The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will host its third annual Antiques Appraisal Weekend, October 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., at 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, Conn. In our ever-changing world, we continually revisit and reappraise our past to better understand the present. History can be a learning tool, but it can also be a profitable business when it comes to art and collectibles.

It is no surprise, especially now in these troubled economic times, that millions of people are tuning into TV shows such as PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers. Today, as never before, dusting off family heirlooms and rummaging through attics and basements has become a national pastime, as well as an exciting new way to create much needed revenue.

The Antiques Appraisal Weekend will be co-chaired by LMMM Trustee Joe Passero of Norwalk and LMMM Trustee and interior designer Linda Fontaine of Weston. Experts will be appraising a wide variety of antiques and collectibles including jewelry, watches, silver, fine art, furniture, books and documents, coins, pottery and China, sports memorabilia, toys, and more.

“We are bringing back the Antiques Appraisal Weekend, given the remarkable success we had last year," said co-chair Joe Passero. "The generous time commitment of several world-renowned appraisers and the more than 1,300 who brought their collectibles to the Mansion for evaluation made this event an exciting and creative way of supporting this National Historic Landmark.”

Sponsored by Klaff's and People’s United Bank, the LMMM Antiques Appraisal Weekend will feature several leading appraisers and auction houses who will be donating their time and expertise to the Mansion. Experts will include: Betteridge Jewelers’ CFO and Director of the Watch Group Mike Manjos, Director of Estate Jewelry Simon Teakle and Warren Lagerloef, Senior Sales Professional; Braswell Galleries’ Rick Dailey; Christine Downing of C. Downing Auctions, Peter Curran, Terry Eletheriou, Jan Lee, owner of Sinotique, N.Y.; Mary Lou Logan, Kevin McClellan, Richard Murawski, Skip Rooney, President and Founder of Golf-Art/Crossways Gallery, Evelyn Phillips, and Gil Rodriguez, Owner of Gilann Books, among others. Media sponsors include Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, The Hour and Cox Radio.

“This is a unique opportunity for anybody who is interested in evaluating antiques and collectibles,” said co-chair Linda Fontaine. “With a very limited financial commitment people will have access to a remarkable line-up of appraisers.”

Appraisals will range from $20 for a small or medium size item, to $40 for large antiques such as furniture, (maximum of three appraisals). One free $20 appraisal will be available for anyone who will become a new member of the Mansion, (an annual individual membership is $35). All proceeds will benefit the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum. This year, the Mansion will feature an additional event following the conclusion of the Antiques Appraisal Weekend. An auction will be held for those wanting to sell their appraised collectibles. Time and place for this auction, will be announced in the event program and on the museum’s website.

A graduate gemologist with a diploma from the National Association of Goldsmiths, Betteridge’s Director of Estate Jewelry Simon Teakle is an internationally recognized expert in the jewelry industry.

Mr. Teakle became Head of Christie’s Jewelry Department in the United States in 1991 and, during his tenure, spearheaded the sales of many of the most notable gemstones and private collections in recent years, including jewelry from HRH Salimah Aga Khan, the Rockefeller Sapphire, jewelry belonging to Eva Peron, the $12 million sale of Doris Duke’s jewelry, and the exhibition and sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s.

Betteridge’s CFO and Director of the Watch Group Mike Manjos, studied finance and accounting in college. “Being a numbers geek helps out in really unusual and unexpected ways,” said Mr. Manjos, “knowing both current and historical model numbers for the brands that we carry, as well as knowing both current and historical pricing is invaluable in both buying and selling.”

Warren Lagerloef’s passions are far-ranging. He loves fine pearls and has a particular expertise for designing pearl jewelry. Moreover, Warren’s creative sensibilities and flair for fashion and color have made him Betteridge’s unofficial in-house jewelry designer. His artistry is evident in the watercolor renderings he creates for his clients, whether he designs a new piece of jewelry or updates a family heirloom.

“One of the nicest moments,” said Mr. Lagerloef, Senior Sales Professional at Betteridge, talking about his experience at last year’s Antiques Appraisal Weekend, “was when out of the blue, a lovely young lady sat down and put in front of me a beautiful art deco bracelet made by Terry Betteridge's grandfather in the 1920s. She had inherited it, and when she saw our name in the newspapers, she made the trip to the Lockwood Mathews Mansion to put a face to a name (so to speak). It was a magic moment for me, I love the history.”

