3 Secrets to Buying Antiques or Used Furniture
If you’ve been following Moore House Interiors for awhile, you know that I LOVE antiques and vintage pieces! We use them in every single house we design, including our own homes! Antiques add character to any room in a way that new furniture can’t. From Facebook Marketplace to Craigslist to flea markets and antique stores, there are a number of places to find used treasures! Here are 3 of my secrets to shopping antique and used pieces.
#1 Classic Lines
I first look at the lines or shape of the piece. I tend to look for more traditional lines in the pieces that I get, but if modern is more your style, then you are going to want to look for more modern lines. My favorite chairs for example, I found these 2 chairs at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX. I loved the shape of them. I loved the curves of the arms and feet. They were sturdy, but needed lots of love. I could see past the ugly dirty dated fabric and I knew these could be turned into something beautiful. Sometimes you have to use your imagination to see the potential in a piece; antiques are often times gems that just need to be polished!
#2 Sturdiness
Depending on what you are going to use the piece of furniture for, you’re going to want to make sure it’s still put together well. Rock it, open it’s drawers to make sure they open easily, sit in the piece, try moving it, etc. Most older pieces are solid wood, so they have a lot of life left in them! With any piece that you plan to use, you want to give it a good look over before purchasing. However, if the piece is more for decor and doesn’t need to be functional, it doesn’t have to be in as good of condition!
#3 Price
Money is a big player in finding used pieces! My favorite chairs met my first two rules—loved the lines and they were sturdy. But they needed lots of love and I knew that I would be reupholstering them, so I had to factor that into account when it came to how much I was wanting to spend. The chairs were a whopping $10 each…I had to buy them. When it comes to pieces that are ready to go—great lines, perfect structure—I’m willing to pay a little bit more for those, especially if they’re larger furniture items. Always take into account what you plan on doing to the piece, whether it’s reupholstering, sanding, painting…is it going to be worth it in the long run? How much are you willing to invest in it? How does that impact what you’re willing to spend? Don’t be afraid to barter either! Bartering can be intimidating but just be confident, act like you’ve done it before and fake it ‘til you make it! What’s the worst that can happen? They say no? Oh well!
If you’re into really high class antiques & not “junk” that I buy, like my MIL likes to say, then I’m not your go-to girl for advice. I don’t really know a ton about them other than that I can tell you that they are old and beautiful! I prefer the diamonds in the rough!