The first piece of advice when you are thinking of antique furniture repair is to stop. Don’t do anything until you’ve read this blog – it could save you (or gain you) thousands.

Every antique dealer has horror stories to share — there’s the woman who stripped the old paint off of an antique table before showing it to the expert who had to tell her she had devalued it by half when she stripped the paint, or vintage candelabras ruined by well-meaning jewelers.

The best piece of antique furniture repair advice you can get is to have an expert or a dealer with a great deal of knowledge look at the piece before you begin any repair.

Since they likely don’t deal in antique furniture repair themselves, they are not likely to give you self-serving advice, and you have the potential of preventing real damage to the piece.

If you have some woodworking or metalworking skills and a knowledge of antiques, there may be repairs you can complete and still preserve or even increase the value of the piece.

If you have only a minor scratch, then you could try a good quality scratch cover. Howard’s Restore a Finish is one that does well with surface scratches and other marks.

More significant marks may require the use of a furniture marker. You’ll need to purchase a marker in the same color as the furniture you’re touching up for the best results. If you have a dark piece and you’re debating between a lighter and darker maker, you may want to choose the darker version. The eye doesn’t differentiate the darker color, but may notice the lighter.

Crayon type fillers work well for small cracks. Run the crayon over the crack several times to let the waxy substance fill the crack. Some 0000 steel wool rubbed over the crack will remove extra residue.

After consulting with a professional, you may repair small nick or dings or missing veneer with Quick Wood, an epoxy based substance that sticks to nearly any surface.

There are also repair cover powders that allow you to repaint over the repair, but it’s a job for professionals in most cases.

For antique furniture repair of dirty pieces, there are products you can use to clean and restore to life to an area that needs to be cleaned. Oz cream is one of the standards used by antique specialists and furniture lovers everywhere, or you can buy the kits that contain cleaner, buffer and shiners that are great for cleaning your antique furniture.

You should expect to pay about $60 for the cleaning kit. Using this method requires a bit of elbow grease, but the results are worth it. One caution; be sure you don’t rub too hard, or you will remove the finish from the furniture.

Replacing old latches with newer, magnetic style latches is an easy antique furniture repair, but is not always the recommended repair. Before replacing a sticky latch, try 3 in 1 oil on the latch and see if it fixes the problem. Consult a professional before replacing a latch.

Photo Credits: arekd

Originally posted 2009-06-06 05:55:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Antiques -> Periods and Styles -> Art Deco

Art deco furniture antiques are highly sought after and are often very unique pieces. If you love this time period, or if you are simply looking for furniture that transcends the every day mundane design, art deco furniture is the perfect choice. Many of these pieces are actually quite valuable, which is a testimony to the craftsmanship and design that went into creating them. Many of the techniques that were used to create these furniture pieces are no longer used, but it only takes one look at a piece of true art deco furniture to know that a lot of love and care went into its construction.

If you are not familiar with the art deco period, it was a time when a lot of black lacquer, mirroring and brass finishes were brought in. These pieces are usually a study in contrasts, with light colored upholstery being used with darker pieces of wood. The designs were very modern for the times and you’ll usually find pieces with more defined edges or rounded edges, fan shapes and arches. Let’s take a look at some of the best art deco furniture that is also highly collectible.

1. Club Chairs

One of the hottest types of art deco furniture is a club chair. These are usually made of leather and will be rounded in appearance. They are typically black in color, although you can find the occasional red or brown piece. This art deco furniture is very comfortable and the chairs will usually come with a matching ottoman. The rise of popularity in club chairs was spurred in part by prohibition and the introduction of many new nightclubs and speakeasies. These chairs were considered to be the ultimate in luxury for many years and the ones that are still available today have not lost any of that original charm.

2. Armoires

These are beautiful pieces that are usually quite large and very heavy. Typically made of solid hardwood, most art deco furniture pieces that were produced during this time feature a lighter wood inlaid with a darker wood. Burlwood was a very popular type of hardwood that was used during this time period and the finish on these pieces is high gloss. They are very functional and were typically custom ordered by the wealthy during this time period.

