Buying unique furniture is an important part of decorating your home. Whether it is a bungalow, a beach house, a cape cod, an adobe revival, a contemporary craftsman, colonial or contemporary style home you want furniture that will give your home that unique touch of beauty.
Today, buying mid-century modern furniture is not as difficult as it was in the past. But that doesn’t mean it’s that easy. You will still need some special skills to identify the best mid-century furniture. Additionally, the industry is full of replicas. It will take a special eye to tell what is original and what isn’t. In fact, experts say that buying is like a treasure hunt not a simple visit to the furniture shop. From choosing the best vintage furniture to identifying the places you can buy them, you will need the following expert tips.
1. Do Your Research Well
There are so many types of vintage furniture in the market. Choosing the right one for you is overwhelming. This is why you need to do thorough research before you embark on the hunt for a perfect vintage piece of furniture.
To begin with, you need to study and learn more about the period of the piece you would want to buy. This will help you familiarize yourself with the unique characteristics of furniture from that particular period.
Also, you need to understand the difference between classical, Art Deco, and mid century modern furniture pieces especially if you have already decorated your home in a particular theme. It will help you identify the details you need to be keen on, to choose pieces that will go with your already set theme.
Do not be hesitant to ask for help, if you are not getting it. Interior designers, antique dealers, and appraisers are always ready and willing to help you with the information you need to choose the best vintage furniture for you.
2. The Devil is in the Details
Different types of Vintage furniture come in different materials, features, and styles. You need to pay attention to the details to identify the best vintage furniture for you.
For instance, casegood items such as dining tables and sideboards are much better when it comes to their construction than some versions made of pressed wood or chipboard. The most important thing is to trust your gut when buying vintage furniture. If it looks new it probably is new. Look at the nails used to construct the furniture. Are they new? New nails indicate that the furniture was not constructed so long ago.
Something else you can do is check out for dovetails. These are joints that fit the wood furnishings together. They are commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front. The presence of dovetail joints is an indication that the furniture was made by a cabinetmaker and not in the factory. Thin dovetails indicate that the furniture was constructed by a more skilled cabinetmaker.
Also, remember to inspect the hardware. Check the drawer pulls and any other hardware to determine if the piece is really vintage. Check for dust, dirt, and wear around the pulls too. This will help you determine whether the vintage furniture is an original or a replica.
If you are aware of the true condition of the vintage piece, you can approximate its value and this means that you can determine how much you are willing to pay for it.
3. Look out for Refinished Pieces
The majority of people think that a shiny and polished piece is the best. Yes, this is true if the furniture is just ordinary. But if the furniture is vintage, clean and shiny furniture reduces the value of that piece. There is nothing wrong with a faded piece of vintage furniture. The old, faded and weathered piece indicates that the vintage is original. Even the collectors prefer the pieces as close as possible to how they were when they were first made.
For example, pine country furniture from the 18th century was usually painted barn red or blue. People think that they have to scrape it off to the original piece of wood. What they do not know is that people at this time were very spirited in how they used colors to decorate. Even if the paint is cracked, the piece is okay. This is what preserves the original feel of the vintage furniture. Having said that, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Be it polished or old, go for the piece that is appealing to you.
Conclusion
If you are looking to buy vintage mid-century modern furniture, you need to make sure that you get value for your hard-earned cash. At the vault Sydney Antiques you will find the best vintage furniture in the market.
