Village Squire, 1979-10, Page 5of antiques, he says. Decorating with antiques is much easier too
these days because of the number of magazines available dealing
with the subject. Two he recommends are Colonial Homes and
Early American Decorating.
One of the keys to proper decorating with antiques is to choose
what period or style you want to work with and stick with it.
There is a certain amount of mixing of traditional and
contemporary furniture today, Mr. Cline says. but many people
still prefer to follow one style throughout.
Nearly all styles are doing well in popularity he says. Primitive
furniture came into vogue about 10 or 15 years ago and is still
going strong, he says. Empire styling is coming along strong and
is possibly a good buy for those starting out today, from both an
investment and utilitarian point of view. The 1860 to 1900 period
of Victoriana is also starting to get a lot of interest.
Another popular item with young people today, Mr. Cline says
is the oak period of 1915 to 1920. This, he says. is not really an
antique yet but is nostalgia. Still he says there is a lot of call for
it.
When going out to buy an antique. he advises try to get a piece
that is as original as possible. Some parts on old furniture can
wear out such as feet on tables. Some break and get lost like
drawer pulls. Up to 10 per cent of a piece can be a reproduction
of the original and still qualify as an antique but the less
reproduction the better.
If you're starting out to collect antiques, Mr. Cline says, you
should buy the best you can afford. The equity in antique
furniture is only as good as the piece itself he argues so it is wise
to buy quality in the first place.
If you're planning to decorate with antiques, he urges, take
your time. Being in a hurry to make up a collection can be a big
mistake. Most people of course can't afford to go out and fill a
room with antiques in the first place but even those who can are
better off to wait for the best possible piece to come along. Mr.
Cline tells the story of the well-to-do New York professional
couple who were furnishing their home piece by piece and were
so concerned about buying just the right piece that they ate off a
bridge table for a considerable length of time until they could
find the table and chairs they wanted.
That may be an extreme, Mr. Cline says. but getting things
that are authentic and of good quality can take time.
Another decision collectors must make is whether they want to
collect antiques with an original finish or stripped down.
Antiques are more valuable if they're in good shape with the
original finish. They may be the original paint finish•or clear
finish. Often old time furniture was finished to hide the wood.
Many, in fact most, collectors today still prefer to be able to see
the wood.
Fording antiques with the original finish in good condition Mr.
Cline says can be prohibitively expensive. It requires the most
expert of workmen to take the furniture down to the original
finish without spoiling it. Often the original paint or varnish may
have been covered with several coats of paint. To get it down to
the original finish the workman must strip away the top layers
carefully without damaging the original layer. The workman
often works with areas about six inches square in the process.
Many dealers sell furniture with the statement that it is as close
to the original finish as is possible. Some dealers or refinishers
will get the piece as close as they can to the original finish and
then if the finish is splotchy or there are places without the
original finish they will use a thinner to spread what finish they
have over the whole piece. Mr. Cline does not approve of this
feeling there is a certain dishonesty in claiming such pieces have
the original finish.
Though there is a trend toward furniture with an original finish
95 per cent of all furniture sold is still cleaned down, Mr. Cline
says. Furniture with the original finish may be more valuable but
it doesn't turn over as quickly in the shop, he says.
If you're buying an antique that hasn't been refinished you
have two basic choices: you can refinish it yourself or you can
have someone refinish it. If you can do the work yourself you can
FINE FURNITURE • PAINTS
CARPETS • WALLCOVERINGS
Robert L. Plumsteel
Interiors
DECORATING
PHONE 527-0902
SEAFORTH
a store with your decorating needs
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house to suit your personality.
Give us a call and we will come
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We can co-ordinate
to your Special Needs.
October 1979, Village Squire 3