3. Entertainment Cabinets

As radios became popular forms of entertainment, households needed cabinets to store them. Victrolas and record players were also in use and needed housing as well. This led to the rise of the first entertainment centers and in art deco furniture, these are usually the most ornate. They will feature intricate inlays, contrasts between light and dark wood and usually contained inventive doors and handles. These are tremendously valuable pieces and can go for high prices at auction.

These are just a few examples of the types of art deco furniture that can still be found today. You can also find bedroom sets, couches, mirrors and many other great pieces that can enhance any home.

Originally posted 2008-09-04 14:00:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Dealers -> Furniture -> Desks

When you’re shopping for antique desks, a secretary desk is just one of the many different styles of furniture you’ll find. There are standard desks, of course, elaborate (and now amazingly expensive) Wooten desks, old rolltop desks and variations on all of those. How do you tell the difference between these types of desks and secretary desks?

A secretary desk is distinctive from all these, even though it does have similarities to them all, because of the way the writing area is disguised when the desk is not in use. When the area is covered and the desk is closed, it’s closed off by a piece of flat wood that usually sit an angle when it’s closed. Sometimes this angle is as much as 45 degrees. The rolltop desk has the cover that actually rolls up into the desk, and the Wooten desk very rarely has a flat front, the front is usually curved, carved and very elaborate.

The size of a secretary desk can vary a great deal. The more modern reproductions or even less antique secretary desks tend to be smaller than the ones a hundred years old or more. Many of these desk are quite tall and very heavy. Newer ones might even be built in such a way that they can easily be taken apart, but antique desks were built solidly as a single piece of furniture meant to stay together for hundreds of years.

The hinged panel that hides the open area within the desk actually creates the actual writing surface. There are typically wide drawers on a secretary desk, and sometimes small drawers and small cubbies on the piece of furniture as well, to allow storage for a variety of different items. Older secretary desks might have a tall bookcase above the writing area or even a glassed-in bookcase or set of shelves. The top of these desks often look more like a china cabinet or a curio cabinet than anything belonging on a desk, and when the desk area is closed, it does often look like nothing more than a piece of display furniture.

Unlike a rolltop desk or other type of desk where the panel slides into the desk, everything must be removed from the writing area in order to close the desk, which makes the needs for the drawers and cubbies apparent. While a Wooten desk is similar to a secretary desk, a secretary desk has a more plain appearance. It will look more like a nice curio cabinet, china cabinet or even armoire or dresser on top, with drawers and the hidden work surface below.

Wooten desks are similar to these desks but they simply have a more fancy appearance—and typically sell for thousands of dollars. Secretary desks are the most prevalent type of antique desk available today, a type of desk once so popular it was commonly referred to as simply “a secretary.” You can find an antique secretary desk in antique shops, at flea markets and in online auctions like eBay.

Originally posted 2008-11-15 05:00:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Antiques -> Furniture -> Tables, Stands

If you’re looking for antique furniture like an antique school table or desk, one great place to find these items is estate auctions.  While you can find antique furniture in online auctions like eBay, you need to be very savvy about the purchases you make–just because something looks antique doesn’t mean it is. There are entire stores where you can purchase antique reproductions, after all, and own something brand new that looks like it was crafted 100 years ago.  So those auctions that claim to be for antique furniture and antique school desks should be able to offer more than just the claim of “antique” to prove that the item really is an authentic antique.

Your reasons for wanting to find an antique school table have much to do with how you should go about purchasing one.  If it’s merely the look you’re after, a certain style or type of manufacture, then you might decide to buy a reproduction.  Reproduction antiques are less expensive and have an appearance very similar to the originals they’re modeled after.  If it’s a sentimental quest because you remember how something looked or felt, or because maybe a grandparent or older relative had one that has become lost and you’d like to have that same piece, consider purchasing a reproduction.

But if you’re set on a real antique school table, then you’re going to need to do some homework.  You can probably walk into most antique stores today and find something to suit you, but if you’d rather pay less than the antique store price and enjoy the hunt for a piece that speaks to you personally rather than just purchasing what happens to be available in the store, then you need to shop around for some time before purchasing so that you can do a price check.

