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Darnit!!! What sort of sterling did you give them? Did you let them know which pieces were sterling?
It sounds like you were closing down an antique shop!
But seriously, kathrynaragon while I do like your posts in the other areas of the C-D site, I feel that you could be a LOT more tactful in how you phrase your pleasure with your home decor. You should know that some might be offended with how you treat your antique furniture by refinishing it, so you shouldn't be so gleeful about how what you and your daughter do pleases you. Why throw it in other people's faces?
And it seems to me that you have control issues. That part of your pleasure derives from going against what others recommend (such as not refinishing antique furniture) and actually thumbing your nose at us.
But please consider that if others reading your posts about what you've done with your possessions are inspired to follow you.... there could be someone with a really special antique piece of furniture worth $100K and then they completely ruin it by painting it up. Now I actually don't think that your refinished armoire was anything special, but had it been, what you and your daughter did to it was akin to having a winning lottery ticket and then throwing it in your washing machine... on purpose!!
So what I want to clearly state in this thread to anyone else reading these posts... is that before refinishing any antique piece of furniture please, please, PLEASE research your piece before altering its appearance.
Thank you, Miu....finally some common sense for this thread.
Not closing down an antique shop... it is just that my family tree is like a lodge pole pine, so everything got handed down.
I can spot sterling vs. plate from 20 feet... I only gave GW a few sterling footed nut trays. (though over 1,800 pieces of clothing, some never worn). The parents could have qualified as hoarders, but they only kept the good stuff (way too much of it).
Of the stuff that my siblings and I took from the house being cleaned out, my mom had a few (maybe 8 pieces of furniture) refinished. They look gorgeous, but you are correct, they can ruin the value. I am going to regret that I took a lot of the furniture... but as my mom said to me "Sorry to do this to you, but the house and its contents are now your problem".
She didn't refinish a bunch of pieces, as they were sentimental to her (like where her father rested his bicycle up against one of the dressers, caused scratch marks, around the year 1900).
I agree with you Miu, as it has cost a fortune to have nice antiques restored to what they originally looked like, but the patina of the wood is gone, and in once sense they are somewhat wrecked.
But seriously, kathrynaragon while I do like your posts in the other areas of the C-D site, I feel that you could be a LOT more tactful in how you phrase your pleasure with your home decor. You should know that some might be offended with how you treat your antique furniture by refinishing it, so you shouldn't be so gleeful about how what you and your daughter do pleases you. Why throw it in other people's faces?
And it seems to me that you have control issues. That part of your pleasure derives from going against what others recommend (such as not refinishing antique furniture) and actually thumbing your nose at us.
LOL why should anyone be OFFENDED by how I treat my antique furniture? Come on, that's a bit over the top. And you claim that I have control issues? Hilarious!
Quote:
But please consider that if others reading your posts about what you've done with your possessions are inspired to follow you.... there could be someone with a really special antique piece of furniture worth $100K and then they completely ruin it by painting it up. Now I actually don't think that your refinished armoire was anything special, but had it been, what you and your daughter did to it was akin to having a winning lottery ticket and then throwing it in your washing machine... on purpose!!
People should research what they have. That's not on me, that's on them. Come on, man! If they live under a rock, that's not my fault. It's pretty well known that one shouldn't refinish something that is truly valuable.
Dear Kathryn of Aragon - Here's another example of why some of your posts in this section rub some of us the wrong way... let's say that it wasn't your old 19thc, armoire that you decided needed an improvement on its looks but instead a faded religious fresco...
Anyway, it's how you phrase how justified you were in your refinishing of an antique piece of furniture. Then consider that you posted this in a section of the forum that is supposed to attract "antique collectors" and that many of us might be very keen on the preservation and conservation of true antiques... and not how to decorate the home with tired old things brought back to life. Perhaps there should be a home decorating and crafting sub-section added to C-D.
Plus I feel that this forum was meant to be more along the lines of an online Antiques Roadshow, not the Martha Stewart decorating forum with people showing off their shabby chic or cottage style home decor.
Dear Kathryn of Aragon - Here's another example of why some of your posts in this section rub some of us the wrong way... let's say that it wasn't your old 19thc, armoire that you decided needed an improvement on its looks but instead a faded religious fresco...
Anyway, it's how you phrase how justified you were in your refinishing of an antique piece of furniture. Then consider that you posted this in a section of the forum that is supposed to attract "antique collectors" and that many of us might be very keen on the preservation and conservation of true antiques... and not how to decorate the home with tired old things brought back to life. Perhaps there should be a home decorating and crafting sub-section added to C-D.