Braswell Galleries started in 1958 when Harvey Braswell opened a small used furniture store and auction house in Amarillo, Texas. A strong southern antique market encouraged Mr. Braswell to acquire his inventory from the Northeast and eventually the family came to the New York area where Mr. Braswell continued his business with the southern market.

In the mid 1980s, Gary Braswell opened Braswell Galleries auction house in Norwalk, CT. Braswell Galleries relocated to Stamford, CT in 2001. Since returning to Norwalk in January 2008, it has grown from a small local auction house to one of the Northeast's largest antique and auction centers. Braswell Galleries antiques and Estate Center is now located in The Old Norwalk Lace Factory at 1 Muller Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

Peter Curran of Wilton, CT, is a longtime member of the Appraisers Association of America. He is a graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design and holds a MPS from New York University. Curran grew up in the business, (his mother was a well-respected art curator and antiques dealer) and has been involved in all major antique shows around the United States.

Curran has often appeared on PBS’s hit TV show, Antiques Roadshow and has owned and operated antique shops in various locations in New York and New England. The value of objects he has appraised in his career has ranged from worthless to $30 million for a single item and over $120 million for a collection.

Stamford, CT resident Christine Downing grew up in the antiques business, courtesy of an aunt in the business, and has been buying and selling antiques and attending shows since early childhood. She held her first tag sale at the age of nine and hasn’t looked back since.

Last year, a rare Art Nouveau Galle vase whose owner had survived the Holocaust, made its way to the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s Antiques Appraisal Weekend and was appraised by Ms. Downing at $15,000 to $20,000. “I was lucky enough to get to hear her story,” said Ms. Downing. “The tears in her eyes mirrored my own as I told her the value of the vase.”

Ms. Downing owns and operates C. Downing Auctions at 4 Taft St in Norwalk. C. Downing Auctions offers antique and specialty auctions every four to six weeks and provides antique and collectible appraisals.

She has appeared on HGTV’s hit show Cash in the Attic as the antiques’ appraiser and on HGTV’s satellite radio station, discussing various aspects of collecting antiques and collectibles.

Terry Eletheriou started collecting and dealing in Japanese swords in 1980. From there, he moved onto all forms of Japanese art: Japanese prints, metalwork, lacquer, Satsuma, porcelain, and cloisonné.

He also has an understanding of Chinese art, “a very complicated art form,” Mr. Eletheriou explains, “as it spans such a great period of time and includes many types of potteries and porcelains produced and manufactured throughout the centuries.”

Mr. Eletheriou studied Japanese at the Japan Society and studied the art of the sword at the Kenzan Institute. He presently deals in fine Oriental and European porcelains and art and exhibits at three major antique shows during the year. He is also one of the dealers at the Antique and Artisan Center at 69 Jefferson St. in Stamford, CT. He is often asked to appraise and price Oriental art for estate sales and was an appraiser at the Greenwich Women's Club this past April.

Jan Lee founded Sinotique in 1992, a gallery located in the heart of Chinatown and featuring classical Chinese antiques, African sculpture, natural wood forms, and contemporary art. Mr. Lee has been an exhibitor at antique shows in the Hamptons, Connecticut, and New York for over fifteen years.

When Mr. Lee is not in his Chinatown gallery or his three-story DUMBO Brooklyn location, which houses a contemporary art gallery, a warehouse, and his woodworking shop, he is attending antique shows and writing features for Connecticut Cottages and Gardens Magazine and the Sinotique blog. Jan also designs and manufactures his own line of furniture.

A sought-after antique doll and toy expert, Mary Lou Logan started her own doll collection when she was a child. She is currently the Doll and Toy Curator at the Wilton Historical Society and has assembled one of the largest toy exhibits in the state of Connecticut. Ms. Logan has also managed and repaired the collection of the Wilton Historical Society. Her expertise is wide-ranging: she can identify makers and age, advise on repair and restoration, and give an estimate of value. Ms. Logan was the first president of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum.

