antique furniture are available?Antique furniture comes in lots of different forms, silhouettes, designs, and styles. Chairs, tables, cabinets, cupboards, desks, and secretaries are available. You can also find items like chests, trunks, dressers, vanities, beds, and bedroom sets. Additionally, benches, stools, sofas, chaises, sideboards, buffets, and bookcases are all available.
What materials are antique pieces made from?Lots of antique pieces are made from wood. Common types of lumber utilized for furniture-making are pine, oak, poplar, and maple. However, other special kinds of lumber like rosewood, cherry, and elm are included in many antique pieces. Each type of lumber responds differently to being cut and inlaid. Some are physically harder and heavier, while others are lighter and more porous.
How can you recognize quality in antique furniture?Older antique furniture often has fewer metallic accents, like screws and nails, and more signs of wood joints being custom fit together. The wood is cut in precise patterns that allow the pieces to hold themselves together. Glue is a common adhesive that helps to hold wood joinings together. Due to the high level of skilled craftsmanship that goes into making quality pieces, they are able to withstand the wear and tear of years of use. Types of rarer wood also contribute to quality of furniture, as do the styles of knobs and handles. More ornate details typically take more time to carve, for example.
How do you care for antique furniture?Wood furniture can be polished periodically with a soft cloth to restore shine and luster. Furniture should be dusted before it is polished and wiped down to remove any leftover residue. Once the surface is clean, polish should be applied and left to set. Some furniture may also be waxed, utilizing a circular motion, furniture wax, and a soft cloth. Polishing wood furniture will help to protect it against water stains and spills that can affect finishes.
What is the function of an antique sideboard?A sideboard is a buffet-like piece of furniture that's used for serving food or displaying dishes, china, or trinkets. This particular design is typically placed in a dining room where it comes in handy during a function or party when there are lots of serving dishes involved. A buffet or sideboard allows many individuals to have access to food at once, rather than waiting to be served by a single person.