The most common antique chairs are 3 piece sofa sets, which are priced at more or less eighteen hundred dollars. Most of the time, the wood is made of something dark like maple or walnut and can be available even in its original finish. What is interesting is the intricate details as its feet are carved with the Queen Anne accent and is upholstered with felt cushions in order to send the aura of royalty that is commonly associated with the past.

Secondly, people are hooked up with vintage American dining sets with chairs that can accommodate ten to twelve people. Most of these sets were created in circa 1920s. Different sets speak of the grandeur of the American dream and the exquisite carvings and inlay speak for itself. Dining sets are generally more expensive with the price range at around twenty thousand dollars. This set is strategic for people who want to host intimate parties such as dinners inside the house.

Thirdly, single room chairs for comfort are hotshots in the market. Additionally, the presence of vintage rocking chairs adds aesthetic value to any bedroom. Most of these chairs are dark mahogany wood with clawed and ball feet. If feeling adventurous, different single chairs can make up for a great set. It speaks of modernity in using ancient pieces especially at a relatively cheap price of six hundred fifty dollars per piece.

Finally, different pieces for certain parts of the house or office are available. One can use vintage chairs inside the office, in the library, and even as a feature in the garden or patio. The first tip, then, that anybody should know, is to find out which shops are more sought of compared to others. For this to happen, a prospective shop should be credible enough to be affiliated with conglomeration of antique collection organizations such as the Five Pillar Club, the Antiques Dealers’ Association of America, or the American Furniture & Decorative Arts of Skinner, Inc.

Most shops are manned by antique collectors, so everyone will be very happy to know that each piece has been carefully selected and taken cared of by the sellers. Morris Antiques in Arkansas, Noonmark Antiques, Don Olson, and Olde Hope Antiques, among others, are considered to be the pillars of the industry. Shops as established as them have been around for decades and have consistently been building networks of dealers, sellers, and auctioneers of rare pieces of collectibles.

If a buyer is a neophyte in the world of antique American furniture, however, there are a lot of things that one should learn. The first is that it is better to invest in few quality pieces than to spread money to buy dozens of substandard ones. The focus of antique furniture is its rarity, so even a single quality piece of chair can outshine a conference room full of mediocre ones. Secondly, going to an auction can cost less than buying it from a shop. Most people will be surprised to know that they can get big discounts from gifted artisans who deal directly with the buyer and without the army of middlemen that pad the price of the furniture. The world of antique collection is a rather challenging one, but a person does not need to be as old as the furniture to master it.

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Wing chairs were first seen in the eighteenth century, or the 1700′s. The strikingly original design, with wings covering the arms from the front of the seat to the backrest and up the back, is thought to have originated in England. However, America presented their version at about the same time, so it could well have begun in the States. In fact, Rhode Island soon presented a version that was just their own, and remains named the “Rhode Island Wing Chair”. These chairs were designed to suit both men and women. They were one of the very first chairs that were designed to be used with cushions, offering an unprecedented amount of comfort. The wings, as well, offered a unique function. They were protection from the chill drafts that were usually present in old homes. They also functioned to keep ladies’ delicate skin protected from direct exposure to the fires that were used to heat the homes.

The leather wingback chair originated in England in the middle eighteen hundreds, called the library chair due to its common placement in the libraries of manor houses, it was not the first wing chair to be found, just the first one to be upholstered in leather. Leather was a sign of wealth, so owning a wing chair upholstered in leather was a status symbol. Easy to produce, while still appearing elegant, the leather chairs soon became popular pieces of furniture.

Though the wingback chair has undergone some cosmetic changes, the fundamental design remains the same. Due to the current popularity of comfortable functionality, heavily padded versions abound. The leather wingback chair, however, remains more lightly padded. The biggest difference between the original chairs and current productions is the use of vinyl instead of leather in some.

Prices vary depending upon what style and color are purchased, as well as being dictated by where the item is bought. They can be found for as little as three hundred dollars, while the dark leather, exclusive chairs can cost up to five thousand dollars. There is such a wide range in prices that there is going to be a price for everyone.

