When identifying antique chairs, it's important to have a basic knowledge of the significant design periods and the important types of chairs. A good place to start when identifying furniture is often to figure out what period it's from. You might not be able to tell what period the chair is from, but you can get a sense of what kind of chair it is and when it was made by identifying what chair type category it fits into. This in turn might help you trace it back to its period of origin. Read on to see photo examples of each of these chair types.

How to Identify Upholstered Vintage & Antique Chairs



Vintage & Used Antique Rocking Chairs for Sale | Chairish
If you're shopping for a new dining set at the antique store or simply trying to learn about a family heirloom, these tips for identifying antique chair styles will help. Use pictures and detailed descriptions to learn what makes a Hepplewhite different from a Chippendale, a Shaker distinct from a Sheraton, and many more. Also called Shaker or ladderback chairs , these streamlined pieces have become a classic antique chair style. During the s, this simple style featured turned stiles and spindles and flat slats on the back of the chair. A variation was the ladderback, which had a back that looked like a ladder. Furniture makers constructed the wooden chairs out of oak, walnut, or pine, and the chairs often featured rush seats.


Antique Furniture
An expert appraiser reveals what she looks for in antique furniture and discusses tips for keeping it in top condition. Karen has examined antique chairs that people have repainted, touched up, and slathered with lacquer. She's seen stained antique chairs that owners have oiled, or worse yet, sanded down to the bone of the wood. The reason to leave antique paints and stains as they are, she says, is that collectors of antique furniture want their pieces to remain as close as possible to how they were originally, which often included a coat of paint.



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