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Tuesday 25 May 2010

Review: Cracking Antiques

Cracking Antiques
By Mark Hill and Kathryn Rayward
ISBN: 9781845335564

Antiques are of course closely related to historic crafts in the sense that they are often the direct product of a historic crafter. So I would like to begin by rejoicing about the fact that people like Mark and Kathryn have been able to get the message through that antiques are not just stuffy old, heavy, dark furniture. It is instead a good well crafted alternative to high-street MDF furniture.
My only real critique of the show is that they compare the price of the antique furniture to that of high-end / expensive high-street furniture. For someone, who like me, would probably otherwise have gone to IKEA, the prices in the show do not compare very favorably. I must admit I thought it a bit ludicrous when one of the participants spent around £100 on some old floor boards. Sure the finished table looked nice enough but I think I could have found similar worm-eaten floor boards on freecycle or at the local skip.
If you feel like me that antiques get an overinflated price in the hands of a dealer then you should maybe try out car-boot sales or e-bay. Because at the end of the day I really don't care if it is the right brand as long as I like the item and I like the price. Don't get me wrong, crafters should get a fair price for their products, but in the case of antiques you will not be dealing with the actual crafters.
Now this is not the kind of book that I would read from one end to the other but instead it is one that I will treasure in the years to come as a great resource of techniques and styles. The content is well divided into the different rooms of a house. There are good tips on buying and reviving antiques and I absolutely love the style guide at the back. So if you are someone who would like to decorate your house in a unique fashion or just have an interest in antique craft-work and design I would heartily recommend this book.

Do tell me what you think in the comments below. Did you watch the show? Did you like it? Do you decorate your house with antiques too?

1 comment:

  1. [...] This review was previously published on Historic Crafts [...]

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