English Classics Furniture Blog

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Killer TV's and Responsible Furniture Use

A recent AP news article reported that TV and furniture-related injuries are on the rise. According to the article, about 14,700 furniture-related injuries occurred each year between 1990 and 2007—almost half due to TV sets, the most common article involved in the accidents—and resulted in about 300 deaths.

According to Furniture Today, part of the problem may be that people are moving their old, bulky TV's. But I think the problem is simpler than that. Flat screens are easy to knock over because they don't have the wide bases of the old tube and projection varieties. Plus, they often hang on the wall, which is an added risk, and because of their thin size, people are putting them in more precarious places than they used to. And of course, anyone who has been around children long enough (or remembers being one!) knows that they love to climb on things, and it seems likely to me that a child would try to climb up the front of a flat screen TV since, given enough time, a child will climb on everything they lay eyes on.

This situation reminds me of a time, several years back, when we came into some extremely heavy solid wood furniture (I'm talking several hundred pounds for a chest of drawers). At a show, we were on the brink of selling one of these gargantuan chests to a woman when she told us it was going in her young child's bedroom. We had to refuse the sale, because we knew that if the child tried climbing the chest, it could tip over, quickly rendering the ingredients for a New Guinea meat pie.

What's my point? As much as we try, we don't always make the most responsible decision when it comes to how we use our furniture (and our TV's). To me, the solution seems obvious, but that may be because I own two ferrets whose primary purpose for living is to find new ways to get into my stuff, including my oven, my recliner, and of course my wire-stuffed TV cabinet. I am always developing new ways to keep them out—and just like ferrets, the best way to keep children off of a TV would be to lock it up in a TV cabinet or linen press, which is what plenty of people do, in any case—e.g. our TV cabinet selection.

But you don't have to shop with us to avoid being one of those 14,700 homes per year that discover the perilous ingenuity of children. Televisions, other appliances, and topple-ready furniture—killer or otherwise—should just be kept locked away or out of reach from children, because, as with all things, otherwise they will eventually find a way to make a mess with it.

More Government Subsidies for Fat Cats

Almost all of us have seen or sat in a La-Z Boy armchair, that classic icon of home-grown American manufacturing. Not all of us know, however, that La-Z Boy remains such a familiar name today because of the manipulation of market forces.

Case in point: La-Z-Boy receives $3 million in anti-dumping duties. The bailouts aren't new—the Byrd Amendment was signed in 2000. In the last 3 years, La-Z Boy has received $18.2 million in anti-dumping duties.

Another less known fact is that small businesses account for around 80% of American jobs. La-Z Boy is not one of those small companies.

Obviously, it would be impossible to distribute $3 million to every single domestic producer or retailer in the nation. The anti-dumping duties are also designed to protect American manufacturing and not retailers. And yet it is retailers who account for a massive percentage not only of the job market, but also of the furniture market share.

I am not proposing to protect only American furniture, nor to shield small businesses from only Chinese dumping, but also from larger American corporations and their lobbies—this isn't about the traditional divide-and-conquer politics that leave the have-not's squabbling over table scraps cast aside by the fat cats. What I am proposing is simply this: organization.

There are plenty of antique furniture and art associations out there but most of them are geared towards marketing and not political action. But the fact is that small businesses could and should oppose larger producers and retailers with their own lobbying. But we haven't gathered under a cohesive umbrella term like "American made", that veritable bald excuse for oligopoly. Our labor is just as American as La-Z Boy's, and if the closing of hundreds of small businesses around the country doesn't say something about how the market is affecting us, I would say we could use the money more than large corporations like La-Z Boy who have had lobbyists in Washington for years.

But we do have an umbrella term: small business. And there is no reason why we shouldn't use it to level the playing field. Of course, the Byrd Amendment was repealed 2 years ago, but the damage is already done.

What could our hypothetical organization—the National Antiques & Small Business Association (NASBA)—do with $18.2 million? National. Ad. Campaign. Our products are green, they maintain their value, and (what can I say) they're better. In the world of furniture, it is almost always the case that Old > New (excepting of course our brilliant line of reproductions). But until small antique dealers and designers band together for political action, we'll have to suffer the oligopoly and continue to purvey that fine product that continues to elude the mass manufacturers of today: fine taste.

