Antique Furniture

I like the look of wood grain. And like so many people buying antiques, often my first thought when looking at a painted piece is what it would look like stripped of its paint.

But for older pieces that were original painted furnishings, removing the paint lessens their value, and makes it harder to determine when they were made and by whom.

An article in the Herald-Dispatch by Jean McClelland explains the appeal of painted furniture:

The paint itself can often help tell the history of the table, chair or wardrobe. The pigments might have been imported from England or they might have been the result of home-grown vegetable coloring. Our ancestors painted furniture for many of the same reasons we decorate our surroundings. Not only was the paint an economical way of preserving the furniture, but it added beauty to the home. Painted furniture could be the result of a professional's hand or an amateur homemaker.