For the past three decades, Kevin McClellan has been a significant fixture in the business of appraising antiques. After working for Fairfield County Estate Liquidators for six years, Mr. McClellan opened Kevin McClellan Appraiser and Auctioneer in 1983 and established himself as a reliable source of verifiable valuation services for bank trust departments, estate and divorce attorneys, local historical societies, and individuals.

At the Mansion last year, Mr. McClellan appraised a pair of French bronze 'Marley' horses. “These sculptures are after the famous full size ‘Marley Horse’ sculptures by Guillaume Coustou (French 1677-1746)” said Mr. McClellan. “They were sculpted for the King in the early 18th century, and the originals are at the Louvre.” They were evaluated between $8,000-$12,000 for the pair.

Designated by the American Society of Appraisers as a senior appraiser of personal property in 1988, Mr. McClellan has testified as an expert witness in court cases and has worked on some of the oldest family estates in Fairfield County, many dating back to the early 18th century. Mr. McClellan currently works as a expert appraiser for Hiden Galleries, Genesis Antiques and Greenwich Living Design Center. He lives in Norwalk, CT.

Richard Murawski, a coin dealer for over 10 years, operates a Coin & Collectibles Shop In Watertown, CT. His primary activity is buying and selling U.S. and foreign coins, including gold and silver coins. Additionally, the store features sports memorabilia, baseball cards, comic books, and antique toys. Rick is President of the Litchfield County Coin Club and is a member of the American and Canadian Numismatic Associations. He can be found on weekends as a dealer at coin shows throughout Connecticut. His latest project was the classification and sale of over 1,700 two cent pieces belonging to a single client.

Evelyn Phillips is a well known dealer and collector of antique dolls. A retired lingerie designer, her sense of styling and fashion is apparent in the beautiful period costumes she creates using antique fabrics and accessories for dolls whose clothes have suffered the ravages of time.

She is a member of The National Doll Dealers Association, the United Federation of Doll Clubs, and “Tuesdays Child," one of the oldest doll clubs in this part of the country.

Gil Rodriguez opened Gilann Books of Darien in 1975. It was a summer bookshop at first, but due to its success, the business eventually expanded to a shop opened year-round that took Mr. Rodriguez to antiquarian book and ephemera fairs locally and nationally. Although his specialty is art and illustrated books, Mr. Rodriguez deals in all kinds of books.

A member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America and the Ephemera Society of America, he has been very active in Fairfield County and has provided books, illustrations, and autograph material for exhibitions at the Darien Library, the Darien Town Hall, the Ferguson Library, the Norwalk Library, the Rowayton Library, the New Canaan Library, and the Ridgefield Library.

An avid sportsman and golfer, Skip Rooney established his company, Golf-Art/Crossways Gallery, to combine his passion for the game of golf and the magnificence of its vistas with a growing market of collectors and buyers who share the same appreciation of golf’s natural beauty and challenges.

Since 1986, the company has grown to serve a remarkable and wide-ranging clientele that includes royal families, sports legends, commercial buyers, an army of retail gift shoppers, and the corporate elite. Drawing upon the success of his website, voted the number one website for golf art by Golf Digest magazine, Golf-Art/Crossways Gallery now ships worldwide, all from its charming and treasure-packed storefront on Route 7 in Ridgefield, CT.

For a complete list of appraisers and information on their schedule at the Mansion please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com. The museum will be closed for tours on both days of appraisals on October 2nd and 3rd.

In a depressed market, where 50% off the price of antiques compares very favourably with a 20-30% downturn in the housing market, investors should certainly be buying plenty of antique furniture.

A reduction in the price means that everyone benefits. At auction, fewer bidders means less competition, with less people taking part and more competitive prices as a result. However, when attending the auction it is crucial to locate where the weak areas are in order to take the fullest advantage. It is dealers particularly who are able to benefit from low competition where leaving very low bids can result in bargain ‘under the hammer’ prices.

Online shopping is also a great place to find good prices on antique furniture. Antique Furniture Bargains is a good place to begin your search. The site is affliated with eBay and thus you can shop the entire United States, or world for that matter, without leaving your home. And, your purchase will be delivered to your door.