Leather wingback chairs have a long and storied history. They are beautiful, functional, and can be affordable. Though they are the classic choice for a man’s study or a library, there are lighter versions that would be just as appropriate for a solarium or a woman’s bedroom. No matter what room of the house is being furnished, there is a leather wingback chair that would be beautiful in it.

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George Hepplewhite himself was a cabinet-maker and created popular elegant designs from 1775 to 1800. His name is known by most modern furniture designers. The shield-shaped chair back is one of his most famous designs and is still used today. It features a wide expansive back, which is more comfortable than other chairs that were made during this time. Most chairs from this period feature a splat design. This is the piece that runs down the middle of the chair back. Chippendale was known for the different types of splats that he used in his chairs.

Hepplewhite furniture was quite expensive in its day and was favored by the upper classes. Interestingly there are not any Hepplewhite pieces that are known to exist today. Some say that one of his pieces was commissioned by the Prince of Wales and it is indeed referenced in his guidebook, but there is no proof of this in the royal records. There is not much known about George Hepplewhite personally, but most modern furniture designer’s praise his work or at least his designs.

Hepplewhite’s designs were very distinctive and were the basis for his famous furniture design book, The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterers Guide. His designs did not become well known until after his death in 1786. In fact many years passed before he was became recognized for his work. There are some who doubt that George Hepplewhite was even a real person. His death certificate is the only real proof and there has never been a birth certificate discovered. There are sources that claim his wife Alice, who published the book and ran the business after his death, was the actual designer and she used the name George as a pen name. Alice published two additional editions after the original, the second edition in 1789 and the third in 1794.

The book features 300 of his designs and was the guidebook for this period of furniture. In fact, cabinet and furniture makers copied his work well into the 19th and 20th centuries and some still use it for reference today. Many of Hepplewhite’s pieces that are featured in the book were meant to be inlaid with other types of wood such as mahogany or satinwood. His upholstery was very grand and featured exquisitely rich colors such as gold, burgundy and royal blue. Hepplewhite bookcases and wardrobes were sometimes highlighted with elegant etchings in the frosted glass panels. Some of his smaller pieces such as knife boxes, tea caddies and fire screens are sought after by collectors as they are almost impossible to find.

Today the guidebooks are extremely rare with only five copies known to exist worldwide. First published in 1788 there has not been one offered for sale in the private arena since 1988. Because the books were used by cabinet makers for work purposes most of those that do exist are well-worn. This is probably the reason that so few survived. If you happen to run across a copy of The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterers Guide snap it up as the first edition is worth almost $80,000.

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The Mahogany Tree
Mahogany does not in fact refer to any specific species of tree. Instead, it is a broad term that is used to refer to quite a variety of different trees in different locations around the world. “Meliaceae” is a family name from which the various genera of mahogany are derived, and a great deal of mahogany wood comes from the “Swietenia” genus. Even within this, there is some variation, but all mahogany is renowned for its deep, rich reddish-brown color and its beauty when used for decorative purposes.

Why Mahogany?
The color of antique mahogany furniture is one of its largest draws. The material was used historically partly due to the size of the trees, which allowed the cutting of very large boards

with which to build suitable furniture. It also features the unusual combination of being both easy to work with and extremely durable once finished. This is one of the reasons that furniture made from this wood stands the test of time so well.

Popular Mahogany Furniture Designers
Perhaps the most famous name associated with antique mahogany furniture is Chippendale. Thomas Chippendale was a popular designer who worked a great deal with mahogany andproduced what are today some of the most sought-after pieces available. These are from the mid- to late-1700s. The most popular antique mahogany furniture is from right up to about 1850, and in its approximately hundred-year period you will find other famous names such as Sheraton and Hepplewhite. These pieces vary a great deal, and can involve either relatively simple designs or fantastically ornate carvings.

