Reading · Man with a Hammer

If you’ve seen any pictures of my home, you know that there’s rather a lot of old stuff in there! It probably makes sense, given the sort of houses I like, that I also like old lumps of furniture… but I think it runs a bit deeper than that, and here’s why I think all homes, regardless of their age, style or period - and regardless too of your own decorating style, would look better with a few old things in them!

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One of my spennier pieces… but I was looking for something very specific - especially in size… this dresser (it came with the top too - which I’ll use elsewhere) was I think about £200… from the 18th century I believe, so older than Admirals.. the perfect size… and still as strong as the day it was made - it’s taken my bulk standing on it and will certainly outlive me!

Initially, for me at least, using antiques to furnish my home was a bit of a happy marriage between taste and necessity… the taste element being I liked them… the necessity being that I didn’t (don’t!) have the budget to head to my nearest furniture showroom and furnish a 30 room house.

Even in my last place… this little art deco cabinet - that I painted inside, became the perfect storage for this little top floor bathroom!

Because it still blows my mind what bargains can be found vs. the cost of buying something new. Now, new absolutely has its place and there might be an aesthetic reason as to why you’d choose something like the below - I am absolutely not here to judge your tastes (though I am thinking about offering a ‘design and renovating help’ post that I do maybe once a fortnight where subscribers can submit things that might be puzzling them and I can offer an opinion, if people might be interested?!)… but - all the chests of drawers I’ve bought for Admirals so far have been between £40 and £80…

This little beauty is £350… and here’s the list of what it’s made from…

Fibreboard, Particleboard, Honeycomb structure paper filling (100% recycled), Acrylic paint, Paper foil

Lets face it, not much of the above screams ‘long term’ to me… and I’m sure I can’t be the only person in the world that’s tried to move/disassemble something like this only to have it literally fall apart in my hands?

A quick gander on facebook marketplace (one of my favourite sources of bits… I’ll include some tips about it below!)… and I’ve found this little victorian beauty for the princely sum of £30! It’s not perfect… but I’d wager it’ll last longer than the previous set, and in my opinion look far more beautiful - whilst being broadly speaking, equally functional! Spend a little more and you’ll find ones in better condition too!

So… that’s the finances bit… the next is what they bring to a room.

There’s something about a room, purely full of ‘new’ things, that feels a bit off to me for some reason… it’s like going into a showhome, all beautifully dressed and immaculate but to my eyes they lack depth or any kind of storytelling… something with some age brings almost immediate character to a space, with barely any effort whatsoever! They also relax me… I don’t use coasters… I don’t worry if someone puts a drink down on them, or knocks into them - what’s a little extra watermark or dink in a leg when somethings had 150 years of them!

This pedestal table was the princely sum of £60… currently in the kitchen… it’s covered in marks… a candle burnt onto it the other day… there’s ring marks and dents and scratches and all of that makes me love it even more!

Equally, for balance… a room purely full of old stuff needs a bit of careful treatment too I think… for fear of looking like a museum, or antiques shop. I like a little new in there… because that contrast and tension between the two is where some of the magic happens and makes me feel like someone has picked things they love, rather than trying to stick rigidly to a theme or period.

Then… there’s the sustainability elements. I aren’t going to sit here and pretend to be a paragon of virtue when it comes to sustainability… I do my bit… and did spend 11 years working for an organic veg business that won the ‘ethical business of the decade’ award from the Observer newspaper… but, I’m not an eco warrior… but I spend a lot of time at the tip (I think you call them ‘dump’ in the US). Everytime I’m there, the volume of very poorly made furniture getting chucked (and again not an expert, but I’m pretty sure they’re very, very hard to recycle much from them) is pretty shocking and, well, just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me - it’s such an easy switch to make!

Doing my bit for the panet, about 15 years ago… selling organically grown sprouts!

Finally, there’s the craftsmanship of the older pieces, from solid brass handles to beautifully dovetailed joints… these things bring me joy everytime I touch them.

Of course, new can have beautiful craftsmanship too. This kitchen will outlive me - the dovetails are a thing of beauty as is the solid oak it’s crafted from. The frame solid beach… it could be sanded back and repainted countless times… it comes at a price of course… but with the thing I use most in the house, it was so important for me to get this right.