The above is also true for Asian antiques. If Asian antique are your desire, The Asian Antique Shop offers great prices on antiques from all Asian countries. Like the above, Antique Furntiture Bargains, the world is your potential market and you can buy from the convenience of your home and have it delivered to your door.

The market may be cautious, but people are definitely buying antiques – and at competitive prices. In a market that will rebound, now is the time to buy antiques competitively in order to sell competitively later for future profits. Buying antiques across the country at competitive prices will ensure future healthy profits.

Whenever you antique furniture shop, be aware that definitions can vary. However, it’s accepted in the industry that, to be considered antique, a piece must be at least 100 years old. Everything more recent would be considered vintage or modern. And, always buy pieces you will use…very few of us have rooms in our home that we can fill with an “untouchable” collection of antique pieces that can only be looked at and not used.

Anita is an antiques enthusiast and successful antique furniture and accessories collector and dealer, serving other collectors, designers and individual buyers, for twenty years. She is passionate about helping other antiques lovers and collectors gain more knowledge and find those perfect pieces to fulfill their needs. Anita has an online antiques warehouse where you can view her large inventory of antique furniture and accessories and buy antique furniture.
Also, you can visit her blog at antique furniture shop where you can read more about antique furniture and how to antique furniture shop.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anita_Boyd

Throughout America's history, craftsmen have honed their skills to build exquisite pieces of furniture. Other people built makeshift pieces of furniture to make do until they could afford the real pieces. These makeshift pieces are known as "primitives."
Periods of American Furniture

Eight periods of furniture styles evolved throughout America's early history, according to the "Field Guide to Early American Furniture." They include
Puritan Span (1650-1690),
William and Mary (1690-1720),
Queen Anne (1720-1750),
Chippendale (1750-1775),
Hepplewhite (1785-1800),
Sheraton (1800-1820),
American Empire (1820-1840) and
Early Victorian (1840-1865).

According to "Field Guide to Early American Furniture," the gap in time between the Chippendale period and the Hepplewhite period is due to the American Revolution.

During these periods, primitive copies were made until true craftsman-made items could be purchased.

Definition and Examples
Primitive furniture items were crudely made pieces used in place of popular furniture of the era until such time as a better piece could be purchased. Since these pieces were not meant to survive, they were expendable; therefore, they are rare to find today and thus much more valuable. The settle; a seat next to the fireplace; a wagon seat, a double chair for two to sit on a wagon; and a candle stand are all examples of common primitives according to "Field Guide to Early American Furniture."

Differences between Primitive and Country
According to "Country Pine Furniture," primitives closely resemble country furniture. The difference is that primitives are crudely constructed and made from rough-hewn wood. According to Dorothy H. Jenkins, author of "A Fortune In The Junk Pile," country pieces were more likely chairs, rockers and tables made with hand plane, saw, hammer and nails, and were painted and sometimes decorated with stencils to cover mixed wood types. Primitives would not be painted, because they were not meant to last that long.

Antiques have been targeted in burglaries lately with a theft from a home last week resulting in 500 different antiques being stolen. The owner of the home returned home to find that the door of his house had been broken down and his collection of antique watches had been taken by thieves. Some of the watches stolen were worth as much as £8,000 each.

Another burglary earlier this year saw a valuable collection of antique coins, books and clocks stolen when a property that was unoccupied was broken into by thieves. The property was being handled by an estate agent when it was left empty, with the priceless antiques inside, making it an easy target for criminals.

With the theft of antiques being so prevalent in today’s society, what measures have you taken to ensure that your valuable antiques are protected in your home? Plus, should the worst happen, you should make sure that your collections are adequately listed and insured for their correct valuations.

Antique collectors aren’t the only ones looking for antiques. Your antiques have sentimental as well as financial value and deserve protecting. You should check the security of your home and consider installing or upgrading any existing home security system. For home security information and a discount store, visit Home Security Bargains.