Buying Such Furniture Today
The internet has made buying beautiful mahogany furniture vastly simpler due to the ability to see copious pictures of potential items well in advance. You no longer necessarily need to browse through catalogs or visit sellers in person to get a good deal. However, it is not wise to avoid these methods entirely; antique furniture magazines and catalogs can still be excellent resources, as can auctions at which you can inspect the furniture up close yourself. Very often, a good piece of antique mahogany furniture will have a sheen or glow in person that is nearly impossible to capture on film, and many such items must be seen to be appreciated in full.

Conclusion
Historically, mahogany was an excellent choice for furniture makers due to its combination of beauty, workability and durability. These qualities are exactly what make these pieces very popular today. A well-maintained example of antique mahogany furniture from Chippendale, Sheraton or another famous designer can hold a fantastic combination of like-new beauty and a real sense of history. For enhancing any home, it is hard to beat the class of a beautiful, centuries-old hardwood table, chair or cabinet, so look online, in magazines and in brochures for examples that would suit your decor and your budget, and help to preserve a beautiful piece of history for decades longer.

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Encouraged by the wealth of its new manufacturing methods and fledgling industries, the nation’s influence affected almost every part of the world and Great Britain soon became a new world of its own. Many of the old, accepted principles were challenged and they gave way to a new upper class of industrialists who eventually became what we know of today as “the Victorians.” Their prosperity was evidenced in their fine, new homes, which were spacious and impressive. Many of these extraordinary new homes featured styles seen in the upper classes, including the presence of multiple drawing rooms, as well as various parlors used for different purposes. Such exceptional homes required exceptional furnishings, and it was in this era that Victorian furniture made its debut.

Victorian Interior Design

Regardless of the vast changes within this period, the customs and traditions of the times were well preserved. People during this intriguing era behaved with polite and appropriate manners at all times, and this sophisticated attitude toward life was evident when one observes the furniture produced during this period. Victorian style furniture exuded great class and sophistication, and still offers these same characteristics when it is used in homes today.

Completely inspired by the Victorian era, Victorian interior design reflects the enormous shifts that took place in British society between 1837 to 1901. A very fascinating period, numerous individuals view this era as one of the most poetic and romantic periods in world history and enjoy this type of decor for their homes, as it offers a timeless style with which few interior designs can compete. When decorating a home, one can choose from authentic period pieces to contemporary homes with just a touch of Victorian-influenced interior decorations.

Characteristics of Victorian Style Furniture

Genuine Victorian period pieces tend to be large, and very effectively dominate any room in which it is placed. Victorian furnishings have intricate, detailed designs and carvings, many of which are inspired by nature. In the early 1900s, chiseling instruments and other innovative tools were used to achieve many of the carvings still seen today. A Victorian rocking chair is a favorite item of many Victorian furniture fans, and over the years, this piece was updated and reinvented to be more practical, rather than simply decorative.

Distinct characteristics of Victorian style furniture also include the use of a wide variety of woods. Very few pieces of Victorian furniture integrate the use of metal. Typically, darker woods are used in the manufacturing of Victorian style furniture, and almost all authentic, antique Victorian pieces are made from wood of this color. Dark mahogany furniture characterized by a red tint is a classic favorite of many individuals whose homes feature Victorian furniture. Other woods commonly used for such pieces include rosewood, bog oak and black walnut.

Victorian chairs are signature pieces of this period and the large, puffed cushions frequently seen with such chairs were originally designed to create a royal impression, making one feel almost as if he or she were seated on a throne. Similar to the chairs, beds and tables also featured large proportions and highly sophisticated designs.

An Ideal Choice for any Home

Those who have decided to decorate their homes with authentic, Victorian style furniture will be pleased to find that there are wide varieties of avenues through which this can be accomplished. One may choose to furnish his or her home little by little with authentic antiques, or may choose to purchase brand new furniture in genuine, Victorian style. Such furniture can even be purchased on the Internet, which will save the homeowner both time and money. Some individuals also opt to hire an interior designer who can offer professional opinion with regard to the pieces selected. However, regardless of one’s personal taste or preferences, any home, which contains Victorian style furniture, is sure to please the homeowner and impress his or her friends and acquaintances with its beauty and charm.

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