Comprehensive Beginners Antique Buying Guide

Antique Furniture 101: Buying Guide

The world of antiques can seem daunting to a beginner. Understanding what to purchase and what to avoid when you are starting can become bewildering and fast—which is why at Laurel Crown, we wanted to create a guide that is as comprehensive as possible and informative as possible to help you take your first steps into antiquing.

You no doubt want to ensure that what you buy is worthy of your investment. We hope our Antique Furniture 101: buying guide will help you feel more confident in collecting antiques.

The Basics: What is an Antique?

Three terms often get mixed into the vocabulary of antiquing: antique, vintage, and retro. It can be easy to mistake these three terms to mean the same thing. However, there are distinct differences that revolve around the age of the furniture or décor piece.

Why does age matter when labeling an item? It can help give you a clue as to the date of the piece's origin and provide context about popular fashion and socioeconomic trends at any time.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an antique is "a relic or object of ancient times" or "a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago."  Almost every antique expert and reliable antique dealer will agree that the definition of what makes an object antique means it is at least 100 years old or older.

Nonetheless, just because a piece of furniture is 100 years old or older doesn't necessarily mean it will be valuable. An antique should have historical significance—it should be notable in representing or reminding us of an era long past. Plus, it should be aesthetically valuable, not just old but rare, high-quality, and beautiful. Since beauty is subjective, an antique should, at the very least, have some artistic measure that makes it aesthetically pleasing.

Regarding antique furniture, craftsmanship is essential in determining aesthetic value and antique status. For example, a piece made by a renowned designer, such as Chippendale, which required great skill and intricate carving, is more likely to be higher value antiques than basic utilitarian pieces without a maker stamp or clear origins.

If you would love to know more about antique, vintage, and retro, we have a fantastic article you'll enjoy reading: Differences between Antique, Vintage, and Retro.

The First Step: Where to Begin

If you're wondering what the first step is, where you should begin, and are reading this article? By researching, you are already taking the first step toward owning your first antique (or antiques). After understanding that age is one of the more critical factors in identifying antiques, the next step is to become aware of the different periods.

1. Differences Between Artistic Style and An Art Period
   Style refers to the visual characteristics of antique objects, while period relates to a specific time frame in history. In many European monarchies, for example, periods are named and grouped according to the monarchs of that time, as the ruler had an enormous impact on every aspect of culture. A King's or Queen's tastes would dictate the preferences of their court, and that taste would spread from the court to nobility, nobility to society.
   
   For a perfect example, the Queen Anne style of furniture design developed before, during, and after the reign of Queen Anne, who was Queen between 1702 and 1714.
   
   During the 20th century, design styles shifted toward taking the names of significant art movements such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
   
   Each furniture style also showcases identifiable characteristics and motifs, though, occasionally, late pieces in one period may display carvings or motifs of the next. Motifs are design elements, carvings, and decorations that are abstract or recognizable symbols, such as shells or acanthus leaves.
   
   If you're curious as to what some of the most common motifs found on antique furniture are and what they mean, please take a look at our in-depth Carved Motifs in Antiques and Their Meanings article.
   
   
2. Collect What You Love
   The most important part of collecting antiques, aside from understanding style and art periods, is finding out what antiques you love. Whether it's coins, chairs, chaises, or silverware, you will want to collect the items that bring you the most joy to look upon and use within your home. Before you begin in earnest, think about and explore what you might enjoy owning. You can ask yourself a few simple questions, such as:
   
   
   • What are you planning to do with an antique collection? Will you be using these items in your home?
   • Is there a particular era in time that you love? For example, many people enjoy the décor of the Victorian era.
   • Are you fascinated by certain types of items, such as trinkets, paintings, certain types of crafting tools, or specific types of furniture?
3. How Can You Tell the Period of Antique Furniture?
   While it can be difficult at the beginning to date a piece of antique furniture, primarily when periods reflect similar styles, there are ways for you to learn how to tell which era a piece came from.
   
   As technology and tools progressed, this also influenced style changes to help you date and identify pieces of furniture. For example, tufting was invented in roughly 1838, which predates the beginning of the mass production of coiled spring, which may help you as a curious antique collector to narrow down the decade of when an item was produced. Additionally, certain kinds of wood were often used to create antique furniture during specific periods, and new materials were often implemented around the time when trade was expanded. Many authentic antiques were usually made in earlier styles as they experienced what is known as a revival. For example, many 19th-century antiques can be made in the Neoclassical style period, originally from the 1700s, as that older design style was resurgent.
   
