An antique is a highly valuable collectable object, such as a piece of furniture or a work of art, made special by its age and quality.
Antique items are often unique and hard to come by, which makes them even more desirable. In the case of antique furniture, many people opt for them instead of modern and easily accessible furniture items due to their design, durability, and rarity.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- What is antique furniture
- How to maintain your antique furniture
- How to move antique furniture
- The 9 top shops to buy antique furniture in Nairobi
What is the difference between antiquities, vintage, and antique furniture?
In the antiquities market, the distinguishing feature of an antique item is its age.
Strictly speaking, whereas the term “vintage” applies to items that are over 30 years old, “antique ” refers to goods that are at least 100 years old. Meaning that at the date of this article, “antique furniture” refers to furniture that was made before 1922.
Items that are over 300 years old are referred to as “fossils” or “antiquities” depending on whether they occur naturally or are man-made creations.
Why Do People Buy Antique Furniture?
- They are high-quality items: Antique furniture is, on the whole, exceptionally well crafted. That piece of furniture was once meticulously constructed by someone, made with their own hands, and finished to perfection.
- Antiques remain fashionable: An antique is a timeless piece of furniture. It will never go out of style. So you’re not only getting a beautiful, stylish design, but you’re also saving money on having to renovate your space a few years later to adapt to the current patterns.
- Cost-effectiveness: In some circumstances, buying antiques is actually less expensive than buying new items. Due to their durability, you save on the money you’d have to spend on acquiring new furniture over the decades.
- They can be quite lucrative: You may receive a modest return on your initial purchase if you decide to switch up your style. Antique furniture retains its worth and, in certain situations, actually appreciates in value. While modernism’s pricing trends rise and fall, antiques remain a superior long-term investment. With the appreciation value, some furniture may fetch handsome prices in the antique market.
- Eco-friendliness: By purchasing antique furniture rather than new ones, you are eliminating the need for production houses to employ new resources in creating objects from the ground up, and instead, you are contributing to the ongoing battle against pollution and wastage.
- A large number of people hold antique items for sentimental reasons. Antique furniture tends to bear a lot of memories as it ages, made special by the time in which it was made, thus making it an incredible gift to pass down to children and loved ones.
How to Maintain and Care for Antique Furniture
Antiques need meticulous care in order for one to preserve them for a long time.
Here are some general guidelines:
Dusting with a soft brush on a regular basis is an important element of keeping antique wooden furniture in good condition. It is not advisable to clean your antique with water, particularly if the wood is unpolished. If you have to wet clean, use a little detergent diluted in distilled water and gently dab the furniture. Dry the scrubbed areas with distilled water. After the wax has solidified, administer a second coat and polish it.
The precise care instructions may vary depending on the item that you purchase. Kindly request maintenance instructions from the shop from which you buy it.
If this seems like too much work to do regularly, you can hire a professional who’ll conduct the maintenance for you on a regular basis.
A Short Guide on Moving Antique Furniture
Special care has to be given when moving antiques in order to assure their safety. Remember, due to their age, these items are often irreplaceable, and the cost of repairing them can quickly spiral into small fortunes.
A few things to always keep in mind when moving antique furniture:
- It is advisable to declare all antique items to the moving company prior to move commencement. This will help in deploying the right skill set and materials to be used.
- Antique items are very delicate and should be handled with the utmost care. They are one of a kind and tough to replace, difficult to repair or expensive to replace.
- We advise you to always take up insurance for all your antique items when moving. This will help you meet the cost of replacing your antique furniture in case the furniture is destroyed during a move.
- When choosing a moving company, make sure they have the right equipment and skill set to handle your antique furniture.
- Proper preparation of your antiques before moving allows you to enjoy them for many years to come.
- Before signing for the movers’ receipt, double-check the inventory of your household goods and antiques when you get to your destination.
The average person may not know how to move antiques, highlighting the importance of employing the services of a professional moving company. It is also important for the owner to know the requirements so that they can provide them to the movers and ensure everything is in order.
Here are some general guidelines for moving antique furniture:
- Bubble-wrap fragile objects. Apply it directly on furniture or art pieces, then wrap them in packing paper. To protect them during transportation, most large, heavy pieces of furniture should be wrapped in microfibre moving blankets (for a local move) or microfoam then packing paper(for export).
- Small objects should be wrapped in plain newsprint, labelled and packaged in a Blitz box to avoid being misplaced in the package.
- Fill in the spaces with crumpled paper and place them in a box with other delicate objects.
- Strong adhesive packing tape should be used to secure the box.
- Label the package “FRAGILE” to alert anyone who comes into contact with it.
9 Top Furniture Shops to Buy Antique Furniture in Kenya
In Kenya, there are some key places to get antique furniture from and they include the places mentioned below:
1. Trade Routes Furniture
Their collection combines design with sturdiness, resulting in pieces that are both stylish and economical to furnish one’s house.
They have one-of-a-kind Indian furniture, architectural accents like doors, and handicrafts are either real antiques or up-cycled from reclaimed wood, with many pieces including recovered architectural components. This wood comes from the demolition of old buildings and Havelis. They are located at Loresho Ridge, Nairobi.
2. Narella Furniture
They are located on Tausi Road, in Westlands, Nairobi. They offer a wide selection of furniture options from the living room, bedroom and also cater to your needs if you require a home office. Their products are unique and of the highest quality.
3. White Elephant Trading Company Kenya
They import and meticulously restore antique and vintage furniture in Kenya, hand-picked from countryside auction rooms and antique fairs around Europe. They also have a line of hand-crafted upholstered furniture called ‘The Classic Collection’, which has handsome reproductions of some stunning vintage items. Find them on Windy Ridge, in Karen, Nairobi.
4. Unique Furniture
Located along Mombasa road opposite Parkside towers, they offer a wide variety of options for furniture that you would need in the home. Their catalogue is very broad, having considered various tastes people may be interested in. Once you purchase your items, they offer free delivery to your residence.
5. Yusufi Antiques Gallery
This is a craft store in Old Port Mombasa which is open all week round. They offer fair pricing for unique antique pieces and the convenience of extremely helpful staff. Available is a wide selection of trinkets, souvenirs, and housewares. When you visit you are also afforded the freedom to check out everything.
6. Lidoc Kenya Limited, Nairobi
They sell furniture items that would be difficult to acquire elsewhere as well as custom-make and modify older pieces of furniture. They are accessible due to their location in the capital. They also make it easy to arrange transport of the purchased goods to your location.
7. Home Living Kisumu
Located on Obote Road in Kisumu, this shop offers furniture items at favourable prices and provides indoor shopping, indoor pickup and delivery. They are open from Monday to Saturday for indoor shopping. They are distinctive in that they provide a variety of designs and fabric selections, allowing you to personalize your furniture.
8. Malaika Gifts and Interior- Nakuru
Located in the Westgate Mall, this shop offers antique products from gifts to furniture items with an African feel. The products here are guaranteed to be of the best quality and provide aesthetic as well as longevity.
9. Fairdeal Furniture
Fairdeal offers a wide range of furnishing options and also has branches all over the country from Nairobi to Eldoret. They offer trendy and stylish lounge rooms, kitchen, bedroom, home office and outdoor living solutions. Their goal is to help you create your ideal home and office by providing high-quality furniture at exceptional costs.
Antique furniture is a great way to boost the appeal of your home or office and give it a timeless feel.
With the right mover behind you, moving the furniture should not be a source of worry at all. Besides the moving process, such professionals can also be of great use when you procure new antique furniture, as they’ll help see to it that it gets to you in perfect condition.
