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How to Find the Best Antique Furniture

Shopping for antique furniture can be overwhelming especially if you aren’t sure what to look for. Finding the best antique furniture is a breeze if you know what you are looking for. Here’s what you should know about finding the best antique furniture.

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What to Consider

Whether you simply love the beauty in older things or are optimistic that your new pieces will retain their value, there are a few things to consider. First-buy what you love. Antiques are meant to be appreciated, and if you don’t simply love it-keep looking.

Secondly, a great way to spot true value in the best antique furniture is with the use of the acronym RADAR. This stands for Rarity, Aesthetics, Desirability, Authenticity, and Really good condition. Finding these 5 features in one piece means it’s highly likely your potential piece will likely appreciate in value over the years.

Antique-furniture

How to Find the Best Antique Furniture

Rarity can be a bit tricky to discern. Here are some attributes to look for to know if a piece is truly rare.

Few originals made
Few originals still exist
Rare color or design for a specific piece
Uncommon subject or style for specific artist or maker
Unusual size or shape
Reproducibility

Aesthetics are important on a personal level really. Oftentimes, you may find a piece that you wish were missing a particular element, like artistic touches or handmade qualities. When you find a piece that appeals to you aesthetically, go for it.

Desirability is simply defined by what’s currently trending in the market.

Determine authenticity by analyzing the features of your potential piece. Look for time-period specific features, signatures from the artist or company, as well as, the specific type of material used within your potential piece. If your antique furniture fits within these specifications, it’s likely your piece is an authentic antique.

Really Great Condition is essential to finding the best antique furniture. Here is a breakdown of terms to help you discern how your potential antique piece stacks up.

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Mint Condition – this is a perfect piece with no chips, cracks, breaks, or other minor damages. This also means no repairs, missing pieces, and it has the original finish as well.
Excellent Condition – this means the piece has minor flaws-perhaps a chip or flake that has been expertly repaired.
Good Condition – this means your piece has suffered some damages and has been expertly repaired.

The Secret to Choosing the Best Furniture

Furnishing a house can be very fun. When it comes to choosing the best furniture, there is much to consider and so many options. However, this could easily turn into a nightmare if you do not know what to look for when it comes to your personal style. If you want to create the perfect look and feel in a room, you will have to understand the furniture and its role in the overall decor. Mastering the secret to choosing the best furniture is a crucial step in getting the interior just right. Here are some of the basic things to consider before making your decision.

Get the Room Basics Covered

Each room always has its specific function and needs. These will determine the kind of furniture to be found in these rooms. For instance, a living room will focus on couches whereas a dining room will have a dining table. Decide what you are going to use the room for.

When choosing your furniture, you must ensure that each room conforms to its core function. Failure to do this will render your rooms uncomfortable and possibly useless regardless of how well-chosen your furniture might be.

Sizes, Dimensions, and Shapes

The next thing to consider would be the shape and the dimensions of the furniture. Shape determinations will help you use the spaces to the fullest.

A corner seat will fit perfectly into a small apartment if you want to make every corner count
An office table that slots into the space between your bed and the closet might convert your bedroom into an office perfectly
A pentagon dining table might create a better and cozy dining space as opposed to a rectangle in a small dining room
As for the size, a bigger room can accommodate larger furniture in it. Huge chunks of furniture would overwhelm a room while small-sized furniture might make the room look empty.

The secret to getting the right furniture lies in getting the balance between the room size and the furniture size just right.

Once you have these parameters in check, you can go ahead and start shopping around for the ideal furniture. Remember that it could be a modern classy design, oriental or Victorian. Pay attention to match the furniture theme to any other decorations in the house to avoid any disappointments in the future.

What Furniture Do You Need in Your Home?

Every house, every room needs furniture to function optimally. While some pieces like chairs and beds are obvious, there are other pieces of furniture that, though important, tend to be overlooked by most homeowners. Throwing these pieces into your house will not only make your room more functional and comfortable but also be proof of how keen you are on interior decor. Here are some of the most important yet neglected pieces of furniture you should have in your house.

A Side Table

Every sofa needs at least one side table. The side table could offer a conventional surface for placing whatever you want and perhaps additional compartments for other things, for instance, books. A good side table will be around 24 to 36 inches high and can be of any design you want. Rule of the thumb: always ensure that your side table is slightly higher than the arm of your sofa.

