We bought an antique bookcase and later discovered it has bugs in it. They are eating the wood and leaving little piles of sawdust. They are very small and brown with little wings – they sort of resemble weevils. (I do not think they are termites.)
How do we kill them? Do we have to get rid of the bookcase? And, are we in danger of them spreading to other pieces of furniture or our hardwood floors?
Please help! Thanks.
In the mid-18th Century, Roman antiquities became popular by way of home decoration. Pots, bronzes and statuary recovered from archaeological sites were all sought after items. In order for the gentry to accommodate these (it was only the gentry who could afford to), their houses and or gardens needed to undergo a complete remodelling. As a result, their old furniture and decorative items were stored in outhouses, attics and relegated to use by the servants. It is these items, which are now so eagerly sought after.
In the early part of the 19th Century, people didn’t collect things just because they were old. They may have collections of books, manuscripts, coins or maybe maps but furniture was for storage, sitting on or sleeping on and paintings were usually family portraits. Other items such as porcelain and glass were also purely functional. However, later that same century, with Queen Victoria’s reign in full swing, her subjects began to take an interest in the origins of their possessions and that was the beginning of what we now know as the antiques industry.
The definition of “antique” originated in the 1930s when American customs officers needed a yardstick by which to judge whether duty was chargeable on works of art. As mass production of articles had begun some one hundred years earlier, an antique was deemed to be something more than one hundred years old. Today, however, the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow defines an antique as “an older object valued because of its aesthetic or historical significance”, in other words a collectible.
Obviously, there are those who deal in antiques for a living but even they may live a whole life in the field and never come across that elusive piece bought for a song and sold for a fortune. There are those, of course, who have what they call in the trade an “eye”; they have a natural ability to spot the “real thing” in the midst of a roomful of rubbish, but they are few and far between. For an amateur, the likelihood of striking it rich is even lower, so the best course of action is to collect what one likes. If one likes a piece, is happy to look at it on a daily basis and has paid a sum for it which one can afford, then it doesn’t really matter whether it will bring an undreamed of sale price.
In most cases, an aged decorative item will increase in value. However, keen amateurs can disturb the market, as they did in the late 1980s, when Clarice Cliff pottery and lesser-known Impressionist paintings were in vogue. The market became flooded with the genuine and not-so-genuine and eventually, the bubble burst. It recovered in time of course, but too many people seeking items with not enough knowledge can cause a hiatus in the natural flow of buying and selling.
If he concentrates on one type of item; paintings, ceramics, furniture, etc., then an amateur has a greater chance of building up the knowledge needed not to be fleeced by unscrupulous dealers. Experience and knowledge can be gained by studying books and the objects themselves or better still hanging around with an expert. Even then, the diversity of styles and periods will take a great deal of learning and of necessity, information will overlap. For example, in order to fully understand English Georgian furniture and recognise it, one may need to study Louis XIV and XV furniture as well, for the purposes of comparison. There’s nothing like experience, so the more time spent rummaging in antique shops and talking with the owners, the better.
I have a mirror and table that you put in an entrance hall that I would like to antique. I have a base of bronze, which is very pretty, but it is not 'complete'. Thanks for your help.
I have an antique side buffet that's been in my husband's family for years. It is in desperate need of SOMETHING! I can't decide if I should just refinish it or apply an antique white distressed finish – which do you think will look best?
I have bought a house recently. I would LOVE to decorate it with antique furnitures. But I am low on budget as well (after paying for the house) Can anybody tell me where can I find some used antique furnitures in detroit area?
Thanks a lot for your help.
A fireplace can truly add warmth to your home, in more ways than one. Not only can it heat your body in the winter, but it can truly offer a wonderful cozy feeling to your living room or family room. A fireplace can also be a drab thing that takes away from a nice space. The fireplace itself may not leave you many options as far as appearance goes, but you can work wonders with the addition of some quality antique pieces.
If you have a fireplace, and you are interested in dressing it up with something original, something with class, and something aesthetically pleasing, consider antiques. There are a number of antique fenders, fireboxes, and fireplace tools that can create the visual effect that you want.
The most common and traditional fireplace addition is a brass antique. Having a shiny, antique, brass gate, fender, and/or tools can brighten up a dull fireplace quickly and easily. When the fireplace is on, it will illuminate the color on the brass, especially if the lights are dim. Not only is it nice to look at, but it is romantic, too.
