Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Why Should You Buy Antique Furniture?


Have you ever wondered why antique enthusiasts pursue and buy antique furniture and other antiques with such great passion, and why they find it so important to learn as much as they can about the subject? What's the reason these items are so highly valued? Throughout the world antiques are treasured because they symbolize an era that was, and is now gone. These pieces chronicle a previous period of time, a lost generation, or perhaps it's a period of history that we fondly recall. Antiques and antique furniture are objects that make history come alive for us, once again.

Historic value is just one of the reasons antique items have always been highly desired by collectors. Another is, they know that in time, the antiques they possess will be worth an amount far beyond what they originally paid for them. From antique silver to Queen Anne furniture, etc., there will always be avid collectors specializing in the acquisition of various types of antiques. Collecting antiques is all about one's own personal choice.


The Best Antique Furniture In Phoenix


However, collecting furniture pieces is quite different from any other type of antique because, although you can look at, admire and enjoy possessing your latest treasure, these are items you live with and use daily. It would be highly unusual for the average collector to amass a large collection of French 18th century armoires/wardrobes, as there certainly would not be room for them in the average home. Although furniture can also be looked at, admired and enjoyed, it is also meant to be lived with and used. When you buy antique furniture, each piece becomes part of your surroundings, your home and your life.

Antique pieces of furniture have been made for every part of the home. Some of the best examples are the living room, This room is where most of the finest 18th and 19th century furniture was designed and made to be used. French and English furniture designers of this period designed some of the most energetic and lavishly upholstered sofas, settees and chairs. Many of these designs were revived in later years and continue to be stylish and useful today. Victorian furniture can still be found today and the Victorian wing chair is quite handsome and very comfortable.


Choosing Chinese Antique Furniture For Your Home


Antique writing desks and desk chairs, both period and revival, are highly desirable pieces of antique furniture to buy, even today. Also, there are quite a few small, medium and large antique tables that are perfect for both occasional and dining use. And sets of dining chairs, representative of all the well known 18th and 19th Century furniture makers, are sturdy, well constructed and have withstood the test of time.The unusual character of each piece's origin, style and period can significantly enhance the appearance of your home. And, if you buy only a piece or two (or even a whole house full) to decorate your home, it can be a great investment as well!

So, buy antique furniture for your home, even if it's only one or two pieces, it will alter it's look and feel. And, who knows, you may just find a real treasure for your own future gain... Click the link below you'd like to visit my antique furniture shop. You'll find a large selection of antique furniture, lighting, accessories and art for your home.Anita Boyd has been an antique dealer for over twenty years and collector for her entire adult life. She specializes in antique furniture, lighting and decorative accessories for the home. Her website offers a large selection of antique dining tables and chairs, antique writing desks, antique clocks, antique chandeliers and lamps and also vintage antique furniture.
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Antique Furniture

An antique is typically described as a curio or furniture that is more than a hundred years old. Many people like to decorate their homes with furniture that is antique in nature. Carved wooden ornamental and period furniture best represents this kind of ornamentation.

Antique furniture predominantly with wooden carvings allows you to recreate a period lifestyle in your living room, making it distinctive and keeping with the social tastes of that culture or period. Victorian living room furniture is extremely ornate and had exquisite wooden carving details on display.

To buy a piece of antique furniture you must have a thorough knowledge of furniture history and styles in different countries and periods. It can be quite complicated to identify true antiques, imitations, variations, alterations and restorations. People often pass off fake antiques as original if you are not vigilant.

The furniture from the Victorian era exemplifies antiquity to its hilt. Heavily carved, it is usually made up of darkest wood unlike light mahogany finish and satinwood that were used previously. The popular materials used for Victorian furniture were dark mahogany with a reddish tinge, rosewood, black walnut and bog oak.

Rich deep hue of dark oak was preferred and the size of the furniture was huge. The relief work in the furniture included skillful and ornamental wooden carvings of flowers, fruit, animals and human figures. The cabinetry of the Georgian period is still treasured today.

American Antique Furniture

American antique furniture encompasses an extraordinary range of models designed over a time span of several hundred years, and pieces often differ significantly in quality of craftsmanship, place of origin, and appearance. Notwithstanding, antique furniture throughout American history, seems to share an inherent character and often a distinctive originality that is central to its appeal.

American antique furniture was enormously influenced by European and English styles. Made of local woods, it often featured painted decoration along with costly wooden carving and veneers of high-style pieces produced in furniture-making centres like Newport and Philadelphia.

The most antique piece of American furniture is assigned to Thomas Mulninert who is known to have worked between 1639 and 1650 in the colony of New Haven. Solid American wooden carved antique furniture was made with walnut and ash. Mahogany was imported Haiti and Santo Domingo and was extremely popular between 1730 and 1840 for the elegant Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Sheraton, and American Empire styles.

Pilgrim (1640-1690) - Antique furniture of the Pilgrim era was large and heavy in appearance. Main ornamentation is carved wooden relief wherein most pieces are made of oak or pine. Authentic 17th century antique American furniture is extremely rare. Many antique Pilgrim style pieces have been heavily restored, particularly the legs and table leaves while the carved wooden ornaments and rungs have often been replaced.

William and Mary (1700-1730) - William and Mary antique furniture was characterized by the dovetail joint and the wooden carving in high relief. The pieces of furniture are generously proportioned with contrasting surfaces. The use of lacquer, veneer, orate carved wooden moldings, and bun feet are typical of this era. The main types of wood used are walnut, maple, and pine.

Queen Anne (1725-1755) Queen Anne antique furniture is characterized by refined scrolled form. The lacquered antique furniture has cabriole legs and hooped seats. The most widely used types of wood were walnut, cherry, and mahogany.

Chippendale (1755-1790) Chippendale style antique furniture has Chinese motifs, Gothic arches, 'C' and 'S' form scrolls as well as claw and ban feet. The center part forming the chair backs are woven. Chippendale style furniture is almost exclusively mahogany and that from the southern states is often highly ornamented with wooden carvings.
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