Antique furniture is a beautiful way to have your home look classy and timeless. However, you can only beautify your home with such furniture when you select the right one! You wouldn’t want to purchase expensive antique furniture only for it, not to match your room or become damaged shortly.
That’s why I created these tips on how you can select antique furniture, so read on!
What to look for when buying antique furniture
Purchasing antique furniture is different compared to new ones. If you’re a bit confused with where to begin, follow these helpful tips:
1. Use your eyes and heart
Many of us purchase antique furniture as a collectible, seeing it more as an investment rather than taste. This may be risky when looking into the market value, but remember, even experts can’t make 101% accurate predictions!
To avoid regretting a purchase, I recommend that you choose furniture simply because you like it. Establish the style that pleases you most, then look for the pieces well-made from craftsmanship to patination.
2. Investigate authenticity
One of the biggest scares is investing a ton of money on fake antiques. Before choosing an antique, give it a thorough inspection, which is a normal process reputable dealers encourage buyers to do.
- Look out for features that shouldn’t be on the antique, such as materials that aren’t been used for furniture making at that time. You can refer to the dates of the antique to begin the inspection
- Look underneath to find a patina
- The thicker the veneer, the older the furniture is
3. Recent pieces are also valuable!
Some people advise you to purely focus on older pieces, as they have more value compared to more recent ones. Sure, the older, the more desirable, but you’ll be surprised with how valuable mid-century pieces are as well. It isn’t just about the times pieces were made, but the category and design of furniture as well!
4. Look into upholstery and good bones
When looking for upholstered items, be sure to inspect them well, also focusing on what’s underneath the cover. Find any signs that the furniture has been restored, recovered, or refurbished with less superior material and construction.
You want old-fashioned craftsmanship, because the older pieces may actually last even longer than newer and more modern pieces. With original furniture that hasn’t been majorly redesigned, you can expect it to have good value.
5. Create connections
Whether it’s your first time or have been investing in antiques for a long time, you need to make new friends! Visit several dealers, create connections, and choose those you like the best, building a healthy relationship with them. These dealers will know your taste and give you important advice, and maybe even source amazing pieces you will love!
6. Be aware of principal styles
If you’re new to antiques, there are several principal styles you can look into for investment and decorating your home:
- Tudor and Elizabethan, referring to the Tudor dynasty in England. The furniture has a Gothic style, then it was replaced by the Golden Age, with pieces being inspired by the Renaissance.
- Restoration Period comes from the 17th century where walnut and solid oak pieces became very popular.
- 18th century began with Rococo, which is a whimsical style that connected to asymmetrical elements and nature.
- Regency refers to Gothic, Greek, and Egyptian styles, which went well during Victorian times.
- Arts and Crafts are another Victorian development in the late 1800s. It was then followed by Art Deco after World War 1, a design language that focuses on glam and stunning veneers.
7. Focus on gently used items
You want to get gently used furniture rather than trashed pieces, regardless of its age and market value. It may be quite an expensive refurbishing damaged furniture or difficult to do yourself, and if not, it won’t look good when displayed at home. With that said, don’t let scratches scare you, as minor issues like these can be fixed!
8. Bargain wisely
Do you see any odd scratches or some defects you can repair cost-effectively? Examine the piece if there are any alterations or damage, and you can use these to bargain well. Unlike purchasing new furniture, you can still cut some costs for a better price. Just be sure that the repairs won’t cost as much!
9. It should fit and go together
Purchasing whole sets of antiques will be pricey and overwhelm your room with too many vintage pieces. For those with a limited budget, you can purchase individual pieces that work well together. Besides this, you can mix and match with new furniture and express your style in a unique way.
10. Think of repurposing, too
You should obviously look for quality and also put your efforts in investing in unknown brands, which may be cheaper but with still good quality. Besides that, you should also look into the way you can repurpose the furniture to show your own style. You can use small tables as a nightstand or old trunks as coffee tables, which can look amazing!
