Archive for the ‘Antique Furniture’ Category

Tips for Buying Antique Furniture for Sale

Monday, June 20th, 2011

It can be a reliably nervous experience making a decision on a piece of antique furniture for sale. How do you know that there are no serious hidden flaws that make the furniture worthless? The consumer protections we have and the quality of modern manufacturing techniques have undoubtedly spoiled us with bulletproof dependability. How much can you depend on the craftsmanship involved in antiques? The next time you run across a beautiful dresser or bed, make sure that you evaluate it with these antique shopping tips.

When you are evaluating case goods, a chest of drawers, cupboards, cabinetry, close attention should be paidto how the drawers are attached to the main body of the construction. Dovetailed drawers are the best kind. Designs with unreliable quality will have stapled construction. Not only is a stapled drawer of lower quality, it probably isn’t antique even.

The right antique bed can be a great buy to enjoy over a lifetime. Beds aren’t the same size today as they were back in the day though. The standard size then, used to be what was known as the three-quarters measure – 4 foot wide. If you were hoping to use the bid with a standard issue mattress today, you’d be disappointed. Modern mattresses are either 39 inches or 54 inches wide. You have to special order the mattress for an antique bed.

Antique furniture for sale often comes with a line in in the description that uses the expression ‘grain painted’. Most people who come across this expression are not really aware of the exact meaning intended here. It means that the appearance of the grain and color of the wood you see are actually painted on, and that they were not natural. How beautiful the appearance of grain painting is depends entirely on the craftsmanship used. Grain painting that isn’t as well done as it should be is worth a discount.

In the end, buying antique furniture for sale is an exercise in using a great mixture of deft instinct and expert knowledge such as what a set of tips such as these can bring you. Be sure when you go antiquing to look for missing hinges, drawer pulls or keys; look out for termite damage, and you should be safe in your decision to buy.

Take Care of Antique Mahogany Furniture

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

It is imperative that you should care for your antique mahogany furniture to ensure that its eternal and timeless beauty is always highlighted. You should always remember the fact that wood is nothing but a pure product as a result of which it should always be kept away from exposure to heat, direct sunlight as well as tremendous humidity or moisture. Any kind of spillage on the wooden surface should be wiped clean and should instantly be dried by means of a soft flannel cloth that should be kept aside for the purpose.

After many years of everyday use, it is advisable to use “Gilly Stephenson” waxes and polishes for the purpose of replenishing finishes that have started showing signs of ageing. There are many situations that are unavoidable and your mahogany furniture could be subjected to damage purely by accident. It could also result in stains that are difficult to remove. It is integral that you should know the necessary ways and means by which you should protect your cherished antique mahogany furniture.

These tips ensure that you do not have to spend a fortune for the purpose of maintaining your antique mahogany furniture.It will also revive your furniture and will impart a sleek look to it. First and foremost, in order to clean your furniture, you should wipe the entire product thoroughly. This is the most important thing that you should do, after purchasing the antique furniture from the antique shop. After wiping the furniture, you should clean it by means of a furniture wax that is specially formulated for the purpose of cleaning antique mahogany furniture.

Next, you should apply wax to the antique mahogany furniture to impart the lost shine to it. After you have finished applying wax, you should use basic 4-0 steel wool to clean the furniture. It should not be too rough as it will then damage the perfect finish of your furniture. Assess the components of the furniture wax before you purchase it. It should necessarily have a beeswax component, and this is available in myriad colors. This could be beneficial for you, as you can then camouflage the scratches by opting for a color that is nearest the antique mahogany piece that you have as a result of which it will be enmeshed with the finish and no-one will then notice the scratches.

To continue the process of maintenance of your antique mahogany furniture, it is imperative that you should use wax for cleaning it after a period of 3 to 4 months. This will also ensure that your wood is more long-lasting. You should remember to avoid spraying any kind of aerosol cleaners on a finish specifically as it could result in serious damage to your furniture. As an alternative, you could spray the cleaner on a rag and then wipe the furniture with the damp rag. These are certain things that you should keep in mind while you are caring for your antique mahogany furniture.