WI L L I AMS ANT IQUES
FORGET ‘FAST FURNITURE’ AND LOOK TO THE PAST FOR INSPIRATION FOR YOUR HOME, SAYS FAY WILLIAMS
be passed on to the next generation or sold at a later date. Much of the cheaper furniture we buy is not built to last. Antique furniture has many ‘green’ credentials. The tree that was used to make that chest of drawers, chair or wardrobe has regrown over the hundreds of years the piece of furniture has been around. Cheaper furniture that we may throw away within five to ten years of buying it would not have produced another tree large enough to make even a side table or chair. Antiques can be restored, rather than thrown away. And when they do come to the end of their life, the timber is biodegradable. In a world where we need to rethink, reduce, reuse and repair, antiques can aid all of these things. What happens to your plastic-covered Ikea table when it breaks? It probably gets dumped, because it’s cheap and easily replaced. Plastics are not biodegradable and build up in our environment – as you have seen from footage all over the TV and internet. As I mentioned before, antique furniture can be restored to its former glory and carry on being used. So, don’t dismiss antique furniture. Come and see the beautiful things in our showroom and imagine how they could fit seamlessly into your own home and lifestyle. Be antique unique, and don’t follow the crowd! Fay Williams owns Williams Antiques & Restoration in Bedford, which has been restoring and selling antique furniture for 30 years. williamsantiques.co.uk
uying and loving an antique doesn’t mean you have to be over 60 years old and live in an old stately home. In fact, antiques
can fit into any house and any lifestyle, and more people than ever are choosing an eclectic mix of furniture and styles for their homes. Vintage and retro furniture has enjoyed a huge resurgence in the last few years – so why can’t older furniture and collectable items? At home we have an 1890s grandfather clock teamed with sofas from M&S, a coffee table from John Lewis and a hand-me-down 1970s sideboard. We even have a 100-year-old mahogany oval mirror in the downstairs toilet! People seem to think antiques won’t ‘suit’ their home. But even just one choice piece can look amazing. People assume antiques are expensive, too. Some obviously can be, but most are really reasonable; especially when compared with similar products at a top-end department store. Antiques are really great value at the moment. Antique furniture has a history, often a story to tell and can be genuinely unique. An old farmhouse kitchen table could have had generations of the same family sitting round it to have food and chat about their day. The dinks and nicks come from years of use and love. You may know friends who have the same Ikea chairs and mirror as you, but if you have an antique chest of drawers or table, I think you would find it hard to find someone with the exact same piece. Antiques are also an asset that can
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