Antiques: Furniture from the past

Antique furniture adds real character to your home.

If you’re looking for new furniture for your home, don’t forget to consider antiques. Furniture from the past looks beautiful and is often just as practical as modern reproductions. The design of antique furniture, together with the knowledge that it has sat in several homes over the past hundred years or more gives it a real edge – and you know that you’ll be looking after it so that you can pass it on to the next generation.

Why choose antique furniture?

Many people opt for brand new furniture when it comes to replacing a dining table, looking for a new bedroom suite or just an occasional piece for a hall or guest bedroom. The appeal of antiques – furniture in particular - is not just its monetary value but its intrinsic value. Handmade, and often fitted with beautiful handles or drawers, decorated with wood inlay, using hidden drawers and catches to release extra storage or shelf space, antique furniture adds warmth and style to your home in a way that many new pieces fail to do. The beauty of many antique furniture pieces is that they can be used for many things other than their original purpose. So, a washstand can be used as an occasional table, a chest may be used as a sideboard and a tall chest of drawers can be used for paperwork in your study rather than socks in your bedroom.

Taking care of antique furniture

You may be worried that the care needed for antiques, furniture especially, may be more than you’re prepared to do. In fact, you rarely need to do much more than you would with a modern piece, and you’ll be given complete advice on how to care for your antique furniture when you buy. Indeed, with good care and attention, your antique piece may increase in value whilst you are using it – something that isn’t often the case with modern furniture. http://antiques.shop.ebay.co.uk/