November Furniture Container

We got a new container packed full of gorgeous antiques a few weeks ago and we've been so busy that I'm only now just getting around to posting a few pictures here. We've got more furniture coming in next month, so this won't be all. Be sure to check the catalog section of this site for the most up-to-date items. In the meantime, enjoy!

The mahogany desk shown above on the left is actually French, so it is an uncommon item for us. The desktop actually slides out about a foot from its closed position, making this desk even more unique.

This mahogany beauty is a new model of desk for us, modeled after a particular style of formal furniture dating back to the 19th-century American West.

A wonderful pair of these brown leather office chairs arrived, complete with brass brads and mahogany frame. Classy.

The chair to the right belongs to one of a set of six that arrived in nearly perfect order, dating back to around 1950, with rush seats. It looks a great deal like our reproduction country dining chairs, underscoring just how genuine our designer furniture really is.

The ever popular antique card table, this fine solid-oak specimen flips open to reveal a lovely felt-lined playing surface.

This charming little bookcase has leaded glass doors and a sturdy build. We're still working on getting it unlocked at the moment!

Economic Recovery and the Furniture Industry

A recent article over at Furniture Today about economic recovery characterizes recent developments in the market (particularly at High Point) as an upswing. One quote from Kevin O'Connor, president of Samson Marketing and chairman of the High Point Market Authority, reads, "I think attendance probably was flat, but in this economy, I consider that pretty good." I would emphasize the words in this economy.

It is true that most of the opinions offered in the article are positive, but many are qualified with sentiments like the above: people are just glad that things don't look flat out apocalyptic these days, but I would argue that although things don't look as grim as they did back in the beginning of summer, the economy is still losing jobs on the whole (only at a slower pace), so the economy may not be necessarily on the upswing, just less fatal.

Besides, Fall tends to be the best season for furniture and antiques, since people want to stock their homes with new dining furniture and other domestic trophies before the relatives show up on Thanksgiving and Christmas. After that, things usually start to slow down again for most shows and dealers alike. Still, I hesitate to put a damper on the positive mood, so while I remain optimistic, and while we do seem to have weathered the worst of the storm, I foresee more hardship ahead before we resume pushing antiques by the container load as we saw back in 2007.

As for Atlanta, I think we'll keep our title for the East's biggest antique importer. But as every dealer, designer and investor knows, only time will tell.

Why Buy a Reproduction?

So you may be in the market for antique furniture, but there are often good reasons for buying a reproduction. My last post on reproductions prompted a conversation with a friend of mine about whether buying reproductions at all is a good idea when you can just go for antiques, especially since good, handmade reproductions can sometimes be more expensive than the real thing. So I decided to put together a list of the top three reasons for buying a reproduction instead of an antique:

1. You may want something flawless that looks new but is in an antique style. If it is an actual antique, you're probably looking at forking over a lot of dough. If you wanted an actual Georgian version of this walnut linen press, for instance, I would guess you would need at least $15-20k. A reproduction might set you back only $5k.

2. You may need something that is rare or practically impossible to find. Some dealers, like us for instance, can make anything you can dream up.

3. You may need a suite of matching or similar furniture; depending on what it is you need, this can be quite difficult. Most of the time when someone needs a group of items, they're looking to outfit an office. So you can get your desk, credenza, bookcase and filing cabinet in one place, with the same leather and wood types if you want—and have them all look antique.

Finding Quality Reproduction Furniture

This is a prime example of a quality reproduction.

A host of fears and misconceptions haunt the idea of reproduction furniture—and in some cases, with good reason. Chinese junk, for instance, has long inundated the U.S. market, and some dealers aren't as honest as English Classics about where their items come from (and of course not all dealers get their stuff from England). But if you know what to look for in a good reproduction, then you don't need to worry too much about where it comes from because, I imagine, quality can come from the most surprising places. (In fact, I predict that as Chinese incomes rise, the burgeoning upper-class will want the same level of quality that wealthy Westerners have come to expect, and there will be a demand for quality right in their own backyards. This will make cheap, quality Chinese furniture a reality.)

