The Antique Victorian Furniture Blog

On December 4 I wrote about a blog called A Victorian Passage Into Time, and I promised to share what I found there. How about some advice on how to furnish the parlor of your Victorian home?

The quote provided in this particular post instructs you to choose furniture with comfort rather than style in mind. If you want a “serviceable” wood for the frame, select ebony, oak, walnut, cherry, or mahogany. Think Turkish if you want keep up with the times.

Sets and pairs are out, but you can never go wrong with two easy-chairs placed opposite to one another. Put your divan in a central location, but forget about that marble-topped center table. If you read the passage you’ll also find out how to make your mantel mirror look effective.

What do you think about the date of this advice? It sounds rather late doesn’t it? Indeed, it comes from a work called Useful Information for Ladies, dating to 1897.

Click here to get the full story on how to arrange your antique Victorian furniture to its best effect in your parlor.

I myself unfortunately don’t have a parlor. I wish I did. Life without parlors is hopelessly unsociable and modern.

Technorati Tags: Chairs, Cherry, Divan, Ebony, Furniture, Mahogany, Mirror, Oak, Parlor, Table, Victorian, Walnut

The Press-Enterprise ran an article this past Saturday about a home in Riverside, CA that will be featured in an 8-page spread in the February issue of Victorian Homes magazine. The home, purchased four years ago in ramshackle condition by Tony and Wilma Burton, now “looks like it’s out of a fairy tale,” says Merrie Destefano, editor of Victorian Homes.

The home was built in 1893 by Civil War veteran David Gilson Mitchell, a founding father of Riverside County. The Burtons didn’t know its story when they bought the house, but they studied their history and then put over $100,000 into the restoration of the home. They purchased 19th century furnishings in antique stores, at estate sales, and on eBay.

The Burtons now live upstairs and “keep the first floor as a museum.” A photo of the dining room would suggest that this delightful “museum” is quite full of antique Victorian furniture. The music room features a period fainting couch, called by Victorian Homes an “ode in oak to Eastlake.”

We’ll have to wait for the February issue of Victorian Homes to get the full story. In the meantime, here’s the article from The Press-Enterprise.

Technorati Tags: Antique, Couch, Eastlake, Furniture, History, Home, Homes, Oak, Restoration, Victorian

Here’s an article from the Knoxville News Sentinel containing some gloomy information. The writer, Joe Rosson, is responding to a question about the value of two cabinets.

It’s not so much what he says about the cabinets but about the current state of the antique market that makes the article worth reading. He tells us in the first place that pieces made of oak have lost a lot of value in the last decade or so and that some collectors have been taken by surprise as a result.

He also gives a word of warning to owners of antique Victorian furniture in particular. According to a “nationally respected antiques specialist,” Victorian furniture is losing its value rapidly and will probably never recover because of changing tastes.

The word “never” is a strong one, especially where tastes are concerned. And what are we to make of this in light of my post on October 25 linking to an article calling antique Victorian furniture an upwardly mobile investment? Are we getting some mixed signals?

I’ll keep my eyes open for you.

You can find the article here.

Technorati Tags: Antique, Antiques, Furniture, Oak, Value, Victorian