Plus I feel that this forum was meant to be more along the lines of an online Antiques Roadshow, not the Martha Stewart decorating forum with people showing off their shabby chic or cottage style home decor.
I guess you should complain to the moderators then. Sorry if I've offended you, but I do think perhaps you're a bit too easily offended. Also - I think it's pretty clear from my posts that I know my antiques - and their value, or lack thereof. Not everything that is over 100 years old is particularly valuable, and any serious antique collector knows that.
Case in point being silver PLATE found at junk stores. There's a big difference between the value of vintage silver plate pieces, and "the real deal." Now - the title of the forum is "Collecting and Antiques." Not just "Antiques." Currently, whether you believe it or like it, collecting vintage silver plate items and re-using them for other purposes than their original use, is gaining in popularity. I don't like the look FOR MY OWN HOME but I think it's creative and interesting and can be very pleasing in the homes of others, so I started this thread on that subject. It seems very appropriate for the forum, and like I said, if you think it's inappropriate, you can either report my post to the moderators, or just ignore it. Or debate it - doesn't matter to me. I'm obviously not very easily offended.
If someone is truly offended by me painting a common, nineteenth century pine armoire, then frankly, I think that's odd. I would not paint my beautiful nineteenth century French buffet, and would be appalled if someone else did so to theirs, but I wouldn't be OFFENDED. C'mon, man! Lighten up!
One more point - regarding your personal comments about me "having control issues" and your innuendos that I am not a serious antique collector like you are, and your implication that I enjoy rubbing people the wrong way - First of all, like I said, I'm not easily offended, so I am not going to report those posts, though I do feel that such comments are unnecessarily personal and intentionally barbed.
I am not trying to get a rise out of anyone by my posts about refinishing one pine wardrobe. My POINT in the post (and this thread) is that it is my opinion that SOME old things, even antique things, can be re-used and reworked in creative ways. For instance, it's OK to paint some old pine wardrobes. It's OK to re upholster an antique Biedermeier sofa in a fun, contemporary fabric. It's OK to hang vintage silver plate platters on a wall, or use silver plate creamers to hold flowers, or use a silver plate platter to hold kitchen utensils. It's OK to use a 19th century bread bowl to hold pine cones. It's OK to make a little girl's dress out of vintage linens, especially if they are unusable due to damage in an area that might show if used for their original intent. It's OK to use an antique steamer trunk as a coffee table. You can agree, disagree, be offended, whatever - but this is my opinion. You're welcome to your own, and welcome to express it.
Do you really not get what I'm saying? Or do you just disagree? If you just disagree, that's OK. If you really, truly don't "get it," well, I can't think of any other way to try to get my point across to you. Anyway, I've received positive feedback from other forum members regarding this thread and others in both this section and in the Interior Design section. Your negative feedback is interesting, but really doesn't make any difference to me. Carry on!
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 12-24-2012 at 08:48 AM..
I respectfully decline to sell any antiques to those that butcher them, and especially to arrogant types. Just my humble opinion.
Yeah, all that amberina in danger of butchering...
Care to share how you think I butcher antiques? Do you mean painting a common pine wardrobe - one that can be picked up at resale shops for a couple of hundred dollars? Just because something is old, doesn't automatically mean it's valuable. Most people with even a modest amount of antique knowledge know that.
No need to get so nasty, by the way. How 'bout you and mui quit your sarcastic and snide comments and let's try to have an ENJOYABLE conversation about collectibles, antiques, and how to decorate with them? That's the point of this thread. If you don't want to discuss ideas about how to decorate with vintage pieces, including silver plate, then maybe you should excuse yourself from the conversation.
All this supposed "outrage" and personal attacking over my decision to paint a very common pine wardrobe, or consider decorating with silver plate is really weird, by the way. I don't mind disagreements and discussions about opinions, but why the personal, snide comments? Drop it and let's get back to discussing decorating with silver plate and vintage pieces.
Yeah, all that amberina in danger of butchering...
Care to share how you think I butcher antiques? Do you mean painting a common pine wardrobe - one that can be picked up at resale shops for a couple of hundred dollars? Just because something is old, doesn't automatically mean it's valuable. Most people with even a modest amount of antique knowledge know that.
No need to get so nasty, by the way. How 'bout you and mui quit your sarcastic and snide comments and let's try to have an ENJOYABLE conversation about collectibles, antiques, and how to decorate with them? That's the point of this thread. If you don't want to discuss ideas about how to decorate with vintage pieces, including silver plate, then maybe you should excuse yourself from the conversation.
I excuse myself from this conversation.
Not worth my time to deal with someone considered incorrigible. Have a great Holiday.
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