What to Look for When Shopping for Vintage Furniture
My husband and I have always loved hunting for vintage furniture and home pieces. Many weekends find us wandering through flea markets, antique shops, estate sales, and fairs—sometimes looking for something specific and sometimes simply seeing what we find.
These trips have also become an unexpected source of inspiration for our own furniture work.
Over the years, we've learned that there are a few things worth checking before bringing an old wooden piece home—especially before carrying it up a flight of stairs. Some lessons came from woodworkers and furniture makers. Others I learned the harder way.
Here are the things we look for before deciding a piece is worth bringing home.
01 — Start With the Construction
Look beyond the finish and try to determine what the piece is actually made from.
Solid wood and traditional wood veneer can both be signs of well-made furniture. Veneer isn't necessarily an indication of lower quality; beautiful and valuable furniture has been made with wood veneer for centuries.
What we tend to avoid are pieces made primarily from inexpensive composite materials covered with printed paper or plastic meant to imitate wood—particularly if that surface is already peeling or damaged.
Don't automatically dismiss damaged veneer.
Older furniture, including many Depression-era pieces, may have areas where the veneer has chipped or lifted.
This can often be repaired.
Loose original veneer can sometimes be carefully glued back into place. Missing sections may also be patched with matching veneer, although making a repair disappear completely can take some patience and skill.
GOOD TO KNOW
A damaged finish is usually much less concerning than damaged structure. Look past scratches and worn stain and pay attention to what is underneath.
02 — Check the Drawers
Open every drawer.
They should move reasonably well and sit squarely in their openings. A drawer that sticks isn't necessarily a deal breaker, but it's worth finding out why.
Look for:
- loose or missing drawer runners
- damaged drawer bottoms
- separated joints
- swollen wood
- a cabinet that has shifted out of square
Some of these are simple repairs. Others can turn a bargain into a much larger project.
Then look at how the drawer itself was constructed.
Look for dovetails.
Dovetail joints at the corners of a drawer are generally a good indication of traditional furniture construction.
No dovetails doesn't automatically mean poor quality, but it does mean we take a closer look at the rest of the piece.
A well-made drawer is often a good clue to how carefully the entire piece was built.
03 — Inspect the Hardware
Original brass and metal hardware can be one of the best details on an older piece.
Darkening, oxidation, and patina aren't necessarily problems. In fact, we often prefer to leave an attractive natural patina alone.
What matters more is the condition of the metal itself.
Check that hardware isn't:
- rusted through
- crumbling
- badly cracked
- missing important mounting points
Before sanding or aggressively cleaning old metal, find out what you're working with. Some plated finishes are very thin and can easily be removed.
Sometimes the best restoration is simply a careful cleaning.
04 — Use Your Nose
This is one of the lessons I learned through experience.
Open the doors. Pull out the drawers. Smell the interior.
Odors can be much harder to detect at an outdoor flea market than they will be once the piece is sitting inside your house.
Pay particular attention to:
Smoke or fire odor
Smoke can penetrate unfinished wood, drawer interiors, and other porous materials. It can sometimes be treated or sealed, but consider how much you love the piece before taking on the project.
Musty or damp smells
These can indicate that the furniture spent time in a damp basement, garage, or storage area. Check carefully for moisture damage, staining, mold, and rot.
Pet odors
These can penetrate unfinished wood and may remain for years. Some affected surfaces can be cleaned and sealed, but don't assume the odor will simply disappear with time.
Strong chemical odors
A strong odor may indicate a previous coating, cleaner, treatment, or other substance. You generally can't identify the product—or determine whether it contains lead or another hazardous material—by smell alone.
If you don't know what an old finish or paint contains, treat it cautiously before sanding, scraping, or stripping it.
05 — Look Underneath
Some of the most useful information about vintage furniture is found where no one was meant to look.
Turn the piece around. Look underneath it. Remove a drawer and look inside the cabinet.
These less-visible areas can reveal:
- water stains
- rot
- insect damage
- repairs
- replaced parts
- separating joints
- unfinished wood
- clues about how the piece was constructed
They can also help you distinguish genuine age from a newer piece made to look old.
06 — Separate Cosmetic Damage From Structural Damage
Scratches, worn finishes, water rings, faded stain, and small veneer chips can look intimidating but are often repairable.
Structural problems deserve more consideration.
Before buying, gently check whether the piece rocks, twists, separates at the joints, or has significant areas of soft or deteriorated wood.
A beautiful finish can be restored.
A badly compromised structure can become a much larger undertaking.
One Last Question Before You Buy
Before we bring something home, I like to ask:
Do I love the piece enough to repair what is wrong with it?
Not every vintage piece needs to be perfect. In fact, some wear is exactly what makes old furniture beautiful.
The trick is learning the difference between character you want to preserve and damage you're going to have to repair.
It took me a while to recognize quality construction, understand which problems were relatively simple fixes, and—most importantly—learn just how long certain smells can linger.
A few minutes of careful inspection can save you from hauling something into the house only to haul it back out again the following weekend.
Good luck hunting!