At this time a variety of materials were used for the frames, from wood veneers to silver, lacquer or needlework. The taste for gilt wall mirrors developed in the last years of the 17th century . These were often heavily carved gilt wood.

Gilding is always applied to a layer of ‘gesso’, a fine plaster of Paris that was mixed with size and applied over the wood frame. This is scraped and rubbed perfectly smooth, then covered with a layer of ‘Armenian bole’, a terracotta and glue mix that gives the gold its warm glow, then allowed to dry. The very fine gold leaf is then laid on section by section, a layer of water activating the glue each time.

Oval mirrors became popular during the 1730s, with elaborate ‘Rococo’ gilt frames featuring scrolls and shells. During the Chippendale period, Chinese and other exotic designs were used.

Overmantel mirrors, to go above a fireplace, were developed in the mid 1700s, becoming simpler in form towards the end of the century. Regency designs often feature three bevelled plates in a row, divided by reeded mouldings. Circular mirrors with convex glass also appeared at this period, often surrounded by an ebony bevel inside the gilt frame.
In early Victorian times the ‘silvering’ process was developed, where a coating of pure silver was applied to the mirror back.

Gilt mirrors add a refined elegance to any decorative scheme. Here at Thakeham Furniture we stock a wide variety of shapes and sizes of gilt mirrors, to suit every room. We don’t over restore, so the gold is soft rather than bright, and we preserve the original mirror plate where possible.

Items such as desks, chests and tables, were all adapted to cleverly conceal our ancestor’s possessions, anything from jewellery and cash to important documents such as deeds and wills. They came in the form of false-bottomed blanket chests, hollow table legs and hidden drawers. This was not only to deter intruders, but also the prying hands of greedy servants! Secret compartments are evidence of the genius skill cabinet makers possessed.  It was the Italians who popularized this idea in the late 16^th century and passed it on to the English and Americans.

The most common use of the secret compartment was in desks, or bureaus. Within a bureau, this might be a small section, a grouping of pigeonholes and small drawers with or without a front. Such a section is an inch or two shallower than the pigeonholes and drawers on either side; it then pulls out as a unit. It’s all about knowing where to look! There are stories of collectors owning items of furniture for several years before discovering secret compartments.

This nineteenth century writing slope has a secret compartment concealed beneath its ink and nib trays. It is a spring and click device, which releases its cover when the small divider is pulled upwards, to reveal three small drawers.

One of the most common repairs is re-laying a bubble or ‘blister’ in a veneered top. Veneers were laid using ‘Scotch’ glue, made from the hides and hooves of animals. We still use it today, as it is one of the best and strongest glues … and has the added advantage of being water soluble, so can be easily washed off, unlike modern glues. Araldite and its like cause untold grief to restorers, and should never be used!

Over time Scotch glue can dry out and crystallise, leading to veneers lifting. Our first approach is to try to lay the veneer by applying some heat, which can melt the glue beneath and reactivate it. This is achieved by working across the surface with a heated veneer “hammer”. If the bubble is too big for this, it will have to be sliced very delicately with the grain, using a scalpel. After this hot glue is injected under the veneer, which is then held down under pressure with a clamp until the glue dries – if cleverly done, an almost imperceptible ‘repair’.

An early form of flat-topped desks were known as “kneehole”, with one long drawer over an arrangement of small drawers either side of a recessed cupboard. This early style was often made in figured walnut, and continued to be popular in mahogany well into the 18th century. They are often beautifully made pieces, and much sought after today because of their small size and useful drawers.

From these, the “pedestal” desk was first developed – commonly made in three pieces, with two pedestals with plain plinth bases and drawers surmounted by a three drawer top, inset with a tooled leather. An antique partners desk is of the same design, but larger, and has drawers or cupboards on both sides so two people can use it at the same time. They have the advantage of lots of drawer space. Good quality pieces will have oak or mahogany drawer linings.

