Any piece of antique furniture speaks of a country’s past. Antique furniture mirrors the history of different nations on the whole. Antique furniture’s development is influenced by wars, travels and discoveries of its time. Antique furniture is often linked to opulence of a country. Let us examine the different types and styles of antique furniture from different countries.
Antique furniture from China became popular from among the Oriental furniture because of the travels of Europeans to that country and travelers from that country visiting other parts of the world. Other countries in the Orient did not gain much popularity in antiques as the Chinese gained. Korean and Japanese furniture are not considered so much for their antique value as that of the Chinese. From the origins of the Chinese antique furniture that can be traced back to second century BC, the transformation from tatami mats to wooden seats can be traced to the Tang dynasty. The Chinese antique furniture styles of Ming and Qing dynasties are particularly unique for their elegance and daintiness. The Ming style antique Chinese furniture has been considered to be the ultimate model of Chinese furniture, with its exquisite craftsmanship.
The English antique furniture history can be broadly categorized into Renaissance and Restoration periods. Renaissance is the earliest known period in the English antique furniture that represents Tudor style. A lot of influence from foreign furniture styles can be seen in this period. Restoration period or the baroque style was popularized during the rule of King Charles II. Renaissance antique furniture was basic and without adornment. The patterns followed in this type of furniture were medieval and Gothic. The popular wood during this period was oak though later on walnut wood gained some popularity. Baroque or Restoration antique furniture saw the use of mahogany and walnut and used less of oak. This period saw a great influence of the French and the Dutch on the antique furniture.
The French antique furniture has been a delight to connoisseurs of antique stuff. From the French furniture the armoires, chairs, chandeliers and tables are the most popular. The French furniture comprises both of the sophisticated items from Paris for the aristocracy and the rich, and furniture from the French provincial cities and towns that showcase talent of the districts. The other popular form from France was the furniture from country side that stayed up to the mid nineteenth century.
The American antique furniture is difficult to differentiate because the American antique furniture is influenced by the French and the English antique furniture. However, there is a distinguishing feature that defines an American antique furniture piece which is its practicality. Most American furniture pieces have more practical designs compared to their more lavish and elaborate English and French counterparts. For the American craftsmen, function was the primary concern, followed by decorative details. The American craftsmen differ from their European counterparts in this aspect.
Whichever country furniture you choose from, the best way to buy antique furniture is to walk into the antiques store, stay close to the pieces of furniture you wish to buy, feel it, and allow it to speak to you. Buying antique furniture is a matter of heart and you should buy when the piece relates to your aesthetic sense coupled with a sense of matching to your home.
Inessa Stewart, the owner of Inessa Stewart’s Antiques & Interiors lives and breathes antiques. Her passion for all things antique is known all over the world. From a small gallery to the largest importer of European antiques in the USA, she has scaled great heights in the world of antiques.
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The best bathroom vanity setups are more than just a cabinet with a sink. A bathroom vanity has many components including the cabinets, the counter tops, the mirror, medicine cabinets, lighting, and possibly seating. You need to consider the entire bathroom vanity unit when planning your bathroom. Women especially, spend a lot of time in the bathroom grooming and preparing themselves for the day and to go to bed at night. You want your bathroom vanity set up to have all the right storage, convenience, lighting and comfort so that these daily routines are not a chore but a joy.
The first thing to decide on is the size of your bathroom vanity. Most people will take an entire wall of the bathroom if that is possible. Once you know the size you can pick out the cabinets you will use to fit in the space provided. You can get bathroom vanity cabinets custom made to fit in a particular space if nothing standard will work.
If your vanity space is large enough then you need to decide between one or two sinks. Most couples will prefer two sinks so that they can each use the bathroom sink at their leisure. When you have decided on the type of bathroom sink you like, you can pick out the counter tops. You need to choose the sinks first because certain types of sinks are mounted in such a way as to show the sides of the counter top. If this is the case, you need to have counters with finished sides. Also, you will need to cut the hole for your sink so it is best to have those dimensions before you order so that you can have the manufacturer make this cut for you.
One very important feature for any bathroom vanity is the mirror. You can get mirrors cut to any size and shape you desire so the sky is the limit.
It is most common in a large master bathroom to have the mirror cover the wall behind your vanity so that it is as large as possible. In smaller bathroom, oval shaped or rectangular mirrors are common. The main criteria is that a person can easily see themselves when standing in front of the vanity. Larger mirrors like the ones than cover the entire wall are mostly just for show and not really necessary. Some vanities have medicine cabinets behind them or small medicine cabinets off to the side with a smaller mirror on the front. If the medicine cabinet mirror is not your main vanity mirror then you can make it a magnifying mirror to help with the application of makeup or putting in contacts, etc.
Lighting is very important for your bathroom vanity setup. You want to make sure the room is well lit so that when you are getting ready you can see yourself as clearly as possible. My master bathroom vanity has globe lights all along the top like in a makeup chair on a movie set so that it is very bright right by the mirror. These lights will even light the rest of the bathroom, but there is additional overhead lighting for that purpose. It is best not to shine spot lights toward your bathroom vanity and mirror because they can cause a glare.
There is a lot to think about when picking out your bathroom vanity set so do not rush the process. You want to make sure that you will be comfortable in the space and that there will be enough storage to meet your needs.
Cindy has recently remodeled her bathroom and the bathroom vanity is the centerpiece. Bathroom vanities are the most important piece of furniture in your bathroom, so Cindy hopes this article helps.
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