Five golden rules to consider when buying antiques

We’ve started this blog so that we can provide you with some useful tips and advice on how to fill your home with exceptional antiques, as well as, of course, being able to supply them to you.

Buying antiques from mainland Europe has become very simple, straightforward and, dare I say it, fashionable. Yet you need to be even more careful than ever when buying to ensure you get a fine, authentic piece.

My likes in antiques of European origin focus on Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish and English, especially from the 18th century. But there are also many outstanding examples of superb antique furniture from the 19th and 20th centuries, and at Brownrigg we concentrate on supplying the best from all three centuries, and sometimes earlier.

Here are five golden rules I always consider before I buy antiques. These I apply to all purchases whether European, Scandinavian, Worldwide!

1. Impact: does the item given a favourable first impression?
2. Proportions: are the proportions pleasing and correct for a piece of its age?
3. Patina: are the colour and patina a pleasure to look at?
4. Workmanship: is the quality and finish of a high standard?
5. Condition: is the furniture in appropriately good condition for its age? (Remember, some antiques, such as tables and chairs, get more use than others, so expect more natural wear).

At the end of the day though, if you have fallen in love with a piece it’s almost certainly the right one for you!

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