How Antique Furniture Makers Selected and Matched Timber
Read grain, figure, veneer layout and structural timber selection to judge antique furniture quality, originality and later replacement components.
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Antique Dating Periods
31 published guides on repair, care and the stories behind well-made things.
Identifying Timbers in Antique Furniture: An Evidence-Led Guide
Identify antique furniture woods through anatomy, grain, pores, rays, weight and context—not colour alone—and understand the limits of visual attribution.
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Regional and Provincial Furniture: Why Dating Styles Overlap
Understand why regional, provincial and vernacular furniture follows different timelines and how to date it without forcing metropolitan labels.
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When Antique Furniture Looks Wrong: Diagnosing Design Anomalies
Learn how mismatched proportion, line, ornament, components and wear reveal altered, composite, revival or reproduced antique furniture.
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How Furniture Design Reveals Its Period
Date antique furniture by reading form, line, ornament and function across Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, Regency, Victorian and modern design.
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Proportion and Balance: How Experts Judge Antique Furniture
Learn how experts assess antique furniture proportions, visual weight, drawer rhythm, tops, bases, legs, feet and alterations.
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How to Read the Silhouette of Antique Furniture
Learn how experts read antique furniture silhouettes, proportions, stance, negative space and design coherence before examining construction.
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How to Date Antique Furniture: An Expert Guide from Design to Construction
Learn to date antique furniture as an expert does: begin with design and proportion, then examine timber, surface, dovetails, tool marks and underside colour.
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Walnut Veneers in Antique Furniture: Identification Guide
Identify burr, feathered and oyster walnut veneers through matching, crossbanding, substrates, construction, repairs and dating evidence.
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Hand-Cut and Machine-Cut Dovetails: Identification Guide
Learn how hand-cut, machine-cut and Knapp dovetails can help date antique furniture—without relying on misleading one-feature dating rules.
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Pine and Deal as Secondary Woods in Antique Furniture
Learn how pine, deal and other secondary woods reveal antique furniture construction, repairs and origin through backs, drawers and tool marks.
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Nails and Screws as Dating Clues in Antique Furniture
Use wrought, cut and wire nails plus historic screws to assess antique furniture, repairs and replacement parts without relying on one dating clue.
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