Antique furniture is a very large and specialised subject where many books and much information is available. We cannot therefore do justice to the subject without writing yet another book on the subject, so this is only meant to be a brief introduction to an alluring and fascinating subject. Here you will find general information about furniture, from buying tips to identification of the wood used to make furniture pieces, to the names of the makers who made them. Very often furniture was filtered down through the social strata as the landed gentry refurnished their houses. Some outdated or unfashionable furniture and other items were banished to the attic or the servants’ quarters or simply dumped, to be recycled by the estate workers. Passed on down the centuries, and often altered on the way, these objects eventually find their way onto the market, sometimes without the current owner appreciating the value. The anticipation that an undiscovered treasure may be lurking in the next shop is part of the thrill of collecting.Cellarette
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A cellarette (spelled cellaret in Britain) is a hinged, portable cabinet that is used to store wine or liquor bottles, and thus the nod to the wine cellar in the name. These pieces are traditionally made of wood and the interior is typically lined with metal or lead. Some examples are compartmentalised, and they are frequently equipped with a lock. The term cellarette can also refer to a metal-lined compartment or deep tray for bottles within a sideboard, liquor cabinet, or mini-bar.
Whatnot is the British term for a tiered stand of rectangular shelves used to display ornaments and objects of art. The first recorded design for one is in the cost book for 1800 of a well known firm of furniture makers, Gillows. They were made with as many as six surfaces or as few as three, and are as useful today as during the 1800's.