For starters, the best way to find out about a piece is to simply ask the dealer. Ask where and when it is made, what it is made of (veneers, underlying materials, hardware metal). If it is finished, ask what kind of finish it is, and how to clean it. Ask what style it is in, whether it is handmade, and where and how the dealer acquired the piece. The answers to these questions will usually serve as good indicators of quality, and they might even get the dealer to lower the asking price.

As an example of a good, quality reproduction, take the above walnut serpentine chest. Many of our customers mistake it for an antique because of its rich wax finish, shading and distressing, and genuine style. Indeed, it was handmade with an elaborate finish just like they used to do in the old days, and this is one of the most obvious markers of quality. Still, it is also a subtle marker, so if you can't tell the difference between wax and lacquer, there are more things to look for.

For one, if the piece you are looking at has drawers, open them and look for dovetails:

The picture on the left is from a new reproduction desk with hand-cut dovetails; notice how thin they are. The one on the right is from a recently restored c1970 chest with machine-cut dovetails; they are wider and more regular than the hand-cut variety. You might also check the back of the drawers—whether on an antique or a reproduction, this is usually a sign of great quality.

Check for labels.

You can also have a look at the hardware. Labeling conventions vary according to age, location, the individual maker, or even the client for whom the piece is made. This particular label shows that the lock was made in England by A & E Squire, which supplies locks to various cabinetmakers in England.

Push the piece a little to see how sturdy it is. Take a drawer out (if it has any) to check what the inside of the piece looks like. Look at the back: solid wood paneling usually indicates fine quality, and the quality of reproduction furniture usually corresponds directly to the attention paid to the back. And that about covers it; everything else is common sense. For more tips on shopping for furniture, see our post on tips for buying antiques. Good luck and happy shopping!

Antique Appraisals: Take Them with a Grain of Salt

I recently came across the following article about antique appraisals while digging around for furniture news, and I was surprised at the price tag put on the furniture discussed in the article.

Now let me lay out some disclaimers: I sell furniture, I don't appraise it (we don't do appraisals, in case you were wondering); the furniture I sell is mostly English (duh), not French; most of what comes into our shop is usually 19^th century, not 18^th; and I am sure that Ms. Durr is an absolutely capable professional.

So, that being said, I would be very surprised if Mrs. Francis gets half of the $64,000 of the estimated value. As the article itself indicates, it is difficult for individuals to sell furniture and even more so to sell it at its "worth," because of the Internet (hello, English Classics?) and the slow economy. Unless Francis gets serious about marketing this set, it probably won't sell, and usually such an effort is long and painstaking. This is why marketing is an entire industry in itself, and why, in fact, I am sitting in front of this monitor slapping away at the keys—not everybody can do it.

Mostly it comes down to time. Francis indicates that she is willing to wait, but even given several years, the odds that she will find a buyer without 1) professional help or 2) serious investment of her own time are pretty slim. These kinds of relatively rare, quality items tend to sell in very selective markets composed of high-end auctions, designers and big-shot retailers (e.g. Miami Circle). Other options include Ebay, consignment and a patient email campaign to retailers—none of which are likely to reap anything close to the $64k that Francis is hoping for. This is partly because the Internet is a market where people expect to pay less, and dealers aren't in the business for free.

In short, the furniture market is generally insulated from individuals seeking to dump their valuable antique furniture. Not that I wouldn't love to be surprised or proven wrong, but if you're looking into selling your own furniture or antiques, just keep in mind that a piece's "value" isn't necessarily its price, and for that matter is often just some abstract number that doesn't really mean much to anyone but insurance companies. Your best bet is to do some research and compare what you've got to what other people are selling. Either way, good luck!

IKEA Offers to Furnish $2.7 Million Home

So I know it seems sometimes that I just love to pick on IKEA (and maybe I do), but when I ran across this article, I just had to share it. The skinniest house in New York—more history here—which runs at 9.5' x 42', was built in 1873 and once housed Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, is up for sale at $2.7 mil. And who steps in to offer to furnish the place for up to $10,000? The laminate name that shines with the gloss of new and vibrant disposable furniture.

There is a great irony in furnishing a multimillion dollar home with furniture designed for dorm rooms. Everyone I know who lived off of IKEA furniture in college spent those four or so years gradually replacing each piece with better finds at thrift stores and antique shops. Of course, as with everything, there are exceptions, and so IKEA does beef up their line with somewhat higher quality items, but even so—$2.7 million? Maybe I just don't get it down here in the Deep South of Atlanta, where we take low real estate prices and large spaces for granted.