Another option for your fireplace is an antique fireplaceantique fireplace surround. You might choose an antique brass, neo-classical, or Victorian fireplace surround to outline your fireplace. A choice like this can give character to the fireplace and the room itself. You can create the feeling that you are in Victorian times, or just make the room feel luxurious and high-class. It is up to you.
Antique folding screens might also be a nice option for your fireplace. These might be brass trimmed, iron, or silver faced. A screen that does not fold, or a gate that does not have a screen might also be a variation you should consider. Depending on the style you are looking for, how nice-looking your fireplace is on its own, and safety concerns, you may want a screen, and you may not want a screen. Every fireplace is different.
You might be interested in going all out and purchasing an antique mantel for your fireplace. There is nothing wrong with that, either. Many mantels come in wood or brick, and other materials. You might want to add pictures on top of the mantel, or put up figurines, flowers, or other antiques.
No matter what your taste, you can’t go wrong with using antiques to dress up your fireplace. You just have to shop around for just the right one to suit your style.
There are two main aspects to mirrors and antique mirrors give you the best of both if you happen to like the look of antiques for your home or office. The glass in antique mirrors may often be somewhat irregular, but that is often part of their charm. If the mirror has a frame, then having an antique mirror gives you as a bonus an antique frame. But the most important aspect to the antique mirror in terms of reflection is the coating on the back of the glass. At one time there was diamond dust added to the paint which makes for a wonderful rich, deep and vivid reflection. Modern mirrors do not compare with the quality of some of the antique mirrors that have survived the years. And that makes some antique mirrors very valuable and sometimes, very rare.
Of course, truly old antique mirrors are a miracle as they have endured the years and use and have not broken. A French Trumeau mirror from the early eighteenth century is a good example of a rare antique mirror. These mirrors were place on the walls near windows and over a table or fireplace mantles where candles would be place in front of them so that during the day they would reflect outdoor light and in the evening they would reflect candle light. An antique mirror of this vintage is worth thousands and possibly tens of thousands of dollars.
Another style of antique mirror comes from American furniture history. It is a panel mirror and consists of any number of mirrored pieces fixed together on a backing and framed as a whole. Antique mirrors often have bevelled edges to the glass which is a great feature. There are hand held antique mirrors in addition to the wall and free-standing varieties. Often the antique hand mirrors are encased in sterling silver or silver plated, but a very rare and very old style of antique vanity mirror is one made of brass with a polished finish for reflection and doesn’t contain any glass at all.
It is possible to put a new mirror and place it in an antique picture frame to get the effect of a great old antique mirror and this approach will have some authenticity to it as the glass in many real antique mirrors has been replaced anyway so why not get yourself the look of an antique mirror for the price of a frame and an inexpensive new mirror glass? Any way you come by your antique mirrors can be a good way since what you want may not be authentic antiques, but just the look of the antique mirror and creating your own might be just the way to go.
Antique bottles are a colorful, fun and affordable way to get into antiques collecting or even an antiques business. There are, as with many kinds of antiques, shows, clubs, magazines, books, auctions, specialty shops and online sources for information and acquisition of antique bottles. And within the category of antique bottles there are plenty of sub-categories to choose from if you need to narrow your field for collecting because once you get active in the antique bottle world, you could quickly be overrun with antique bottles. Many collectors of antique bottles limit the kind of antique bottle they collect. But if you end up with too many antique bottles, you could go into a business of buying, selling or trading with other antique bottle collectors or the public at large, because antique bottles are useful beyond the fun of collecting.
some of the types of antique bottles that you might be interested in and that could be used for home decorating or for other uses are, flasks, perfume bottles, ink bottles,apothecary bottles, certain colors of glass bottles like cobalt or black, barber bottles, bitters bottles, medicine bottles, poison bottles and some people even collect old Coca Cola bottles as a hobby or for investment. I knew a young man that began his antique bottle collecting by digging in the woods near his home and unearthing antique bottles and jugs that are still in his family two generations later.
Digging is actually one of the main ways that serious collectors of antique bottles actually acquire their bottles. There are certain rules of safety, law and etiquette around the art of digging for antique bottles. Some rules are basic and should be observed such as not digging alone. Don’t leave broken glass exposed. bury it before leaving a site, know the laws if you are hoping to dig in a dumping area, take a first aid kit to a dig as glass can cause cuts and do not smash unwanted glass that others might injure themselves on. These and other rules can be found in books about antique bottle collecting and digging or from websites that experienced diggers have set up.
