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Vessel Sinks Work With Antiques

By Ken Melchert

'It is hard to be funny when you have to be clean,' Mae West

We all need a sink to clean up in, and the proliferation of great designer vessel sinks has opened a world of possibilities to recycle all manner of antique cabinets, chests and tables as vanity cabinets. Endless design possibilities can create a truly unique bathroom in almost any style. Juxtaposing historic pieces with contemporary fittings generates excitement, and many vessel sinks cleverly mounted on cabinets are really works of art. Sinks are available in countless styles and colors of glass, painted porcelain, brass, copper and nickel. Faucets have many different finishes in traditional and modern configurations. Antique and vintage dressers, sideboards, writing tables, work benches, and bakers tables can all be recycled into sink cabinets that are one of a kind, reflecting your individual taste and creativity. Many of these pieces are much less expensive than than the charmless mass-produced cabinets seen in home centers and bath design shops. It takes a little more planning and vision, but the result is certainly worthwhile.

An example uses a late Victorian or Eastlake washstand from the 1880s. Originally made for a bedroom in the days before plumbing, a bowl and pitcher would have sat on the marble top, and the waste jug would have been behind the door on the bottom. Built of solid walnut, the original beveled mirror and marble top were fitted to accommodate a glass vessel sink and brushed nickel contemporary faucet. The stunning result is functional and truly unique. A craftsman easily drilled the marble top, made adjustments to the interior of the chest, and the installation was relatively simple. The result is an elegant and historic look.

Another bathroom recycles an Art Deco cabinet from about 1930 that was meant to hold sheet music next to a piano. Now fitted with a textured glass vessel sink and a waterfall faucet, this adaptation of an antique piece was even simpler. Compact enough for a small bathroom, this installation is bright and cheerful with the clean, sleek lines of the 1930s.

Countless antique and vintage pieces of furniture can be adapted to hold a sink. I suggest ignoring the original function of the furniture, judge how much the piece appeals to you, and consider its size and scale for your project. Take the time to find a piece you really like to live with. As Willie Nelson says, 'The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.' Bathroom sinks can be so much more fun than the 'hospital equipment' look of the past. Surprisingly, historic cabinets are the latest innovation not only in bathrooms, but in kitchens as well, anywhere a sink would be convenient. Go for an exciting or timeless look - 'Exuberance is beauty,' according to William Blake. Of course, recycling a historic piece is so much better for our environment as well.

About The Author

Ken Melchert is a co-owner of The Harp Gallery, a renowned antique furniture gallery located in Appleton, WI. Ken and his wife Rebecca have been selling and restoring superior antique furniture for over 20 years. Visit their store online: Harp Gallery Antique Furniture.

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Rearrange lamps and decorative items on wooden tabletops. If you don't, exposed wood will lighten and unexposed wood will remain dark after time.
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START WITH EASY FIXES. When you begin repairing antique furniture, it's smart to learn with simple projects. For example, a loose stretcher on a chair is a good place to start. Broken hardware can also be an ideal project for a beginner. If you're going to replace it with identical reproduction hardware, the repair can take just a few minutes. Always try to learn with "reversible repairs." This means a process that can be reversed with little or no damage to the furniture. You can always remove a screw if its head looks too new against older wood. But, if you've pried wood veneer off a table and--too late--realized that the veneer was important, it can be impossible to restore it.
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Antique Furniture. Antique furniture is much sought after depending on the make and style of the specific item. Tables and writing desks, complete dining sets, chairs, cabinets, and armoires are all popular and motifs vary greatly by period from ornately carved Baroque pieces to the simple lines of Shaker furniture. Individual selection depends entirely on taste.
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Is Anything Missing? If the furniture has a veneer, look for broken or missing pieces, or sections that are a different color�evidence the veneer has been poorly patched. If there�s a decorative inlay or applied carving, make sure no pieces are missing.
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Be suspicious if the interior mechanism of a clock just looks too new. It is quite common for a new mechanism to be placed in an old case. If you are buying the clock for decorative and aesthetic reasons you may not care, but if the antique is to be an investment or part of a collection, the presence of a new mechanism essentially means the clock is a "fake."
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Antique Market Has Become Very Popular In The Last Couple Of Years

