Antique furniture

Run your hand along drawer runners to make sure they slide smoothly, and gently test table or chair legs for wobble—a little movement may just need tightening, but serious looseness suggests bigger repair work. Look at veneer edges for lifting, peek inside drawers for dovetail joints rather than nails, and check upholstery for splits or sagging webbing underneath. A few scuffs and old scars add character, but fresh pale dust around tiny holes means active woodworm and you should walk away. Original fabric can be worn and still appealing, but reupholstering costs, so factor that in if you're buying a chair for daily use rather than just the frame.

Brocantes and dedicated antique villages tend to have the best selection, with dealers who specialise in furniture and expect to shift larger pieces. Weekend antique fairs are also strong, particularly for dining tables, armchairs and storage furniture with some age and presence. General flea markets offer occasional finds, but furniture usually isn't the main focus, and Sunday car-boot sales skew post-war rather than genuinely antique.

Antique furniture is heavier and more awkward than it looks, so measure your car boot and your doorways at home before you commit. Even a side table may need blankets to protect the finish during the drive, and a Victorian wardrobe won't fit through a modern doorway without disassembly. Many dealers at weekend antique fairs and brocantes will arrange delivery for a reasonable fee, especially for larger pieces, so ask before you assume you need to squeeze it into a hatchback.

You don't need to distinguish Louis XVI from Regency on sight to bring home something solid and beautiful. The range at markets is wide—French provincial oak, English mahogany, mid-century teak, painted country pieces with visible layers of history—and what matters most is whether it feels substantial and catches your eye. Condition and construction are more important than style purity when you're standing at a stall, so trust your instinct and focus on joints, drawer fit and overall presence rather than trying to name the period.

Farmhouse tables with honest wear, armchairs with faded velvet but good bones, and chests of drawers whose handles still feel right in your hand are common finds. You'll also see painted country furniture, formal mahogany dining chairs, oak dressers, side tables and occasional statement pieces like carved mirrors or writing desks. Styles range widely—some elegant and restrained, others with decorative detail—but the thread running through most market furniture is that it has presence and settles into a room with more character than newer pieces tend to manage.