Antique furniture is very popular today. With the real estate market in the state it is in now, many real estate marketers believe that placing some antique furniture in a home will greatly increase the assumed sale value. Additionally, spending money on buying antique furniture for a home is a wise investment. The antique furniture never loses its value, and in many cases appreciates; the value of the antique furniture may increase as time goes by. Although it is very easy to buy antique furniture today (you can even get the delivered to your doorsteps by ordering it online), several factors are to be considered to make your purchase more profitable. This guide will help you to identify and buy the best antique furniture available out there.

Identifying the real Antique Furniture

You should always remember the fact that the word "antique" refers to any object that is more than 100 years old. When it comes to antique furniture, there are two types such as "real antique furniture" and "Antique design inspired furniture". The real antique furniture is a great treasure, which will be many years old. On the other hand, the antique design inspired ones will only reflect the antique design. The material will not be really antique. Identifying the real antique furniture is very easy. You may be aware of the fact that woods shrinks as a result of aging. Antique furniture will have irregular dimensions. If the finishing of the furniture is excellent and new looking then it may not be a real antique.

Determining the value of the antique furniture

All kinds of antique furniture will not have the same value. It depends upon several factors like age, quality, application, style, make etc. In order to find the value of the furniture, you need to be knowledgeable about antiques. You can get lots of information about antique furniture if you spend a little time researching on the Internet. Commonly, antique furniture will be valued based on the condition, rarity, and history.

Checking the Solidity of the antique furniture

You should also remember the fact that antique furniture retains its value only if it is fully functional. Most antique experts insist on moving and using the furniture to ensure the solidity and functionality.

Buying Antique Furniture online

You can buy antique furniture online and get it delivered to your doorstep while you just relax. However, it is very much important to make sure that the online antique furniture store of your choice is genuine as you won’t be able to check the furniture before they get shipped to you.

No matter how you buy it, the real antique furniture is a valuable asset in any home.

You’ve taken the time and expense to create your collection. To ensure that it holds its value, it’s important to care and protect it. By practicing certain basic conservation practices, you can make sure your house is a safe environment for your collection.
Maintaining a consistent temperature of around 70 degrees during both the winter and summer months is most important, especially with furniture and items made of wood. Veneered furniture is particularly vulnerable to dampness.

Try not to place objects near vents where they may be in the direct path of hot or cold air. Also, keep items out of the path of direct sunlight, particularly paintings, works on paper, textiles, and furniture. Lastly, reduce the amount of exposure to natural light by partly lowering shades, drawing curtains, or closing blinds.

Storing Your Collection
Sometimes a collection becomes so large that items need to be stored. Always select a dry, clean space in which the temperature remains fairly consistent. If possible, avoid storing objects in attics, basements, and garages. Plastic storage bins are excellent for smaller objects like cameras and provide a watertight and airtight seal.

When storing objects that must be wrapped or placed in boxes, be sure to use acid-free materials. Paper and cardboard products are made with acids that hasten the deterioration of objects that come into contact with them. For this reason, it’s best to avoid either wrapping objects in newspaper and normal tissue paper or placing them in old cartons. A number of companies make acid-free tissue paper and boxes for the safe storage of artwork and smaller antiques that can be easily wrapped and boxed.

Fragile objects made of glass, pottery or porcelain should never be stacked on top of each other inside a box. Attempt to arrange everything in the box in one layer. Under-the-bed plastic storage bins are best.

If at all possible, store objects on open shelves instead of crowding them into a box. When objects are evenly spaced on shelves, the potential for damage is greatly reduced.

Tablewares such as plates, bowls, and cups & saucers are frequently stacked in boxes or on shelves. When the pieces rub against each other, surface decoration can easily be removed in the process. To avoid this problem, place acid-free tissue paper under each piece in the stack. The tissue paper provides a buffer between objects that come into contact with each other. Also, make certain that the stacks don’t reach teetering heights! Otherwise, everything can come tumbling down.

You should never stack or jam furniture into a tight space in which the pieces bang against each other. Otherwise, you risk scratching, gauging, or splitin g it. Arrange all furniture directly on the floor with space between each piece.

Cleaning Your Collection
Use a dry paintbrush with soft bristles to dust porcelain, pottery, and glass objects. A cloth may snag on small details and cause breakage. For tight areas or small details use pressurized air.

