Expanding tables grow to suit needs
In today’s contemporary dining room, whether in traditional styling or a more modern look, the usual centerpiece is the table. And that table usually is in a well-defined form that consists of two platforms joined in the center, supported by a series of legs or pedestals. The two platforms can then...
Marrying functions results in new furniture forms
While we tend to think of furniture at the least as just inanimate objects or as functional art at best, we have to admit that as forms evolve they do have a tendency to create related families. One unique creation inspires the creation of another similar and related but still somehow...
Disappointing furniture appraisals – You can’t win ’em all
“Life is full of its little disappointments,” my mother frequently said to me. She was right in many ways. And one of the ways that disappointment has shadowed part of my life is that I have to disclose to total strangers that their family treasure just ain’t so. Of course I...
Consider these points when buying an old table
Understanding and examining the anatomy of tables is a handy skill, explains Furniture Detective Fred Taylor. From support structure and hardware to leaves and joints, the ability to interpret these elements aid in selecting a sound table.
Learn about old furniture forms that have fallen out of use
Learn about old furniture forms no longer common in modern homes. How to identify a music cabinet, gossip bench, parlor pig, dumbwaiter, wig stand, roller organ, candle box, and more.
Storytelling adds intrinsic value
Advice from the Furniture Detective about making the most of the tools available to repair an item of furniture brought forth storytelling memories for Antoinette Rahn when she was a child.
Enjoy your high spirits on a low table
The topic of coffee tables always seems to draw much discussion about how old or not old the concept of these low tables really is. Here Furniture Detective Fred Taylor weighs in.
Language Blunders: Look out for that cheire
It never ceases to amaze how naming conventions can change the history, identity, and sometimes even the perceived purpose of an object. Furniture Detective Fred Taylor tackle word lingo of furniture in his latest column.
Where to find tricky little spaces in older pieces
Secret compartments and spaces, crafted by furniture makers for generations, are prevalent among variety of examples of antique furniture, explains Furniture Detective Fred Taylor.