Visit many antique stores to get a feel of the average cost of an antique school table.  While some stores might not have one, you’re sure to find at least a few.  And even if they’re not exactly the item you’re looking for they should be similar in price to the one you’re hoping to find.  This will help you know how much cost you’ll probably look at when you find the piece you want.

It will also help you become more familiar with the look of an authentic antique school table.  Sometimes during estate auctions or even in online auctions, you’ll see piece for sale that looks antique but you’re not sure, and it seems the seller really doesn’t know that much background about the piece.  That doesn’t necessarily mean the seller or auctioneer is trying to cheat you by passing off something too new as an antique.  Often, the history of antique pieces, especially antique furniture, becomes muddied through the years. 

Become familiar with the look, and you might spot an antique school table when no one else recognizes the treasure. Beware of refinished furniture unless the purchase is purely sentimental. Refinishing often completely destroys the antique value of the item.

Originally posted 2008-10-21 14:00:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Dealers -> Periods-Styles -> Victorian

Though its peak popularity was during the late 19th century in America, Victorian furniture still holds quite an appeal for many people today. This style of furniture is distinguishable by the time period in which it was created and the methods that were used. The name is given to furniture made during Queen Victoria’s reign from 1836 to 1901, though that time period actually gave way to different styles of furniture that all fell under the umbrella of “Victorian.”

Early Victorian furniture pieces were done in the Rococo style, which copied this period in France. This style is recognizable by the many intricate carvings in the wood. Extensive scrollwork, flowers and animals decorated the furniture—sometimes every inch of it. Scroll feet were very popular in these Rococo revival pieces, as were cabriole legs, which were legs shaped almost like an ‘S.’ Rococo pieces were ornate in a way not commonly seen in American furniture, but these pieces became very popular in American homes.

The newly created mechanical tools that allowed these ornate scrolls and carvings were responsible for much of the intricacy of early Victorian furniture, as was craftsmen’s new ability to used laminated wood. During lamination, one-inch thick stripes of rosewood were glued together to make wood that was 6 to 18 layers thick. Solid wood wasn’t the best medium for detailed engravings and carvings, but the lamination procedure lent itself well to the rococo style.

This Victorian furniture also marked the first time furniture was sold in America in sets, with matching pieces, and the first time furniture was mass produced. Though rococo style is probably the most recognizable style of furniture from this era, gothic style was popular too, with its more medieval look. Most gothic revival Victorian pieces were produced from about 1840 to 1865. Renaissance revival style reigned from about 1860 to 1875, with highly polished and parquet patterned furniture, often featuring brass findings and ornaments to give it a distinctive style.

Victorian furniture was popular in every room of the home, from the bedroom to the dining room, and still enjoys popularity today with antique lovers and interior decorators. Antique pieces can range in price from the reasonable to the expensive, depending on the rarity of the style and the condition of the furniture. If you find an antique piece for sale, be sure to ask whether or not is has been refinished or reupholstered as you’ll want to purchase furniture as close to its original condition as possible to make a good investment.

If it’s the beauty of Victorian furniture you’re after more than the value, then these things matter less. You might even want to look into reproductions. Either way, be sure that the joints are sturdy and the item is in overall decent condition. A refinished and reupholstered piece of this furniture can look gorgeous in your home, so if you don’t mind doing that yourself or having it done, a piece in less than perfect condition might be a great purchase for you.

Originally posted 2008-12-06 14:00:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Antiques -> Furniture -> Chairs

In the market for a collectible that will not only be useful but also beautify your home? Antique chairs are the perfect solution. These are a very popular type of collectible and no matter what type of furniture you’re interested in, chances are you’ll be able to find just the right chair to complete your collection. Here are some great ideas to get you started.

If you enjoy rocking, there are many antique chairs that offer this feature. In fact, these are probably some of the most collectible chairs you can find. Often made with cane backs, or slats, these chairs used to adorn parlors and cabins alike during the past few hundred years. If you have never sat in one of these antique chairs, you are missing out on an experience. For those that enjoy primitive, western or Americana collectibles, this type of antique chair would fit perfectly with any collection.

