Antiques are old collectible items that represent a previous era in human society. Antiques are frequently used for the sake of symbolic beauty, and antique furniture has the added bonus of having some functional use, along with their aesthetic value. They usually show a degree of craftsmanship and are desired because of their age, rarity and unique features. Keeping this in mind, if you do own a piece of English antique furniture, it is wise to keep it intact, clean and well maintained, as antiques are extremely valuable.

Unlike their tough and durable modern counterparts, English antique furniture is extremely delicate, and can easily be damaged. Keeping them intact and clean takes some extra effort and care as ordinary cleaning products cannot be used on them. Normally, a quick spray with a household cleaner and a wipe down is enough to take care of sticky stains and spills on modern furniture. However, as the finish on antique furniture is extremely delicate, these modern cleaning products cannot be used on them as use of these products will actually cause damage and reduce the value of your furniture – something that should be avoided at all costs. So just how do you keep your English antique furniture intact? By going old school, and using old fashioned methods! Throw your fancy household cleaners and pre-moistened wipes away, and treat your antique furniture the way it was done back in the day.

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Frequent dusting every couple of days should keep dirt and grime away. By dusting your English antique furniture at least once a week, this will prevent the accumulation of tough stains, which will need rougher cleaning methods. Do not use any type of dusting device in case this scratches your furniture – using a soft cloth on broad flat surfaces is sufficient. Chemical products, furniture polish and sprays should never be used as these can actually stain the wood, induce weak spots and add to the wear and tear. English antique furniture commonly has detailed intricate carvings as a form of decoration. These tend to gather dust which cannot be removed with a soft cloth. For these areas, whisking the area with a soft paintbrush or a used toothbrush ought to do the trick. Avoid using harsh scrubbing material like steel wool as this will damage your furniture.

Sticky spots on your antique furniture can be removed with the use of lemon juice. To be safe, it is best to test the effect of lemon juice on an inconspicuous area first. Every couple of months or so, you can use certain polishes such as Orange oil, which is good for cleaning antique furniture and can apply a very thin wax coat – to encourage a shine.

In this modern world still it is surprising for me that people like antique furniture. I think the reason is that it has its own glamour and style. These are very much in demand. If you cannot afford the furniture, or extra furniture then here are some tips for, how to make your own antique furniture: you won’t need to spend too much.  
You will need:

•    Furniture
•    Primer
•    Paint brush
•    Top paint
•    Old t-shirt
•    Sandpaper 60 and 120 grit

Procedure:
1.    First you need to choose the furniture that you will be transforming into antique. Well if you do not know which furniture to go for, then a good idea will be first to search for the antique furniture, see some old models and pick one from your home that looks like it. For a beginner a chair or a table will be good. This way you can start.

2.    Clean the furniture. You will be cleaning it with the sand paper that is listed in the tools to be used. Sand paper is good to remove the old pain on it.

3.    Get your primer. A primer with a vanilla hue might be a good option for antique looking furniture. The coat must be applied with the help of a paintbrush; coat the whole piece with the paint, let is dry. You must sue the primer that is tinted for the base coat. A good idea is to leave it for a night to dry.

4.    Now when the first coat of paint is dried, you will need to brush the second coat. This coat can be in hues like burnt umber, olive or sienna. You can also mix paints together, that will cerate your own custom colors. But make sure the paint you use is oil based.

5.    Apply this coat of paint on the furniture leaving some dark spots. To make it more antique looking you can wipe off the paint form some areas by an old t-shirt or any old brushes. This will give some extra contrast. Then you have to allow it to dry, it can also take a day long to dry.

6.    Old furniture means that it must have wear and tear signs on it, so make some. All of the antique furniture have war sings on them because if years of use. Get eh sandpaper (60 grit) and rub it one the places that you want to show that have slight wear and tear. For example if you are using a chair, it will have marks on the armrests.  

7.    Make sure when you sue the sand paper it is slow and smooth not too hard.

8.    Now use the 120 grit sandpaper also to show signs of wear. Use it smoothly.