Shop for Antique Chinese Cabinets

Next, what purpose do you want the cabinet to serve? There are a multitude of different types of antique cabinets out there. Some include: Antique armoires, filing cabinets, curio cabinets, drawer cabinets, glass plated cabinets, and more. If you are going to put the cabinet into a bedroom, you probably want to go with an armoire style, so that you can easily store clothes in it. A kitchen or dining room would most benefit from a curio or glass plated cabinet for dishes or other items at the ready. You could put a filing cabinet into an office space.

Now you must take a look at your budget. How much money do you have to spend on your Chinese cabinet or cabinets? If you have an unlimited budget, you can look into authentic Asian antiques online or in specialty antique stores. If you are working with a limited budget, you might consider a reproduction antique piece. These are pieces that are made to look like Chinese antiques but are actually made in the present day. They are given a time-worn appearance, and special paints and lacquers are used to give them an old feel. Whether you decide to go with authentic or reproduction pieces, take the time to assess how and where you will be using your Chinese cabinet before you make the purchase.

Reproduction Furniture

Reproduction furniture never fails to disappoint; due to exquisite features boasted by the charming sets, it would be difficult to make any 'mistakes' for these replicas. Not only can pieces be polished until you can see your own reflection, but they allow people who have a fondness of the era to feel they own a part of history.

Sought after replica pieces would generally include cherry cabinets, antique wardrobes and dining room furniture; these are popular for setting any room apart from the rest. On the whole, these Regency pieces are affordable and will not damage the bank balance; they all come complete with many unique and distinctive features for example, clean edges and polished wood. Many people crave the look that only antique furniture can provide without having to pay the excessive prices. Purchasing and restoring genuine antique pieces can be extremely costly, therefore reproduction furniture provides a cost effective solution to this.

An advantage to purchasing reproduction furniture is that pieces are available from any era for example, Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian, and in a variety of styles that would appeal to many. Materials are also optional which enables people to design their own, bespoke pieces. There is a vast range of furniture that can be produced; designs are not at all limited to specific pieces. Furniture may include coffee table designs, corner furniture cabinets and bedroom furniture sets. Generally built with sheer quality and made from a variety of different materials, the most common being wood, such furniture will be able to endure the wear and tear of daily activities.

As people are unable to notice the differences between genuine antique pieces and reproduction pieces, you will be better off purchasing the reproductive piece. Understandably there most certainly are differences between the two pieces, but these are guaranteed to go unnoticed. The only way you can notice a difference in how the pieces are different is how they will age; genuine pieces will endure cracks and flaws, whereas reproduction pieces will be smooth with not jagged edges or imperfections.

Antique Furniture Cabinets

Take a walk through some of the online furniture sites in order to help to train yourself to know various styles and to recognize antiques in any setting. It's relatively easy to know if an antiques store has antique furniture cabinets. That's what is supposed to be there and chances are there won't be many reproduction pieces.

The real trick will be to spot that at the garage or home auction or the yard sale where someone is simply trying to get rid of grandma's ancient furniture in order to bring in something a bit more modern and interesting.

The designs of antique furniture cabinets will vary according to the period in which they were made. Likewise, the materials will quite likely be unique and not often seen. The Oaks, Cherry, Pine or Mahogany woods that you're going to find in antiques are simply not found in the new furniture of today in most cases. Even the most costly modern furniture will have a great deal of veneer as opposed to a lot of solid woods.

Although it is sometimes hard to determine if the piece is a real one, you can learn a bit more by studying books and online sites which will help you to find out more about the various styles and the pieces that might be associated with them. The various time spans, such as Pre-Victorian, Victorian, Early American, American, English, or European will all have their own specific finish, their own styles.

Each item may also have a maker's mark that you can find if you know where to look. Some will be beneath the chairs and in various places. While many won't have those marks, some will give you good clues about the time period and the place that the item was made.