When cleaning silver and silverplate, try to avoid using creams and polishes that must be rubbed onto the object to avoid scratching. Instead, use a solution into which the object can be dipped to remove tarnish and dirt. This approach is particularly advisable for silver with gilding or silverplate. Constant rubbing with a cream or polish will eventually cause the gilding or silver plating to wear away.
Never clean antique furniture with a damp cloth. This can result in the removal of the surface finish and cause the wood to expand and then contract. Always use a soft, dry cloth or a paintbrush with soft bristles.

Gilding on furniture should never be polished, as this will result in the removal of the gilding. Simply leave the gilding in the condition in which it was found.

Making Repairs & Restorations
You should always consult with a professional on the repair or conservation of an antique that’s severely damaged or in poor condition. The professional will know exactly what measures to take. A home repair could result in even greater damage and will lower the value of a fine antique.

• Antique furniture should never be "polished" or cleaned with commercial cleaning products or polishes. Instead, use a soft cloth sprayed with some glass cleaner.

• To remove stains from stoneware dishes, soak them for 24 hours or more in one gallon of hot water in which two denture cleaner tablets have been dissolved.

• Never use furniture oil such as lemon oil on antique furniture. Just wipe it with a damp cloth or use only clear paste wax (Minwax or beeswax) to keep the wood in good condition.

• To prevent mildew damage to old photographs and art work hung on damp or outside walls, tape or glue a sheet of plastic to the back to create a vapor barrier.

• Use only white glue to adhere broken pieces of porcelain, stoneware, or pottery together. After applying glue, press pieces together and shift slightly for a tight fit. Wipe off excess glue from both sides with a damp cloth and let dry. Use masking tape to hold pieces snuggly while drying if necessary.

• To remove minor water marks on furniture, use a mixture of Vaseline and ashes. Sift 2 tablespoons of fine wood ashes with a dab of Vaseline or cooking oil to form a paste. Using a circular motion, work the paste into the surface with a soft cloth until the white ring vanishes.

• Never use rust-remover on china as it can remove the glaze or protective coating of the china. Also, calcium, lime or rust-remover products should not be used on gold or platinum-banded crystal because these items can stain or permanently change the color of the metal-banding.

• Wear cotton gloves as much as possible when handling your silver. This will prevent the oils and acids from your hands from ending up on the object. Cotton gloves are very inexpensive, and can be purchased at photography supply stores and some drug stores.

• Burn marks can be taken out of furniture with fine steel wool, a razor blade, a scalpel or craft knife. The shallow hole that results may be filled by artists' oil colors, mixed with linseed oil, or if a glossy finish is desired, with varnish, or mixed with turpentine, it will be matt. A filler can also be made from colored beeswax, from powder stain mixed with a medium such as epoxy resin, or shellac mixed with powder pigment.

• Jade, ivory, horn, and marble should be lightly dusted with a soft brush or dry, soft cloth. Keep these objects out of direct sunlight, since they may dry out and become brittle. Always handle these objects with care when moving them.

Why Is This A Good Idea for You?
Rare and beautiful objects never go out of style, while good craftsmanship speaks for itself. Furthermore, it's difficult to beat the charm and interest a good antique or vintage piece brings to any setting. When you add the fact that an antique grows in value over time, the initial investment is money well spent. The craftsmanship of earlier times created truly beautiful furniture that can't be replicated in the same way today that is anywhere near cost effective. Here is an opportunity to make a wise purchase for both love and money.

However, as with any significant investment in high quality, it's important to educate yourself before you take the plunge. It's a big world with a lot of wonderful antiquities for sale. You need a knowledgeable overview of what you find most appealing. You don't want to miss an exceptional find because you don't have a clue about what appeals to you in advance.
In the same way you determined what your personal style is, (and by extension the style of home you want to live in), the same process is used here. Antique furniture can be segregated into four broad categories; English, European, American and Far Eastern. You might begin with an investigation into each category to distinguish the features that are consistent to the category and which of these you prefer.

Browsing with an adventurous and open-minded outlook as well as a scholarly approach, can net you unexpected “found" treasures. You could start out looking for an English side table but find yourself transfixed by the beauty of a pair of French Fauteuil (Fauteuil are otherwise known as “chairs").