For those that prefer a more modern twist, there are antique chairs from the Danish Modern movement that are quickly coming back into style. In fact, you can find brand new replicas of this style in just about any store today. These chairs are incredibly comfortable, even though they have that sleek modern look and if you can find an original, you’ll be surprised at what they can do for a room when it comes to finishing touches.

If you’re looking for an antique chair for your den, office or study, consider getting a leather club chair from the art deco period. These are the epitome of luxury and many are still fully functional today. Ideally, look for a club chair that still has its original ottoman, since these are worth quite a bit more money, especially at auction. Club chairs are typically leather and will usually come in black or dark brown.

Queen Anne and Chippendale antique chairs are always popular, especially if your home already features this kind of décor. While these may not be the most comfortable chairs on the planet, they are among the prettiest and many of them are actually incredibly valuable. Look for chairs that have their original upholstery if at all possible, or if you’re looking for a deal, you can find a run down one that just needs a little TLC.

Last but not least, there are antique chairs from the Shaker style that are ideal for any home. These are quite valuable and many will be rockers. If you’ve got a dining room you’re trying to furnish, consider using Shaker style antique chairs for a great authentic look. These chairs are very durable and it is typical to find them in fantastic condition at local auctions.

No matter what kind of antique chairs you are interested in, from oriental, to art deco and everything in between, thanks to their popularity, they are incredibly easy to find. Start shopping for an antique chair now and see just how much it can add to your home, making it very special indeed.

Originally posted 2008-09-20 05:00:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Dealers -> Furniture -> Cabinets-Armoires-Cupboards

A sideboard is a piece of furniture used to display China or to set food out while dining. The sideboards we’re familiar with first appeared in the 1700s, but became more popular in the 1800s when more people had dining rooms to eat in, and fewer people ate in their kitchens. Today, sideboards are often referred to as servers, buffets and credenzas.

Commonly made of oak or pine, a sideboard can be just a column for food to be placed on top of with some drawers for things like silverware, or it can be taller with shelves, sometimes glassed-in rather like a hutch. Home’s today will usually have a China cabinet or a hutch, but sideboards seem to have gone out of vogue in modern dining rooms. Some people still have vintage furniture that was used as sideboards back when more people ate from good dishes or China in a dining room, rather than using everyday dishes for most meals like is common today.

A sideboard can vary in price and value depending on the type of wood used, the style, the time period and the condition. Some Arts & Crafts period sideboards can cost well over $1000, and some Victorian period pieces can go well above that price, while some smaller and more modern sideboards can be had for only a few hundred dollars. Estate auctions are great places to find a sideboard. You can probably find one cheaper at an estate auction than you’ll ever find in an antique store.

Online auctions offer a huge variety of furniture, more than you will probably ever find in one estate auction or antique shop, but the size of the items can make shipping costs prohibitive. Still, if it’s worth it to you to pay fairly exorbitant shipping costs for such a large and usually heavy item, then you might enjoy browsing the dozens and sometimes hundreds of different sideboards available at places like eBay.

An oak sideboard from the early 19th century will most like be more valuable than anything produced in the 20th century, but it’s possible to find a situation where that isn’t true. Spending some time learning about the different furniture styles and manufacturers can only help you in your search for a valuable vintage sideboard.

If you can talk to an antique dealer or a seller and sound knowledgeable about revival styles like Arts & Crafts, Mission, Victorian, Gothic, Spanish and Renaissance style, you’ll be much less likely to end up paying far too much for a piece because the seller will guess that you know about what a piece might be worth. And knowing these furniture periods will help you estimate the value of a piece. Not only will you know if a seller is charging far too much for a sideboard, but you’ll also know when they’re charging far too less. Always ask about damage, whether it has replacement hardware, and whether the piece has been refinished, all things that can drop the value drastically

Originally posted 2008-12-08 05:00:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Dealers -> Furniture -> Bookcases

Patented in 1892, a barrister bookcase is a special type of bookcase that’s enclosed with clear glass covering the front, differentiating it from a typical open-shelf bookcase. These bookcases got their start in the UK, but became popular worldwide because of their unique stackable design. Dust within is minimized by the glass front, protecting the books and items inside. Special tempered glass can even be used to block most light, making these bookcases ideal for antique books as they can minimize the slow damage that comes with age like fading and cracking.

