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Thakeham Furniture – Antique Furniture Blog
Antique Furniture Blog
Here at Thakeham Furniture we love how every item of antique furniture tells its own unique story; initials carved into the underside of a table, the faint outline of a pair of Victorian sewing scissors on a work table. Every now and then a piece comes into our workshop which conceals a hidden surprise. …
Continue reading “Things Found in Antique Furniture”
The term ‘cellaret’ came into use in c. 1750 to describe cases and receptacles to contain wine. Originally, they were placed under sideboards, which back then were in the form of side tables (lacking the cupboards below). The earliest form is the octagon shape, which were lined with lead, with partitions for bottles. Later sideboards …
Continue reading “Gentleman’s Drinks Cabinet”
Nowadays most of us keep our money in the safety of bank accounts and our valuables in safety deposit boxes, however these only came into existence at the turn of the nineteenth century. Up until this point, people had to make do with concealing their money and valuables within their furniture. Items such as desks, …
Continue reading “Secret compartments in antique furniture”
Faux bamboo first made an appearance in England in the 1750’s, however it reached the height of its popularity with The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, built in three stages from 1787 for Prince Regent (who became King George IV in 1820). Designed by John Nash, the Royal Pavillion stands as a testament to true Regency …
Continue reading “When ‘Faux’ equals ‘fine’”
Bureaus are back! Gone are the days of bulky desk top computers. Humungous hard drives have been slimmed; fax machines replaced by email and monitors as deep as they are wide are now as little as one inch thick. These days people favour a lap top over a desk top (according to the IDC, the …
Continue reading “Modern Day Office in an C18 Century Bureau”
Here at Thakeham Furniture we sell a lot of convex mirrors. Their compact size and versatility make them a popular antique item. They first came into popularity in the fifteenth century when they were known as an Oeil de Sorcière (French for “sorcerer’s eye”). Over the years they have also been referred to as fish …
Continue reading “The Man In The Mirror”
This months Homes and Gardens features a lovely walnut chest of drawers in the Belgium home of lighting business owner Ann Van Dessel. The chest is perfectly complimented by the the shades of ivory and soft light that fill her home. We have just got in a simular chest of drawers here at Thakeham Furniture. This George II tall walnut chest of drawers is a stunning example of early Georgian furniture, the brass plate handles, bracket feel and walnut veneers are all typical features of this period.
