Furniture Style and Form: What’s Wrong With a ‘Period’ Coffee Table?
In the world of antique furniture, the word “period” has a very specific meaning. To say that something is period means that it is from […]
The Stick Chair – Introduction to the Windsor
One type of chair that everyone is familiar with is the ever present Windsor chair. But why are there so many of them and what […]
Creative Solutions to Furniture Problems: Use What’s Available
In a fit of Spring cleaning, never mind what time of year it was, my wife decided to clean out her old cedar chest. When […]
Victorian Specialty Furniture: Wait in the Hall
The 19th century in the United States started out as period of major political strife with little attention to the development of furniture. Sure, there […]
When Seeking Advice on Antique Furniture, it’s Important to Manage Your Experts
In the identification and evaluation of antique furniture, almost everyone needs some help now and then, even the “experts.” No one can know it all, […]
What’s Under Your Seat? A Short History of Cushioning
Has that old couch gotten a little shaky? Sinking in spots? Maybe that old chair has gotten lumpy and the recliner is getting to be […]
Making a Federal Case: A Young America Tries to Find its Own Style
One of the most popular and most reproduced styles in America for the last 100 years has been the Federal style of the early 19th […]
Bold as Brass: Cleaning Your Antique Brass Furniture Hardware
Most traditional furniture hardware is brass or brass looking, but that covers a multitude of sins. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and […]
The Leaf Problem: Where to Put Table Extensions
Extension dining tables were a great invention. Going from slabs of boards laid across trestles to a fixed table that could be expanded at will […]
Step into My Parlor … and Sit in the Correct Chair
One of the most frequently seen arrangements of seating furniture in an antique shop or at a show is the ubiquitous “parlor set.” It seems […]