   Understanding furniture periods and styles can significantly assist you in seeking excellent antiques to add to your first collection.

Popular Antique Furniture Styles and Their Hallmarks by Geographical Region

1. France
   French cabinetmakers have long been praised for their exceptional splendor in creating classic furniture styles. Traditional furniture styles developed in France were so immensely popular then that their influence can be seen in antique furniture throughout Europe, especially in England.
   Below, we cover the most influential French styles and their hallmarks.
   
   Louis XIV – 1643–1715
   The Sun King took the throne in 1661, ushering in his reign as a period of unparalleled splendor in French antique furniture and décor. It was the King's belief that furnishings and décor should reflect the glory, wealth, and power of the monarchy itself. Many antique furniture pieces from this period exude a striking style that can be described as Baroque.
   
   Characteristics of Louis XIV Style:
   
   • Rectilinear (contained by or consisting of straight lines) shapes with ordered symmetrical forms
   • Straight and rigid rectangular chairs with high backs
   • Chair backs frequently upholstered
   • Rectangular chair seats
   • X-shaped stretchers between chair legs
   • Gilt bronze ormolu mounts to protect furniture edges
   • Chair legs are straight and not connected at an angle
   • Pieces were often created from chestnut, walnut, or oak. Some unadorned, others may have been painted with vivid red, green, gilding, or silver pigments
   • Adornments at that time consisted of symbols representing the Sun King, the sun, fleur-de-lis, faces of humans or the gods, and mythological creatures
   • Console tables, writing tables, and desks were also immensely popular, as well as tables explicitly designed to hold dishes, called table à gibier
   • Console tables kept against walls were often decorated with giltwood, heavy marble topping them, and x-shaped stretchers were common
   
   The strict symmetry and rigidity of furniture at this time were a reflection of the formality of Louis XIV's court, marked by advances in cabinetry making. The key work of art in Louis XIV's antiques at this time that would go on to influence furniture makers for years was the fauteuil or the armchair. Previously, armchairs were strictly reserved for the King, but André-Charles Boulle's intricate designs inlaid with ebony or tortoiseshell created a legacy that affected designers for generations after.
   
   The end of Louis XIV's antique-furniture period was marked by the introduction of cabriole legs and the invention of commodes, or chest of drawers, which became one of the most characteristic pieces of the Rococo period under Louis XV.
   
   Régence – 1715–1723
   The Régence period was the transitional period after Louis XIV's death until the Dauphin reached the age when he could ascend the throne as Louis XV. Régence style turned toward a more intimate, comfortable style that boasted of distraction and pleasure. While still ornate, this transitional style resulted in more comfort and agreeable, elegant forms. Charles Cressent was the master cabinetmaker then; commodes, bookcases with meshed doors, cane chairs with curved sabot de biche legs, Duchess chaises longues, consoles, and flat-top writing tables became center stage in popularity.
   
   Characteristics of Régence style:
   
   • Chairbacks are shorter
   • Cabriole legs are commonly used
   • Cabriole legs often ended in hoofed feet
   • Woods included were walnut, rosewood, and oak
   • Furniture often featured intricate marquetry and surface veneers
   • Wide use of dovetailing construction
   • Symmetrical shapes are curved, softening rectangular shapes, bombe shapes, and serpentine fronts often featured on cabinets
   • Popular new motifs included monkeys, shells, mythological beasts, and masques.
   • Details often included flamboyant scrolls, including C-shaped and S-shaped or leafy, known as foliated scrolls
   
   While this period was only a few years, the new characteristics and designs would continue to be refined and perfected long after Louis XV ascended the throne.
   
   Louis XV – 1723-1765
   This style fully embraces the Rococo period's lightness and femininity, reflected in many cabinetmakers' use of sinuous curved lines and tones of frivolity and comfort. King Louis XV preferred comfort in his private quarters, and furniture creation and placement evolved.
   
   Occasion tables were created and finished on all sides to be placed anywhere in a room, and some were outfitted with Sèvres porcelain. This period introduced the Bergeres chair in 1725, a deep armchair where the open space between the arm and seat was closed with rich upholstery. The discovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii sparked inspiration in the classical forms, and semi-classical motifs began appearing.
   