Fortunately, the pursuit of your higher education can easily start near home with the fine antique stores in the area. Take a field trip. Ask questions. Good dealers want to share their knowledge. It's in their best interest that you are a well-informed buyer who understands the quality, the market and the value of their inventory. There is no substitute for seeing and handling real furniture and accessories. It's the best way to learn. You can't appreciate the difference between a hand-rubbed wood finish that has the patina of age, and the standard wood finish you see on most new furniture, unless you see for yourself first-hand.

You can also broaden your horizons by attending lectures and seminars. Pore over auction catalogs and go to auction viewing rooms. They're great places to see, handle and learn about antique furniture as well.

While the best advice is always to buy the highest quality you can afford, a fine antique need not be museum quality (with the consequent price tag) to find a place in your home. There is such a thing as an excellent and reasonably priced antique.
Another avenue to explore is high quality reproductions. Chris Mead of English Country Antiques & Home Furnishings (26 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton, 631-537-0606) says that while his store specializes in what he calls “usable antiques" such as small tables, or chests of drawers, there are times when it's neither practical nor cost effective to wait for the perfect specimen to arrive on the market.

Says, Mead, “This is particularly true with dining tables. The table of your dreams may not only cost roughly $10,000, but if you do find it eventually, there's an excellent chance that it simply won't be a workable size." In a case such as this, a reproduction of the table you crave can be made to order, with workmanship, finishes and patina so fine, only a seasoned expert would be able to distinguish it from the original.

Developing Your Own Designer Vision
You did your homework, legwork, and (Glorious Day!) finally, you found “IT." You love it, but where do you put it? There are two schools of thought on how to incorporate antiques with your current acquisitions. One school says, “Think in terms of contrast and juxtaposition." This concept works best if you use pieces from different time periods. For example, what if you placed a very modern steel and leather chair from the 1950s next to an antique Japanese Tansu? The design quality of both stands out in high relief.
Pulling the above approach off so it looks like you know what you're doing is tricky. It can backfire to the point of complete discord. The idea is to create a composition in three-dimensional space. Re-imagine what you see, so that all you are looking at is the color, shape, size, texture and/or design of the pieces you have chosen for your setting. Put everything in place and ask yourself if your vignette looks balanced. Does the scale work? A small delicate item sitting next to a massive heavy object just looks wrong. Do all the assigned furniture and accessories work in relationship to each other, or is any one piece placed too far out of the picture? Do you have a range of light, medium and dark tones? Is there a color punch somewhere?

When you work this way, the provenance of each item becomes coincidental. An unexpected combination of elements, and a mix of style “opposites" can elevate the aesthetic level from the “nicely decorated but ordinary" to “A Really Great Looking Room."

The other school of thought takes a more deliberately harmonious stand. Start with all of the suggestions stated above regarding creating a composition of your furniture arrangement. These suggestions are the “building blocks" you should always use. From here, take the basic framework further and look at the specific details of how things look together. Look for repetition or similarity in shape, size, curve, angle, color and/or design. How do the pieces reference each other? For example, you might have two lamps that are different but the same height and/or material. They could work flanking a sofa on either side if they both have the same type of lampshade. How about patterns that relate to each other? This visual process is how great designers manage to mix the best with the common to get a fabulous result.

Don't neglect to think outside of the box. Did you know that coffee tables didn't even exist before the 1920s? Be creative. That fabulous antique chest you just spied could also be used as a coffee table, and your living room will be more interesting for the addition.

A historically accurate room that looks and feels like a time capsule isn't a living space; you want an environment that's out of the ordinary because of judicious use of carefully selected, unique and special furniture and accessories. The final goal is to create rooms that you love to be in, the place you call “Your Home." No decorating scheme should be so rigidly constructed that it can't accommodate a “found treasure," even if it takes some time for the “found treasure" to land in the place where it will fit in the best.

In the end, the provenance of an antique doesn't matter as much as how it appeals to you. “More than any other consideration, the most important thing is to buy what pleases you aesthetically," says Nancy Toon of Hound Hill Design. “Rooms are meant to be lived in with objects you love".