Antique bottles are found in countries all over the world and antique bottle enthusiasts gather to share information show off their collections and to buy sell and trade their treasures. Antique bottles come in all sizes, shapes and colors. They can be decorated with embossed hallmarks that can make them very valuable and the better condition they are in, the more the bottle can be worth. It would take someone years and years of study and research to learn all about antique bottles, but the topic and the objects are fascinating and antique bottles through history paint a very interesting picture. Whether you are an antique bottle collector or you just happen to run across one, antiques would make a great gift for someone in your life as a flower vessel or just a pretty colored glass decoration for their home.
Antique radios have rich history and classic looks. Collecting antique radios is a very specialized hobby and quite challenging as antique radios in great condition are not that easy to find. This aspect of an antique radio hobby actually makes the fact that is a little bit challenging, a little bit more fun. With other types of antiques collections, there may be a huge abundance of the item or category of items collected. And the cost of collecting other antiques can be more reasonable or more expensive that collecting antique radios. For some reason collecting antique radios tends to be more appealing to men, but that by no means implies that collecting antique radios is a man’s hobby.
When collecting antique radios, you can seek only one style and period or you can be less discriminating and collect any and all antique radios. Some of the styles out there from the early 1900’s are the cathedral radio, the tombstone radio and just plain old wooden cabinet table models. These early radios sometimes had metal trim and toward the middle part of the 20th century these antique radios were coming out in plastic or bakelite. Some antique radios are floor models that dominated a living room where now the home theater and entertainment center stands in modern day homes.
In addition to finding and adding antique radios to a collection, there is the added dimension of restoring the radios to the condition of their former selves. People who are avid collectors who buy sell and trade their radios also recycle parts to each other to aid in the completion of a restoration project. Some antique radio enthusiasts get their radios in working condition. That all depends on the availability of tubes and parts that these antique radios require.
As with most any hobby and especially hobbies that include antiques, there is the possibility of getting into business with your hobby. The most attractive part of this prospect is that you will be able to support your antique radio hobby or habit by creating cash flow for the purchase of additional antique radios. This often happens to antiques collectors. At some point they find they have an abundance of antiques, in this case, antique radios and they need to sell off some of them to make room for more.
Adding antiques and collectibles to your decor offers a stylish, interesting, and often practical way to liven up a room. It can be affordable too when you shop wisely.
Group Like Objects Together:
Whether you’ve amassed a striking collection of Roseville pottery or an eclectic mix of antique teddy bears, grouping like objects together on a shelf, table or mantle can often make more of an impact than scattering them about a room. Vary the size and shape of objects in your collectible groupings to make them more interesting. This works well with holiday collectibles, too.
Use Common Items Uncommonly:
Have you ever considered using vintage aprons for kitchen window toppers? How about old pull-down schoolhouse maps as window shades in a study or boy’s bedroom? The field is wide open when it comes to finding a way to use common items in uncommon ways. Learning to look at thrift store bargains and flea market finds in a new light can save you lots of money as well.
Frame Your Ephemera:
Most collectors pick up a few antique postcards, hand fans or pieces of vintage sheet music that speak to them here and there over time. Ephemera, or paper collectibles, like these can easily be framed for wall or easel display. Just remember to ask your framer for acid free materials to preserve precious paper goods and display them away from sunlight to avoid fading.
Recreate an Era:
Recreating an era through decorating can be visually stimulating as well as an interesting challenge for your inner shopper. Consider how an art deco bathroom, Victorian guest room or mid-century modern living area might cleverly accent your home. Look at old home and garden magazines or decorating books for authentic ideas before setting out on a quest to fill that space with stylish collectibles reflecting your favorite decade.
Mix Old with New:
Adding interesting antiques and collectibles to modern décor provides an opportunity to embellish a room with a conversation piece that stands out. Architectural antiques and oversized advertising pieces are great options for this purpose, but anything old and unusual will do. Favorite family heirlooms can work well in this instance too.
Embrace Monotones in Glass:
Imagine a shelf filled with artfully arranged milk glass. Against a pastel wall it’s a fantastic look. Or perhaps you prefer the mirror finish of Mercury glass, which fits in well with crisp white furnishings. From vivid Blenko glass to Depression era hues, the spectrum of glass colors available offers a beautiful way to accent any decorating scheme.
Rotate Your Collectibles:
While they’re tons of fun, this idea goes beyond the usual holiday collectibles we all know and love. Perhaps you have a collection of Shawnee Pottery and a collection of Hall China, but you don’t have room to display both at the same time. Rotating them out a couple of times a year offers an opportunity to enjoy your collections while sprucing up your living space.