   Louis XV Furniture Characteristics:
   
   • Use of lacquer, Chinese forms, and Chinoiserie widely used
   • Large ornate mirrors
   • Bronze mounts are still used to protect furniture edges
   • Exotic woods are used to craft complicated veneers and marquetry art, where the marquetry is floral wood inlay in veneer forms
   • Blanc de Plomb style, or white paint on furniture, dominated between 1755 to roughly 1760
   • Pastel color palettes are introduced
   • Bombe commodes are created with swelled formed and have curved fronts and sides.
   • Motifs popular during this period include Chinoiseries, classical motifs, cherubs, floral sprays, and rockery
   • The Bergere, a new chair form, is introduced along with dressing tables, the drop leaf desk, the upright secrétaire, and small side tables
   
   Louis XIV – 1750-1793
   The Louis XIV style of classical interior design showcased a return to more geometric, linear forms with a focus on proportioning, reinvigorating the interest of the Neoclassical style. The rectilinear trend observed in the Louis XIV furniture style returns with an emphasis on weightier furniture with more superficial ornamentation and restrained elegance. The frivolity of the Rococo style has been set aside to introduce an era of formal dining tables and other furniture innovations.
   
   Characteristics of Louis XVI Furniture:
   
   • Curved furniture legs are straightened
   • Multi-use furniture became very popular
   • Mahogany wood became the trend then, and simple veneers displaying the beauty of this wood's grain patterns replaced many complicated veneers
   • Chair arms move forward to align with the front legs, but a new curved line joins the arm on the back of the chair
   • Chairs and beds were often painted Trianon gray
   • Motifs that became popular include ribbons, lyres, caryatids, Greek Sphinxes, inset porcelain plaques, and Chinoiserie
   
   Empire – 1805-1815
   The era of Empire antiques marks the life and legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte after his victorious Egyptian military campaign and crowning of Emperor in 1804. The Empire style can be described as opulent with rich embellishments. During this time, professional guilds were abolished, ending the era of cabinetmakers who worked exclusively in ebony wood and ushered in more straightforward wood applications.
   
   Characteristics of the Empire style include:
   
   • Greek, Roman, or Egyptian motifs, including mythological animals. Other typical motifs included the Emperor's monogram of the bee, representations of military trophies, sphinxes, winged lions, lotus blossoms, caryatids, scarabs, acanthus leaf, anthemion, cornucopia, dolphins, eagles, swans, lyres and rosettes
   • Massive mahogany furniture pieces embellished with gilt bronze
   • Round, solid mahogany pedestal tables and huge mahogany sleigh beds were signature pieces of this style
   • Lion legs with ball and claw or clawed feet
   
   Restoration, Charles X – 1815-1830
   The Bourbons reclaimed the French throne after Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, ushering in the French Restoration era, marked by softening the blocky, rigid lines of the Empire style. Smaller-scaled furniture became necessary as the rising middle class began occupying apartments.
   
   Characteristics of French Restoration antiques:
   
   • Ornamentation fused the symmetry and geometry of Neoclassicism, the ornament and embellishments of Louis XIV
   • Curved lines were preferred
   • Furniture became lighter with less mass
   • Lighter woods were used with darker wood inlays
   • Common wood used were ash, maple, citronnier, orange wood, and elm
   • Motifs included musical instruments, rosettes, garlands, swans and cornucopias
   • Chair back arched with legs either linear or slightly flared
   
   Second Empire – 1852-1871
   
   The reign of Napoleon the Third was marked as a time of modernization and transformation that gave rise to various styles, ideas, and tastes from multiple sources. Eugénie, the Empress at the time, is fascinated with Marie Antoinette, leading to trending motifs such as ribbons, baskets, and other Neoclassical motifs. The Antique furniture of the Second Empire mirrored many English Victorian age styles.
   
   Characteristics of Second Empire Antiques:
   
   • While furniture focused on comfort overall, antiques remained highly decorative
   • Upholstered chairs were intricately decorated with tassels, fringes, and luxurious fabrics
   • Furniture could be created from ebony, walnut, or tulipwood
   • Black lacquer coating wood was also prevalent
   • Cast iron began to make its appearance in furniture
   • Pouf, or ottomans, were extremely trendy
   • Confidants, or indiscretions, were introduced, which were essentially two armchairs placed side by side but facing in opposite directions and linked by a common serpentine back
   • Gilt bronze fittings, copper, pewter, ivory, and even mother-of-pearl inlay were used as ornaments
   • Many pieces had carved and gilded wood, applied porcelain plaques
   • Most popular motifs on Second Empire antiques included acanthus leaves, anthemion, palmettes, swags, rosettes and arabesques
   
   Art Nouveau – 1890-1914
   Art Nouveau is a French and Belgian style that embraces more organic forms. Art Nouveau antiques blend floral and pictorial marquetry with Japanese influences and a touch of French Symbolism. The resulting designs incorporated swirls, blobs, and whiplash motifs.
   
