Furniture Articles

"My second-best bed, with the furniture", William Shakespeare famously bequeathed to his wife in his last will and testament. Whatever the reason for her not inheriting the best bed (a much-debated topic), his words are proof of just how valuable today’s antique beds once were in households up until the 18th century.

Before fitted kitchens and multipurpose furniture, the sideboard was an important storage provider, designed to display the family china and silver for Sunday best. Today, whether used for storage or as a TV stand, antique sideboards are having a moment.

True collectors have a genuine love of the objects they gather. The pleasure that can derive from a rickety 18th-century rocking chair, teacup with a thousand stories or a tinkly old music box is beyond measure.

Whether you’re an interior tastemaker or an avid collector, antique sofas and settees are valuable assets to invest in. They ooze class: transforming rooms with elegant curves and beautifully crafted feet.

The joy of antique furniture is that it can be used as well as admired.

With an astonishing diversity of pieces that have evolved over the centuries, buyers are left with a vast scope of antique mirrors to research. From bagging a valuable Regency mirror to spotting a 20th-century copy, this guide will help you get a thorough understanding of the mirrors antiques market.

Throughout history, furniture has developed from simple designs cut out from trees to beautifully crafted pieces using sophisticated and skilled techniques.

Period dramas are having a heyday right now and with it comes a trend in the return to 19th-century furniture.