ANTIQUE VS NEW, PART 1

ITEMS TO CONSIDER BUYING ANTIQUE

Tables: You can buy these at a fraction of the price of new ones – people are often looking to get rid of them when they move house etc. You have to look carefully but a lovely oak or stripped pine table with a rich patina can bring so much more to the table (!) than a shiny new one. This applies to side tables, bedside tables and console tables too. Look out for side/console tables with a pattern/scallop trim; I’ve seen lots of these around and they look so pretty and add a layer of depth.

Beds: I think people can be put off from the idea of a second hand bed I think if it’s just the frame, it is perfectly fine to buy old. I personally would steer clear of second hand fabric upholstered beds, unless you wish to reupholster them, as the headboard can take on the oils etc from peoples heads as they rest against them! There are some really reasonable antique four poster beds out there which can elevate a room into something very special. Couple of things to note, if the slats are broken/lost you can buy new ones and do check the measurements carefully – some old beds are not build to fit standard mattress sizes.

Rugs: Again, there are some lovely antique rugs out there, especially Persian rugs, which can add a real depth and richness to a home. Look out for holes/worn areas. Rugs can be professionally cleaned or it might be cheeper to purchase a carpet cleaner if you have a few to do. That said, I do think there are some lovely new rugs too – I especially like the Anthropologie range.

Toy chests: Personally, I would never spend hundreds on a new toy box. Second hand pine boxes are lovely, often much less expensive plus can be re-allocated to a blanket box once the little ones have grown up. I bought inexpensive hinge piston arms for ours and screwed them onto the inside of the lid to avoid the lids slamming on little fingers.

Chest of drawers: Now, this is a tricky one as I love the look of old chests but I do not love having to wrench old drawers open and shove them shut. In places where the drawers won’t be opened on a daily basis, I would 100% go antique (mahogony or stripped pine are my preference). Adding lovely knobs to plainer drawers can really elevate them too. In places where you will be using them often, I would look at going new (but maybe go for an antique bed and bedside tables so the room doesn’t look too box fresh) OR get a quote from a local carpenter or joinery firm who might be able to add drawer sliders to a chest. You may find that the cost of the joinery plus the antique chest still comes out less than brand new (or of course you can give it a go yourself – there are plenty of online tutorials!) If you do choose new, I would be tempted to go and see the item in store – cheaper options will photograph fine but might feel flimsy when you use them. Another option might be to buy a good quality newer item but get it second hand from Ebay or Facebook marketplace.

Wardrobes: Again, a tricky one as its an item you need to function well otherwise it will drive you mad, if using day to day. Like a chest of drawers, if you do go new, you often need to splash out to get something good quality… One option is to buy an antique wardrobe but make sure it’s a super good quality one, with deep enough hanging space to hang a modern coat hanger sideways. To modernise an old wardrobe, you can add new knobs/handles or paint them (google will tell you exactly how do this!) If you can, go and see it in person first or go to an Antiques market/warehouse where they will likely have a few on offer. Another idea is to buy a second hand solid pine wardrobe (Ebay is teeming with them) and paint it/add new knobs. I would also paint the inside white to make it feel fresh and clean. You can also decorate them, even with little skill – try Etsy for stencils and simply paint over the stencil in a different colour to the wardrobe. See Tess Newall’s website for some lovely examples.

Sofas/armchairs; Once again, I am going to put sofas and armchairs into both categories as I think there’s an argument for both! If you do opt for antique, I would thoroughly recommend firstly seeing/trying it in person as they can be uncomfortable and secondly, I recommend getting a quote from a local upholsterer before buying it, if you are getting it re-upholstered. If its more of an occasional sofa/chair then you probably don’t need to see it in person but do make sure you have an upholstery quote. Armchairs tend to start around the £200 mark and sofas around the £700 mark. Another option is buying a more recently made item, but going second hand. You can get some really nice second hand/ex showroom Loaf or sofa.com pieces from Ebay.

Dining chairs/occasional chairs: When doing up our dining room, I scoured the internet for hours looking for dining chairs but came back with very little. The ones I liked were over £400 and out of my budget and the cheaper ones didn’t look like they would hold their own against my family. In the end, I bought 10 battered but lovely leather chairs from eBay (£250) and I am getting them reupholstered in a really soft recycled leather. The total cost per chair will work out at around £220 per chair, not insignificant but still less than many new ones on the market and they will have the added appeal of bringing the warmth of an antique to our dining room. For multiples of 4 or 6, there are some lovely reasonable antique chairs on eBay. For larger quantities, you can still find them but may have to look a little harder! I always like a sprung dining chair as opposed to a hard wooden one as I think that if you have guests over, it can get a little uncomfortable to sit on hard for longer than an hour. t, though, choose a fabric that will either hide the dirt/wipe clean; leather or a clever velvet are great for this! Cream cotton look lovely in magazines but do you really want to burst into tears when Gillian from next door drips tea onto the chair?

Bedding: I am putting bedding in both categories as although I don’t advocate buying second hand sheets, vintage quilts, throws, kanthas, suzanis and eiderdowns can be bought at super low prices and add a real warmth and depth to a room.

So, that concludes my ideas about Antiques. Of course they are just my ideas and remember, one single rule does not apply to every home. See next tip for items I think are worth buying new ! See tip 4 for where to shop for antiques…