The National Trust's first-ever indoor furniture collection is here – 7 timeless pieces for a charming country home
The National Trust knows a thing or two about a well-appointed room. Whether that's timeworn kitchen dressers or sideboards that have witnessed a century (or two) of polished silver and proper puddings, its properties are rich with design details worth borrowing.
Now, the charity has partnered with The Cotswold Company on a new heritage-inspired furniture collection that puts all that generational know-how to good use.
As we have the highest authority for assuming that charity covers a multitude of sins, we can hardly be surprised that it should be so generally used for that purpose.
F. Marion Crawford - The Primadonna (1908)
8 comments:
And yet our experience with what is now known as "brown furniture" is that it sells, if it sells, for pennies. The Young aren't interested.
dearieme - yes, even the price of good but ordinary antique furniture by unknown makers has declined significantly over recent decades. Even if it is good for another hundred years the young don't want it.
The young left might buy it draped in Pride covers.
James - good idea, maybe paint it in rainbow colours too.
I've furnished my house with 'brown furniture', brought at the local auction rooms for very little[*]. Apart from being unfashionable, there are other reasons: most of it is too big to fit in modern hutches and hovels; people want new, not second-hand stuff; 'a real antique' might be acceptable but not just old, sound, and very serviceable.
[*] eg. A table 6'x3', solid oak 2" top weights 1cwt, and six chairs for £250.
djc - your table and chairs sound like a bargain, but even paying retail prices, young people could furnish their houses quite cheaply instead of buying modern furniture which is often garbage.
We have bought and still use old furniture which will easily outlast us and probably the next owner too. Maybe the sustainability angle will work eventually. An antiques dealer recently told us the National Trust sells a very good furniture polish so we bought a tin, but haven't tried it yet.
I'm afraid the Nat Trust, along with the Duchy are anathema to me.
Tammly - we cancelled our subscription some years ago, it's not the organisation it should be.
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