What Do You Do with Smelly Furniture?

Have you ever purchased a piece of furniture that just didn’t smell right? I have, and I paid for my mistake in terms of money and time invested. Early in my career as an antique dealer, I went to an auction and saw a piece of furniture that interested me. I carefully examined the book case with glassed doors flanking a drop leaf desk with … Continue reading What Do You Do with Smelly Furniture?

Antique wax doll. Image from Heather Bond Dolls.

Doll Collecting not just for Little Girls

Collecting Dolls is the kind of collecting passion that you get – or don’t get. I used to be part of the first camp even when I owned and operated my antique store “From Times Past”. I changed my mind , however, once I received a sizeable collection of dolls (and stuffed Teddy Bears which have always been my favorite) to sell for a client. … Continue reading Doll Collecting not just for Little Girls

image from ehow.com

What to Watch out for when Fixing a Dent in Antique Furniture

A reader contacted me recently and asked me about fixing dents on teak furniture. She had read my other blogs on cleaning and protecting teak and wanted my opinion on this topic. I knew that there was information online so rather than reinvent the wheel, I planned to simply send her some links to read. Sure enough, there were several sites that gave information on … Continue reading What to Watch out for when Fixing a Dent in Antique Furniture

Aesthetic Movement Art Furniture. Photo by James Sansum, dealer.

Victorian Art Furniture

It can be quite confusing trying to find images online when looking for art furniture – especially for antique art furniture. Art furniture, by its very definition, is furniture that, although useful, goes beyond what is expected in terms of style and sometimes function. Some put Art Nouveau furniture in this category because of its excessive, expensive-to-build, curves and ornamentation. Others put Arts and Crafts … Continue reading Victorian Art Furniture

A Multipurpose Kitchen Cabinet

A Revolution in the Kitchen

In my most recent book, my main character time-travels to Chicago in the year 1928. There’s a scene in the book where she finds herself in the kitchen, perusing the pantry for something to eat and marvelling at the number of electric appliances that were already in existence in that year. It’s hard to imagine kitchens without rows of cupboards, central islands, stone counter tops … Continue reading A Revolution in the Kitchen