Shopping for Antiques It's easy to get sidetracked when shopping for antiques, with such a wide variety of choices and styles jumbled together. Leslie Hindman, host of HGTV's At the Auction, helps steer designer Julie Seedorf in the right direction in her search for occasional chairs. Narrow your search to a single item to help keep from getting sidetracked. Take along room dimensions, a tape measure, room color chips and fabric swatches. When you find an item you like, examine it closely. Wiggle the item to make sure it's sturdy. If you're shopping for chairs, sit in them to get the feel and determine their sturdiness. Always invest time in looking before you buy. Browsing through antiques stores is one of the best ways to learn, because you can examine items closely and compare different pieces and prices. Antique Value Antiques expert Richard Norton says you can read furniture like a book and explains the steps, which help reveal the authenticity of an antique walnut commode. The first thing Richard looks at is wood. In this case the wood is walnut, which was the favorite high-end choice of the time. Slightly darker wood around the mounted hardware -- the original walnut that hasn't faded -- indicates that the metal hardware is all original ((figure A). At the base of the chest the feet are slightly rounded, showing years of gentle wear. A quick look at the drawer sides reveals dovetailing that all reads the same way, indicating that the same pair of hands did all the work (figure B). This piece is unusual because it is signed by the maker (figure C). The maker put his signature on the piece because a tax was collected on furniture, and the signature proves that the tax was paid. This is a very good way to date a piece and document the maker. The top is hand-worked marble. Running a finger along the curve of the beveled edge reveals a smooth finish on the front and sides of the piece and a rough edge at the back. A new piece, with a machine finish, would have a smooth edge all the way around.
RESOURCES :
Richard Norton Inc.
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