By David Fishman

If you are deciding to become an antique dealer keep in mind that you will be meeting many different type of people, each of these people you meet have a different role in antique dealings. Many people are now finding antiques as a great way of making their rooms look that little bit more special. When it comes to antiques many people have their own agenda, many people prefer clocks, porcelain, furniture or Japanese antique jewelry.

Next look to make sure that you can afford to purchase items in your chosen item, you may be fascinated say by rare art, but unfortunately it may be unaffordable. Purchasing antiques usually involves money; lots of money, gathering the proper information can help with the purchase process and avoid being fooled or making mistakes. Knowing the how to speak �antique� or knowing the proper terminology and doing the proper research will help in determining what to look for and what to buy, it will also help in knowing how much the items are worth so you don't overpay for the item.

In today's world antiques have become big business for many people, finding that piece that was created many years ago and selling it for 3 to 4 times its value is a great way to make money. If you compare the same items today with those that were created years ago it is amazing how the older items are made incredibly well plus they fetch more money on the market.

To find old pieces of furniture you need to look in the following places, outhouses, attics or cellars, many people stored their valuable items in these places. Furniture began to bear designs such as pagodas and birds, originally only seen on items of porcelain. Antique furniture that has been covered with a finish that is long lasting will look better plus fetch a higher price. But, over time and with polishing, oak darkens into a rich brown color. Until the middle of the 17th Century, furniture was fairly simple, made of oak with peg joints.

Place your collection on display or will then be kept in a safe place. For some who have inherited a lovely collection of heirlooms, yet do not have any idea of how to look after them or even keeping up with the collection they already have as well as they should.

It's the fluctuations in relative humidity caused by central heating that results in real damage. Consider installing a humidifier on your furnace to raise the humidity levels in winter and run a dehumidifier during the summer months. With wood antiques, you want the humidity to be as stable as possible. To take care of the antique furniture you will need to wax the pieces with bees wax, do not store the furniture in damp, bright rooms, and make sure the furniture is not in a place that the temperatures fluctuate because this may damage the wood.

There are many benefits when selling on an online Antique mall. You want to sell your antiques or collectibles online be careful and research the proper way to do this. One of the most popular places where people from all over the country display and have their antiques appraised is at the Antiques Roadshow.

David Marc Fishman is the owner of repairs. The new way to give advice by video. Online auction shopping experience.

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Mixing furniture of different periods and nationalities is a fairly safe bet, so long as the pieces exhibit roughly the same degree of sophistication. Country cousins do not always mix happily with city types. It is not a matter of money. Vernacular furniture often finds itself out of place in an aristocratic ambience, even though it can now cost as much, and in some cases more, than its ormolu-mounted equivalent. A good oak Welsh dresser of around 1800 can cost as much as a Sheraton mahogany side-board of the same date; a well-carved French Provincial commode can fetch as much as one made by a Paris ebonite, while a simple Shaker sewing chest can bring more at auction in the USA than the rest of them put together
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LEARN ABOUT THE WOOD. Most antique furniture is made primarily of wood. Study the wood in the item that you'd like to repair. Soft woods should be handled differently from hard woods. Veneers and inlays require special treatment as well. Unless the wood has been damaged by insects or repeated wear, you probably won't be repairing the wood itself. Wood is one of the longest-lasting materials in household items. Many ancient Egyptian furnishings and Scandinavian churches remain in excellent condition after hundreds or even thousands of years. However, if surface damage is a problem and it's safe to strip the item, research paint and varnish removers. Some are safe, some are not, and some work well on only a limited range of surfaces.
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