Tips for Selecting and Caring for Antique Furniture Dining Room Sets
For ages, the dining room has been an integral part of most every home. After all, it is where people gather to share meals. There have been everything from family meals to royal meetings held around the dining table. Many antique collectors are passionate about antique furniture dining room sets from various time periods. There were certainly some wonderful eras when it comes to wood furniture. If you are looking for an antique set for your dining room, you may first want to define what period you like the most.
The Chippendale period which occurred during the 18th century is a very popular era for many antique collectors. Thomas Chippendale was a renowned cabinet and furniture maker who produced gorgeous wood pieces with refined, graceful shapes. Early Colonial is another popular style, which occurred shortly after the settlers arrived in the New World and began to acquire wealth. In Europe, styles such as Louis XV and Baroque were popular. While Baroque was dark and heavy, Louis XV was lighter and intricately adorned with amazing scrollwork and marquetry.
You'll find a variety of different size dining sets. While it's a bit rare to find something as small as a four person set, six to eight person sets are quite common. You may even find sets that offer as many as twelve chairs and a table large enough to accommodate them. There are many different woods that have been used to craft dining room furniture. Walnut, sometimes with burl, is one popular choice. Oak is another wood that was commonly used in various periods. Mahogany is, and was, popular in many periods as well. In colonial pieces from the United States, preferred woods included Virginia walnut and pine.
When caring for antique furniture dining room sets, stay away from modern spray polishes and go for high-end polish made from beeswax. You need only polish an antique piece of furniture one, maybe two times every year. Beeswax polish should also be used for reproduction furniture to keep it looking beautiful. Today's modern polishes contain oil and silicone that can leave an unwanted film on the wood or even darken its color. You can buy beeswax polish pre-made at specialty furniture shops or online, or you can make your own with beeswax, turpentine, water and soap flakes.