Antique barrister bookcases range in price a great deal, depending on the manufacturer, the age of the case itself, the glass and hardware used, and the wood. The first bookcases of this type were created by the Globe Wernicke Co. so these are some of the most valuable pieces, and if they were cared for properly, they can still be displayed and used today.

Barrister bookcases were made in a wide variety of styles, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find one or several that suit your tastes. You can find antique barrister bookcases in antique shops, maybe even flea markets and variety shops, or you can search online for dealers and for sales on auction sites like eBay. You’ll want to ask whether or not the piece has been refinished, and where the piece came from. Unlike with most antiques, a refinished barrister bookcase doesn’t necessarily drop in value. It’s always best to find one that’s been refinished and is in good condition, than one that’s in bad shape.

To make sure the barrister bookcase you’re looking at is an authentic original case, check for the manufacturer’s label on the back of each section. Each section will have metal side bands—they should be there, and you should ask if they’re the original metal pieces or whether they’ve been replaced. Again, replacement is not bad necessarily, as long as the piece is in good shape.

Also, ask about glass replacement. Antique barrister bookcases used a glass with a distinctive look. Stand next to the piece and look at the glass. If it doesn’t have a slightly wavy or rippled appearance, it’s either not the original glass, or the case itself isn’t really an antique. If you can’t see the piece, such as with an online purchase, ask the seller these questions so that if you get the piece and its not what you’re looking for you have to reasons to cite for the return.

While antique barrister bookcases can be pricey, you can get the same look with modern reproductions, if the history of the piece itself isn’t important to you. Many companies manufacturer barrister bookcases today, in styles that look antique, and those that look pulled right out of a modern home. Choosing new or antique is up to your preferences, but keep in mind that the antique barrister bookcases benefit from quality construction and craftsmanship that’s already allowed them to last up to 100 years.

Originally posted 2008-11-12 14:00:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Unless you are shopping around in a museum, it may be difficult to buy antique furniture dated before the 16th century. Collectors are generally only able to obtain pieces of furniture from the 1485 to 1600 Tudor Period and onwards, and even the furniture selection from this period is relatively small in comparison.

It was not until the middle of the seventeenth century that things began to change. Before then, most furniture was made simply with oak and with peg joints. Some of these antique furniture items were inlaid or painted, but if there was any décor at all, it was typically carved directly into the wood. The most common antique furniture that you are going to find today includes paneled oak chests intended for linen, and many of these are hand carved in order to feature unique figures and architectural shapes. If the carving is to regular or geometrical, then there is a chance that the piece is either a reproduction, or that the decorations have been improved upon or added much more recently.

The chest of drawers is a piece of antique furniture that has evolved gradually since the latter half of the 17th century. It began with a simple carcass that contained a couple of drawers which were mounted on a stand that featured turned legs. This piece of furniture gradually progressed into what we now know as featuring drawers from top to bottom. This is also the same period of time where using veneer became popular. Thin pieces of carved wood or wood featuring interesting colors were glued onto the piece’s outside frame to serve as decorative paneling or to cover the entire structure.

At this point, chairs and settlings were also beginning to change from their basic, square and relatively plain designs into designs that were significantly more elaborate and featured backs and can backs and seats were being introduced. The very best antique furniture pieces were destined to suit aristocratic homes and they were upholstered lavishly. The backs became significantly higher and the seats became significantly lower.

Another influencing factor on antique furniture was trade with the Far East. Lacquered cabinets featuring two doors and a variety of drawers began to be imported from Japan and China. They were mounted on stands upon reaching England. This was the birth of a process that is known as Japanning, which involves imitating the Oriental style lacquers using spirit and oil varnishes.

Toward the end of the century, the influx of European craftsman brought about a radical change in what types of antique furniture were available. The writing bureau, for example, came to be during this period of time as an arrangement of a cabinet with a drop down, hinged front and an arrangement of cubbies and drawers that provided ample space for writing.

If you are interested in learning how to buy antique furniture, learning the history of the pieces is definitely a good way to go.

Photo Credits: mezzoblue

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