   Art Nouveau Antique Characteristcs:
   
   • Undulating asymmetrical lines often taking the form of flower stalks, leaves, trees, buds, vine tendrils, insect wings, and other delicate and sinuous natural objects
   • Diverse and highly stylized lines
   • Popular motifs in Art Nouveau included daisies, carnations, tulips, and poppies in rhythmically repeating patterns. Shapes like trapezoidal, zig-zag patterns, chevron patterns, stepped forms, and sunbursts were also popular
2. England
   Like French antiques, England faced many centuries of aesthetic and mechanical transformations throughout the eras. Like the French, they also were heavily influenced by royal successions, and each monarch brought their own tastes, whether inspired by the French or taking advantage of talented cabinetmakers' skills to create unique styles that aligned with their visions of leadership and politics at the time.
   
   Greogrian – 1714-1840
   Named for the reign of King George the First, King George the Second, and King George the Third. England considered this the Golden Age of furniture. Its elegance and lasting influence can be attributed to the publication of design pattern books by three of the most respected cabinetmakers: Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite, and Thomas Sheraton.
   
   This era was also called the Age of Mahogany, as this dark wood was first imported into England from Cuba in 1720 and offered countless possibilities that walnut wood did not have.
   
   Characteristics of Early Georgian – 1714-1727
   
   • Pediment tops are widely used on cabinetry
   • A general absence of carvings or motifs
   • Designs similar to Queen Anne with a central splat in chair backs and cabriole legs were frequenty carved with ball and claw feet
   • Legs ended in either carved lion masks or ball feet
   • The heavy corner chair was an essential piece of this period

   Middle Georgian – 1727-1760

   • This is the age of Thomas Chippendale when The Gentleman and Cabinetmaker's Director dominates the design
   • Styles of chair backs were varied and could include styles and pediments from Rococco, Chinese, and Gothic
   • The straight leg slowly overtakes the cabriole with ball and claw foot
   • Secretaries and close cases from this period are so exceptionally made that they are some of the most treasured antiques today
   • Refinement and elegance sum up the furniture of this era
   • Motifs are heavily influenced by Chinese designs and include fretwork and pagoda-style pediment tops

   Late Georgian – 1760-1820

   • Sheraton and Hepplewhite take over Chippendale, and their era begins
   • Tapered, straight, or turned legs replace carriole.
   • Construction, in general, is lighter
   • Chairs are smaller and more delicate
   • Motifs popular at the time include the urn, laurel wreaths, sunbursts, ribbon bands, egg and dart, shell and lion's-head patterns
   • Hardware and handles are brass
   
   Regency – 1820-1830
   Thanks to renewed interest in academics surrounding Greco-Roman culture and new findings, designers in the Regency era sought to revive ancient furniture forms. Thomas Hope created signature chairs based on the Greek Klismos chair, and the style was termed "Grecian."
   
   Regency period antique characteristics included:
   
   • Structures in furniture became simplistic with severity
   • While the structure was simple, decorations and motifs became fanciful
   • Dark, heavy woods such as mahogany, rosewood, and zebrawood were used
   • Regency furniture had contoured lines with either delicately painted or veneered wood
   • Metal inlays were commonly created from brass, and furniture had either gilded metal accents or mounts
   • Carved animal parts were common components of furniture
   • The most popular motifs were winged griffons, lion paws, and lion heads
   
   Victorian – 1837-1901
   Queen Victoria's reign marked the last moments of English imperialism and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The industrial boom changed furniture making from handcraft to factory-made. Victorian-era furniture also showcased an obsession with past antique styles, and as a result, Victorian-era furniture is best characterized as an expression of eclectic revivalism.
   
   Victorian-era antique characteristics include:
   
   • Furniture was created on a larger scale
   • Victorian furniture celebrated revivals in Gothic, Rococo, Jacobean, Renaissance, and Arts and Crafts
   • Popular Victorian antique furniture motifs could include animals, vines, foliage, geometric shapes, serpents, lizards, flowers, moons and stars
   • Dark wood dominated with lavish and ornate carvings
   • Round pedestal tables with claw feet were the height of trends
   • Sofas took on the style of a recamier style
   • Backs of chairs were crested with volutes
   • Velvet and sumptuous fabrics are commonly used
   
   Edwardian – 1902-1910
   At the height of elegance, garden parties, pink champagne, and the glamorous lives of aristocracy, Edwardian furniture was designed with a theme of escapism and nostalgia.
   
