How to Care for Antique Furniture

Pieces that have stood the test of time deserve special care. Careful consideration has to be taken when cleaning and caring for antique furniture and accessories.

The methods for taking care of antique furniture have changed over the years. As items age, special consideration must be taken, and they cannot be treated in the same way as modern home furnishings.

The Effect of Heat and Sunlight on Antiques

Where antique items are placed in the home is very important because too much light is damaging to antique furniture. Sunlight can degrade finishes, veneers, wood and fabrics. Antique furniture should be placed out of direct sunlight, and curtains or shades should be used to diffuse or block sunlight on particularly sunny days. Also, where possible, turn pieces of furniture around occasionally to even the fading process.
Avoid placing antique furniture in front of heating and air conditioning vents, radiators, fireplaces or stoves. The heat can cause drying out and shrinking that can loosen glue joints, veneers, inlays and marquetry. Any of these things can significantly decrease the value of the piece.

Moisture and Humidity in the Air

Antique furniture is greatly affected by the amount of moisture in the air. Changes in relative humidity can cause wood to expand and contract, damaging wood and veneers. This expansion and contraction can cause glue joints to loosen, and drawers and doors to become stuck in their openings.
Long periods of high humidity can lead to the growth of mold, rot and even possibly insect infestation. If the climate is humid, the use of a dehumidifier is recommended. Similarly, if it’s too dry, consider using a humidifier. Either way, maintaining relative humidity will minimize any adverse effects that can be caused by too much or too little moisture in the air.

Cleaning and Polishing Antique Furniture

Many people believe that wood needs to be treated with oil to keep it from drying out, but this is really a myth. Furniture oils will temporarily enhance the appearance, but will eventually contribute to the degradation

19th Century Mass-Produced American Furniture

Detroit Chair Factory and its successor Murphy Chair Company were major players in the transition from hand-made to factory-made furniture in America.

During the early 1830s, American manufacturers first began to use steam-powered machinery in the production of furniture. One of the first companies to experiment with this new technology was Joseph Meeks.

Joseph Meeks & Sons of New York City Pioneered Mass-Produced Furniture

The well-established firm of Joseph Meeks & Sons of New York City was one of the first to advertise mass-produced or ready-made furniture. A broadside of 1833 illustrates large and imposing furniture cut by steam powered saws in a Pillar-and-Scroll style. Veneered with mahogany and destined for the parlors of nouveau riche capitalists, this furniture was often of an inferior quality. The mechanization of factories led to decline in quality by obscuring inferior wood with beautiful veneers, elegant paint and ornate decoration.
Detroit Chair Factory Established in 1864
J. M. Wright, a furniture manufacturer from Oswego New York, visited fast-growing but infant cities such as Chicago, Toledo and Detroit during the early 1860s. He saw potential in such markets and in 1864 purchased land on the corner of 4th and Porter Streets in downtown Detroit, Michigan. He built a four-story showroom with a three-story workshop attached and a two-story engine and dry house. All three buildings were made of brick and furnished with the latest chair-making equipment and machinery.
The machinery was driven by a 75-horsepower steam engine and the factory was heated by steam, requiring more than 11,000 square feet of steam pipe. More than eighty workers were hired for the opening of the factory, not counting the women who wove the cane seats. These ladies were trained on-site and then allowed to take the chairs home to be finished if the supervisors deemed them to be expert enough.

antique furniture

Antique furniture is the term for collectible interior furnishings of considerable age; often its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features makes the furniture desirable.
Antique furniture may support the human body (such as seating or beds), provide storage, or hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. Storage furniture (which often makes use of doors, drawers, and shelves) is used to hold or contain smaller objects such as clothes, tools, books, and household goods. Furniture can be a product of artistic design and is considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. Domestic furniture