Tips for Buying Antique Buffets

Traditionally buffets were commonly used in the dining rooms or kitchens as they provided ample space for storage of cutlery and dishes. These were used in the dining room also for serving food, for displaying serving dishes such as silver etc.  However in the modern homes, these can be put to versatile uses and also blend into the décor effortlessly.
The buffets have uses in the bedrooms or in the living rooms as also make a sturdy option to hold the television sets and provide good storage underneath for the other gadgets. Buffets come in handy when placed in the hallways, family rooms or libraries etc. Besides being very functional the buffets are packed with a rustic charm that adds a lot of charm and character to modern homes.

If you are looking for an antique buffet, here are a few things one should consider.
Firstly considering the decor of your place is very important. The antique that you buy needs to have something in common with the decor in order to ensure that it does not look out of place in the contemporary home.
 
Both style and functionality should be given equal consideration. For instance if you are planning to keep the buffet in your dining room it should be big enough to hold your dishes, cutlery or linens. If you plan to use it as a table for your TV, it needs to be sturdy enough and if you are looking at it as a piece of bedroom furniture, the size should be just right in order to satisfy your purpose.
 
The space where you plan to keep your buffets should be measured well in advance. There should be enough space to open the drawers or doors and move around it.
 
Buffets can be made of oak, pine and mahogany etc and depending on the shade that goes best with your current decor, you can choose your option. The style options are also many. For instance, the 18th century buffets usually showcase curved tops and thin legs with the compartments on the sides comparatively larger while the Victorian Buffets featured a mirror at the back edge of the buffet on a vertical panel. These also showcased beautiful carvings and were quite large, thus offering good storage space. The Art & Crafts Buffets were simple yet elegant and functional too and featured great artistic detail which was an effort towards uplifting the overall aesthetic appeal which has seen a downfall due to the mass productions during the Victorian era. The Art Deco Buffets had a very distinct style and were quite elaborate. Chinese Buffets featured clean and elegant lines giving it a more formal appeal.
 
You can also check out the work of notable designers of the time like Thomas Chippendale, Sheraton, Hepplewhite etc who gave us pieces that are quite sought after even today. Each piece showcased the designer’s distinct style and taste.
 
Apart from this what you need to keep in mind are certain aspects like your dealer for genuine furniture pieces, restoration and replacements done, value, a general homework about the styles and origin etc.

Often dresser bases are also a great option. A wonderful example of a good antique dresser base is this 18th C English oak and sycamore dresser base. 1780

Browse our selection of antique dressers and dresser bases.