The Occasion Chair

The occasion chair would be an ornate piece that is more of an accessory than it is a functional piece. It could easily be different from the rest of the furniture in the room and be ornate enough to draw attention to itself. Pull up such a chair to the table in the living room or dining table to seat an important guest. The occasion chair will add a bold decor statement and a unique taste of style to the house at all times.

An Upholstered Bench

A good bench will always add some taste to your home. It could be a simple bench at a free corner of your room or over at the porch or the dining table. You can always pull up the bench to the place you want to use it at. A good bench could be upholstered or just a plain but beautiful hardtop bench that is as functional as it is realistic.

These simple pieces of furniture will not only make your house more functional but also add some taste to your decor. Since they are simple pieces of furniture, you can always find them easy to come by and easy to place in the area you desire.

How to Match Furniture and Dark Floors like an Expert

When you need to match furniture with dark floors it can sometimes be a daunting task but it really doesn’t have to be! Here, we will cover some great tips and tricks to help you match your furniture with dark floors like an expert. Here’s what you should know.

Chic & Sophisticated

Dark floors offer a rich sophisticated look to any room. But with the wrong furniture, these dark floors can make your space feel heavy and overly dark. Here’s how to keep the chic and sophisticated look of your dark floors with the perfect furniture.

For a harmonious look with your dark floors, it’s important to choose furniture with the same warmth of your dark floors but in a few shades lighter. Warm, rich floor colors pair well with wood furniture with light-to-medium-toned woods like maple or cherry. For black or grayish floors, choose pale, weathered woods for a cohesive overall look.

Luxury Legs

Contrasting colors aren’t always needed when choosing furniture to match your dark floors. Choosing wood furniture with legs that closely matches your dark floors is a great way to add an elevated level of elegance.

When choosing this design technique, it’s important to choose a lighter color for your walls. While your walls don’t necessarily need to be white, choosing a color with a significant contrast to your dark floors will prevent your space from feeling heavy and smaller than it is.

Go Organic

For a more organic look that incorporates your dark flooring, mimicking the natural variation found in the forest is a great way to go. Using a mixture of light wood furniture paired with crisp white walls will give your space a light and airy feeling. Adding plenty of greenery accents will help complete this organic look.

Rich and Warm

For a rich and warm appearance without the heavy feeling, choose ultralight walls and a darker, patterned rug for your space. Kitchen areas with dark floors paired with white cabinetry and warm wood and bronze metals will maintain the feeling of elegance without a heavy feel to space. For a more sumptuous look, choose to match furniture in neutral colors with greige walls and a gorgeous shaggy Moroccan rug.

Furniture Types with The Best Quality

If you are in the market for furniture types with the best quality, it may be hard to know what to look for. Looking for a strong, long-lasting piece of furniture can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s what you should know about finding the perfect furniture with the best quality.

Composition

If it’s wood furniture you’re looking for, the composition is important to notate before purchase. Hardwoods and softwoods have different features, so it depends on the intended use for the piece. Here are the basics about hardwoods and softwoods:

Furniture made from hardwood simply means the wood comes from a deciduous tree. Softwoods are made from the wood of a coniferous tree. In general, you’ll want to look for something that has a reasonably scratch-resistant wood surface. This is easily discernable by taking your fingernail to draw a thin line across the wood. If you are able to make a visible dent, then you know the surface won’t be able to stand up to much use.

Structure

In terms of structure, any solid wood will work. If your potential piece is plywood, you want to make sure that there are at least 9 layers. Additionally, you should check the entire piece for knots – including unexposed areas. Knots in the wood are highly susceptible to cracking. For the best quality, you want to avoid particle board, pressed wood, and fiberboard.

Construction

For the furniture types with the best quality, construction will be the main determinant. For the sturdiest, long-lasting pieces, it’s important to avoid anything held together with staples, nails, or glue. Dowels or screws offer the best integrity. The best joints are dovetailed and mortise-and-tenon to ensure strength and longevity. The corners should have an attached reinforcing block for added stability.

For the best quality construction, you should be able to lift the furniture piece at one corner without seeing it twist or hearing any squeaking. You should also be able to press on any corner without the piece rocking or wobbling. All legs should be touching the floor. Solid construction is essential to a high-quality, long-lasting, substantial piece of furniture.