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Medieval, Tudor and Elizabethan Furniture (pre-1485, 1485-1603)

Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on June 04, 2009

Anybody who knows antiques and the reproductions that follow them knows that familiarizing yourself with various furniture periods can be a big help. That's why we decided to offer our readers a few useful summaries of the major furniture periods of England, starting with one of the first. This will be the first in a series of seven posts, so stick around!

Named after the long reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), the Elizabethan period marks the end of the Tudor style, itself named after the Tudor monarchs, beginning with the accession of Henry VII in 1485 and ending with Queen Elizabeth herself (read more about Tudor history). For the most part, the Tudor style featured a replacement of medieval designs (which followed Roman models) by those that developed out of the Renaissance. Elizabethan period furniture did see a return to some of the older medieval and Gothic styles, manifested partly in the Elizabethan tendency to use heavy furniture.

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Tags: furniture, history, elizabethan, tudor, medieval

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5 Tips For Antique Furniture Buyers

Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on June 02, 2009

We often see people who are in the market for antiques but don't know where to look, or how. So we decided to put together a helpful list of tips to help make buying antique furniture easier for our readers.

1. Take measurements—before leaving.

Many people leave the home or office without knowing how large or small they need their furniture to be. After all the effort of finding the perfect antique, learning that it won't fit through your doorway can be a real downer—you may also find yourself coming back the next day only to see a sold sticker on your favourite table, or having to leave a show on its last day. So take measurements and come prepared with pen, notepad, tape measure, and camera in hand. Now that you are prepared, you can begin looking for the perfect antique.

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Tags: furniture, tips, veneer

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