Nowadays, an eclectic mix of styles is becoming more popular, as tastes move away from the formal dining sets of the past. Even among upholstery fabrics, fashion has moved away from colour co-ordination towards bolder contrasts.

As long as the chairs are a similar size and shape, they will complement each other – these two sets of four mahogany Chippendale-design diners, dating from about 1770, go well together. [Tip for translating auction catalogue “speak”: if they say Chippendale or George III “style”, they mean a late copy or reproduction; period pieces will be described as Chippendale-period or Chippendale-design]. They are the same quality, period and style – covering them in the same fabric also tie the look together.

However, it soon became apparent that bamboo, which is soft and flexible, was not strong enough for larger pieces of furniture, and so alternatives were sought out. Beech, pine and maple were turned and stained to simulate real bamboo.

Briefly going out of fashion at the end of the Victorian era, when the “honest” furniture of the arts and crafts movement came to the forefront of design, the look has now made resurgence. ‘One of the most affordable and collectable furniture types of the 19^th century, faux bamboo is back in the design mainstream’ describes Brian Coleman in Old House Interiors magazine.

In September 2010  a carbon footprint analysis was commissioned of an antique chest of drawers against its modern equivalent. The study, conducted by Carbon Clear, an independent consultancy specialising in carbon accounting, finally puts a figure on just how eco-friendly buying antiques can be: the new item had a carbon footprint 16 times higher than the antique!

The analysis compared the greenhouse gas emissions produced during the lifespan of two chest of drawers; one constructed in 1830 with an assumed lifespan of 195 years, during which time it has been restored and sold twice and, the other, a new piece of similar value available from a reputable high street retailer with an assumed lifespan of15 years. The detailed report focuses on all stages of each product’s lifecycle: from thesourcing of materials to the manufacturing processes, the transportation to the storage and finally to the disposal. For a full copy of the report visit: www.antiquesaregreen.org.

Mark Hill, co-presenter of the BBC’s Cracking Antiques and an expert on the AntiquesRoadshow comments “There has never been a better time to buy antiques – not onlydo they provide us with excellent value for money and the opportunity to create ourown individual style but they also enable us to help the environment through ‘glamorous  recycling’ as confirmed by the facts in this insightful report.”

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 sale of laptops overtook desktops in 2005 and the percentage of laptops sold over desktops has been rising ever since)

Because everything has been downsized, there is now less need for large desks, and what better to store all those gadgets in than a bureau (A lovely original Georgian one even better!) Most bureaus have a number of pigeon holes, ideal for keeping things tucked neatly away, mobile phones, mp3 players, cameras, sat nav etc. Many also have a number of drawers, ideal for paperwork and stationary.

The one pictured even has drawers large enough to store a lap top in. When in use, the fall can be opened, allowing enough space for the lap top to sit on, when finished it can be all shut neatly away, perfect for those of suffering from messy desk syndrome! The lock also keeps your gadgets and work safe from nosey children!

The technique of brass inlay was used occasionally by English and immigrant cabinet makers during the 18^th century, but it was during the Regency period that the technique became popular, particularly in conjunction with the use of rosewood veneer. Geometric brass inlay and  brass line or “stringing” were employed on high quality cabinet work.

Much skill was needed for laying of brass inlay; wood and metal expand and contract differently in certain climactic conditions. A skilled craftsman would angle the edges of his wood veneers to grip the brass stringing and stop it springing up. Supplements were added to the glue pot, too, to allow the glue to retain some elasticity: garlic was used, but also uric acid –  many of the old cabinetmakers were known to pee in the glue pot to achieve the required effect!

Once the brass and veneers were laid, the careful cleaning down process started, using scrapers, fine sand papers and finally abrasive powders such as jewellers rouge.

Thakeham Furniture -  Antique Dealer specialize in selling antique furniture, Victorian furniture, Georgian furniture and 18th Century antiques in Sussex.