Antique Furniture
When people talk about antique furniture it can have many
different meanings. 'True' antiques are items which are over
100 years old, but with many other retro and vintage pieces coming
back into fashion, pieces younger than this are often referred to
as antiques by the lay person.
The term 'furniture' covers an enormous variety of items.
From the obvious, such as tables, chairs, dressers, sofas, desks
and the like through to smaller pieces such as shelves, coat hooks,
vintage suitcases and even the fixings for doors and light
switches.
Antique and vintage furniture has, over the past decade or so,
been at its lowest price in years. The savviest amongst
collectors and people in general have taken the opportunity to
purchase various quality items of antique furniture to both enjoy
and use in their homes along with seeing it as an investment
opportunity. It is only a matter of time before the pendulum
swings and antique furniture prices once again begin to rise.
Good quality antique furniture is a joy to own. The
craftsmanship and sheer amount of man hours which went into
producing a quality piece is apparent from every angle. Items
made from rich woods such as mahogany, oak and walnut just cry out
to be appreciated; not only by sight but a gifted craftsman
produces pieces which are tactile and almost decadent in their
appearance.
Furniture antiques are one of the most popular types of
antiques, not only because of their practicality but also because
of their historical significance.
The most popular time for antique furniture was the Victorian
period, which dates from about 1850 to 1910 and the most popular
woods used to make the furniture were mahogany, oak, pine, rosewood
and walnut.
Furniture produced in the Georgian, Regency, Victorian and
Edwardian periods all differ in styles.
- Georgian period furniture (1714-1811) saw mahogany become a
very popular wood for construction. Georgian furniture tends
to have dark rich reddish tones which proved a popular colour
scheme at that time.
- The Regency period (1812-1830) saw furniture become extremely
handsome indeed, with intricate small carvings extending from
slender, plain expanses of strikingly coloured wood. Cabinet
makers sought inspiration from the ancient civilizations of Rome
and Greece, meaning columns and neoclassical styles were reflected
in this elegant period of furniture making. Regency furniture
saw the introduction of such features as lion carved feet and the
use of quality timbers like Rosewood.
- Victorian furniture (1837-1901) was a melange of many older
styles. In keeping with the people of the time, Victorian era
furniture was designed to be imposing and titillated with much
carved decoration and lots of ornament. However, despite this
the furniture was also surprisingly comfortable and user
friendly. Rosewood, Oak and Mahogany were the preferred woods
of the period.
- The Edwardian period (1901-1910) saw the introduction of mass
produced furniture. Still of a good quality, this period saw
shameless re-production of many of the older styles, mainly in
Mahogany and Oak woods.
There is also a difference in pieces depending in which
geographical location they were produced. Some people yearn
for English crafted pieces whilst others adore the intricate,
quality pieces created in various other European countries such as
France.
Increasingly popular are vintage pieces from the 1950's and
60's. Retro is very much the in thing right now, with many people
clamouring for originals with which to furnish their homes.
You only need to glance in any modern furniture store's catalogue
to see how this era has inspired today's current styles.
Whatever your favoured style of antique furniture, now is
probably one of the best times in recent times in which to make
purchases. With bank interest rates at virtually zero, the
canny investor can not only put their money into something which is
almost guaranteed to be worth more in the future, but will have a
unique and beautiful pieces which can be enjoyed and appreciated
each and every day.