So… they look great, are still totally functional, save you money, are nicely made and are good for the planet… there must be some downsides?

Well yes. First up, it’s not always convenient… not if you want them cheap at least! Obviously I’m sure you can go into a beautiful antique shop in a leafy, affluent town and peruse the stock there and find a wonderful set of drawers for maybe £700. For that, they might then deliver it… it will have likely had a good clean and be freshly waxed, ready for your home. If you’ve the budget, then this makes me very happy for you and they’re usually fantastic businesses to support. But I am finding even the more modest places now, will often deliver for a bit of a fee if you’re flexible, or maybe buying a few bits. They’ve nearly all got their own vans from their own collections so if you’re friendly, ask nicely, and are happy to pay a bit, then it’s always worth asking the question.

Most ‘man in a van’ type companies will collect too - and again, often not as expensively as you think it might be - I’ve even had them collect from Auction Houses in the past!

But, buying them for me, often means having to collect - not always straight-forward given their weight and dimensions… and then having to give everything a good clean and polish for a couple of hours… but I find this infinitely preferable to assembling flatpack! I mentioned FBMP above too - this is full of bargains… but, you need to a) spend a lot of time scrolling, spotting something at the right time, and then b) be willing to move fast! The good stuff usually goes quickly - I’m sure dealers must be buying through here which makes sense… so if you spot something good, you need to be on it straightaway, offering the full asking price, and be ready to collect, with the cash, ASAP. This is how I’ve got my best bits!

There might also be an issue with choice/availability. 3 years after finishing the renovation of the living room, I’m still waiting to find the perfect cabinet (at the perfect price!), because the dimensions are very particular! So, it requires a level of patience some might not have…

the little reproduction console table in the corner behind the chair is a temporary thing… that’s been there the last 3 years as I’ve not found the right cabinet yet (which means our boardgames don’t currently have a home haha).

I could say something about trends in here too - but well, I don’t believe trends should exist in interiors. I understand with clothes… or music… these things can change and evolve quickly. Your home can’t.

And there’s a few things that are a little trickier with old pieces. Anything upholstered definitely brings complexity - fabric and fillings don’t wear as well as solid wood, and are harder to restore… their function is often compromised too - they’re rarely built to a size that can accommodate my girth happily haha and are rarely quite as comfortable as we make them nowadays (there are of course exceptions - normally hugely expensive - like an original Howards chair or something similar)… and upholstery - unless you can do it yourself, is often very expensive.

New, upholstered pieces from Nicola Harding… but built in the traditional way, in England… designed to last, and be upholstered when eventually, the very very tough fabric wears through (likely not in my lifetime!).

So here, I would try and use the pennies you’ve saved, into buying quality new pieces… items that have the potential to be the antiques of the future… with well made hardwood frames and not a bit of ‘honeycomb paper’ in sight!

Lighting too can be tricky - though rewiring a lamp or changing a plug is very, very easy and should be within the reach of most of us… perhaps don’t start with that 12 arm chandelier you’ve fallen for!

I’ve also broken a lovely old brass bed but again, my girth could be to blame and you may not have that issue - I’ve broken plenty of new furniture over my 42 years on this earth too so, I aren’t entirely sure you can blame only age for that!

I’ve added this bit in as an afterthought… so apologies if it feels a bit disjointed! Don’t be afraid of 1970’s to 1990’s reproductions… some of them are very, very beautifully made… and often ridiculously cheap compared to what someone paid for them not that long ago. I’ve some bits by ‘Brights of Nettlebed’… that were picked up for coppers… their bedroom chests of drawers on their website are from £2,000 to £8,000 which gives an idea at least of the quality!

I’d love to hear if you’re a fan of the old… and if you’ve any questions let me know! And please do let me know if you like the idea of asking for some design or renovating help, that I can then share as posts… maybe picking my top three a month and then writing about what I’d do in a post for everyone to see - and maybe even contribute too!

Wishing you all a very happy, and hopefully sunny weekend! I’ll be spending a chunk of it painting, but the bits between my teeth with the butlers pantry now, and the end is slowly appearing on the horizon!

The importance of antiques...

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