   Characteristics of Edwardian Antiques include:
   
   • New materials such as wicker and bamboo used
   • Decorations were painted
   • More restrained use of inlays than Helpplewhite and Sheraton era
   • Lighter, more delicate forms and structures compared to the Victorian era
   • Popular Edwardian motifs included florals like vines, leaves, scrolls, and occasionally animals
3. America
   Early American furniture closely followed trends and styles from Europe. Thomas Chippendale was one of the most popular furniture makers who made a lasting mark in American antiques. Cabinetmakers in America created Chippendale furniture faithfully from Thomas' pattern book and added creative adaptations for local tastes and what materials they had on hand. Once America won its independence, however, America turned to Adam's brother's Neoclassical styles following the influence of Thoman Jefferson, who was building Monticello in the style of American Neo-Palladianism.
   
   Furniture created in Philadelphia, Bostom, or Charleston has recognizable differences due to adaptations while most generally following the basic pattern books of Hepplewhite and Sheraton. There were a few unifying characteristics that made Federal Antiques notable.
   
   Characteristics of American Federal Antiques:
   
   • American cabinetmakers used traveling journeymen to make furniture pieces
   • Modifications to original patterns used different forms depending on the region the antiques were made in
   • Local woods such as pink, tulip-poplar, white cedar, cypress, mahogany, and birch were common
   • Scrolled pediments were the trend at the time
   • Sideboards were designed with cabinets flanking the main compartment, while English counterparts used drawers
   • American Federal style is used to balance between masses and negative space to create a delicate grace in the best pieces
   • Popular Edwardian antique motifs included the acanthus leaf, delicate florals, nature, birds, feathers, and dragonflies
   • The upholstery was used less often, and when it was used, the fabrics were less opulent and lighter in color

Buying Antique Furniture

Now that you've got an essential list of antique characteristics and their periods and found the antiques you'd love to have in your home, it's time to talk about buying antique furniture. We'll help you have a strategy in mind before you begin your search.

Create a Network

Word-of-mouth, either in person or online, is an essential part of antique purchasing and trade. Just as you researched characteristics of antique periods, researching reputable antique sources and dealers, restoration experts, and fellow antique enthusiasts is essential. Creating a network of people you can rely on allows you to have a community to fall back on while also getting assistance for finding the particular type of antique furniture you want to own.

In addition to having a chance to find the perfect antiques for you, you have an excellent opportunity to learn a great deal about antiques from others, and the more knowledge you have, the better you are at finding precisely what you want and to discover fantastic pieces at the best possible price.

Remember Patience

Buying a great piece of antique furniture will take time. Time to research, learn, build a network, and find the piece and how it will fit into your home. You may spend several weeks, months, or years searching for the perfect antique. You may even find other hidden treasured antiques along the way, but it is worth it to be patient, wait, and research. Part of the fun of finding antiques is realizing what grabs your attention and love along the way; plus, the longer you take the time to search and chat with dealers, the more you'll develop relationships with dealers and develop knowledge and expertise.

The Best Places to Find Antiques

Antique Shops

Perhaps the most obvious yet best place to search for antique furniture is within an antique shop. A great shop owner will be able to tell you in-depth details about their collection, and you will be able to ask plenty of questions about potential purchases. Additionally, an excellent shop owner will be able to ask you questions to find the piece of furniture to suit you.

Auctions

Many auction houses and estates sell items from house clearances, making these places ideal for picking up excellent pieces. Prestigious auction houses often employ antique specialists who are at hand to appraise and catalog furniture to ensure it's sold at a price it is worth. Bear in mind that finding antiques this way means you will have competition, and having a firm budget and being alert will be necessary.

Dealers

If you're looking for niche furniture or furniture from a certain period, you may want to visit an antique dealer that specializes. However, negotiating with a dealer is not precisely beginner territory, as you must have some knowledge of antique furniture so you do not end up paying significantly more than the antique is worth.

Flea Markets and Online Markets

Flea markets can be a treasure trove of unexpected antiques, providing you have the time and patience to sift through plenty of objects that are lower value and you know what you are looking for. It's not usual to find genuine antique furniture with bargain prices at flea markets, so it's always wise to arrive early to get the pick of going over stock.

As for online stores, there are several auction websites where you can bid on antique furniture, and they can be bid on from all over the world.

Laurel Crown understands that it is an awful lot to learn when buying antique furniture, but the main thing to focus on is enjoying learning about them and discovering pieces you truly love. With our help, we hope you are well on your way to finding the perfect piece!