Still, what can be more space-saving than a secretary bookcase combination or, for that matter, the ever-useful pembroke table? The English, who have historically had smaller living spaces than their expansive cousins over the pond, have specialized in space-saving cabinetry for hundreds of years. In fact, many of IKEA's designs, which sometimes present themselves with an air of ingeniously patented innovation, are simply borrowed from Old World cabinetmakers.

So if the buyers of this unique home have the taste (and the wallet) to purchase a charming, historical property, I really can't see them letting IKEA's designers have their way with the place. Who knows—maybe they'll shop at English Classics?

Putto or Cherub?

This isn't the type of question I ask very often, but a post about a Thomas Brooks Dresser over at Rare Victorian peaked my interest. John Werry raised the issue of whether the winged male child, shown at the top of this dresser as well as in countless other works of furniture and art, ought to be referred to as a "putti" (singular for "putto") or as a "cherub."

According to Wikipedia's version of the story, "cherub" cannot refer to the artistic representation of toddler angels, a claim for which Wikipedia provides no support in that article but does in another on putto. I use the term "support" loosely, since the reference does not appear to be academic or peer-reviewed; in any case, a forum poster known as Juan Carlos Martinez argues that "cherub" refers exclusively to the Christian theological figures, and that putto are only secularized versions of Cupid—and thus obviously not Christian (see the rest of his argument). Not wanting to leave the question unanswered, I did what I always do in any contest of English diction: I consulted the Oxford English Dictionary (which unfortunately requires a subscription to access).

Here is a brief history that the OED provides for "cherub":

The history of the sense, or notion attached to the word, lies outside English, though English use reflects all its varieties. In the OTest. the cherubim are ‘living creatures’ with two or four wings, but the accounts of their form are not consistent: cf. the earlier notices with those of Ezekiel's vision (Ezek. i, x). They first appear in Genesis iii. 24, as guardians of the tree of life. This name was also given to the two images overlaid with gold placed with wings expanded over the mercy-seat in the Jewish tabernacle and temple, over which the shekinah or symbol of the divine presence was manifested. A frequent expression for the Divine Being was ‘he that dwelleth (or sitteth) between (or on) the cherubim’. Psalm xviii. 10 (also contained in 2 Sam. xxii. 11) says of Jehovah ‘He rode upon a cherub (LXX. cherubim), and did fly’. It is in connexion with this class of passages that the word first appears in English, and it is difficult to know exactly how the word was construed or used. The inclusion of the cherubim among angels appears to belong to Christian Mysticism. According to the 4th c. work attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite, the heavenly beings are divided into three hierarchies, each containing three orders or choirs, viz. (according to the received order) seraphim, cherubim, thrones; dominions, virtues (), powers; principalities, archangels, angels. Cherubim were thus made the second of the nine orders, having the special attribute of knowledge and contemplation of divine things. Their angelic character is that which chiefly prevails in later notions and in Christian art.

2.b gives this:

One of the second order of angels of the Dionysian hierarchy, reputed to excel specially in knowledge (as the seraphim in love); a conventional representation of such an angelic being in painting or sculpture.

As the Christian notion was simply super-imposed as a kind of gloss upon the Hebrew, the two are not usually separable in med.L. or Eng. Milton completely blends them, as did e.g. Durandus in his Rationale Divinorum Officiorum (1286). In early Christian art, cherubim were app. coloured red, but according to some, blue, the seraphim being red. In modern art, a cherub is usually represented as a beautiful winged child, or as consisting of a child's head with wings but no body.

The entry for "putto" reads:

Esp. in Renaissance or Baroque art: a representation of a child, usually a boy, naked or in swaddling clothes; a cherub, a cupid. (First use c1660.)

Thus, not only does "cherub" refer to both to the actual theological being as well as to its artistic interpretation (which can indeed take the figure of a boy), but "putto" appears much later than either the word "cherub" or the use of cherubs in art, and can apparently refer to either representations of Cupid or of cherubs in addition to being synonymous with "cherub" itself. So it appears that Wikipedia is incorrect, and that you could use either "cherub" or "putti" to describe the figure on the Thomas Brooks dresser discussed by Werry.