As you are probably aware we are obsessed with antiques, our houses are full of great finds that fascinate us. I try to share through this blog the desire to hold on to some of these. An antique if over a hundred years old by definition and when you look at modern production on has to wonder if it could last a hundred years. We life at a time when so many things are made with the intention of breaking.
I still sew and crochet and I know that these are skills that many people don’t have now, I learned to crochet as a child from my grandmother who was desperately trying to ocucpy a bored child in the holidays. Now I am grateful for that skill.
This got me thinking about skills – so I asked AI what furniture skills had been lost and below is the list:
1. Hand-Cutting Joints
- Lost Skill: Creating precise dovetail, mortise-and-tenon, or finger joints by hand using chisels and saws.
- Why It’s Disappeared: Machines like CNC routers and dowel joiners have replaced the need for hand-cut joinery in most production settings.
2. Veneering and Marquetry
- Lost Skill: Applying thin layers of fine wood veneer or creating intricate patterns and images using small wood pieces (marquetry).
- Why It’s Disappeared: Modern furniture often uses synthetic veneers or printed laminates, and marquetry is mostly relegated to high-end or bespoke pieces.
3. Hand-Carving
- Lost Skill: Creating detailed carvings on furniture by hand, such as ornate scrolls, floral designs, or figurative elements.
- Why It’s Disappeared: Hand carving has been replaced by machine carving or molded plastic imitations in mass-market furniture.
4. Steam Bending
- Lost Skill: Using steam to bend solid wood into curved shapes for chairs, rockers, and decorative elements.
- Why It’s Disappeared: This labor-intensive process has been replaced by plywood laminates or prefabricated plastic and metal components.
5. French Polishing
- Lost Skill: A traditional wood finishing method using shellac applied in many thin layers by hand to create a deep, glossy surface.
- Why It’s Disappeared: French polishing is highly time-consuming and has been replaced by quicker, chemical-based finishes like polyurethane.
6. Caning and Rush Seating
- Lost Skill: Weaving cane or rush to create durable, breathable seats for chairs.
- Why It’s Disappeared: Most modern seating uses upholstered foam, synthetic materials, or molded plastic.
7. Hand-Turning on a Lathe
- Lost Skill: Shaping decorative legs, spindles, and other round components by hand on a wood lathe.
- Why It’s Disappeared: CNC lathes and automated machinery can produce identical pieces much faster and cheaper.
8. Traditional Upholstery Techniques
- Lost Skill: Upholstering furniture with hand-tied springs, horsehair stuffing, and stitched padding.
- Why It’s Disappeared: Modern upholstery relies on synthetic materials, prefabricated foam, and stapled assembly methods.
9. Gilding
- Lost Skill: Applying thin sheets of gold leaf to furniture for decoration.
- Why It’s Disappeared: Gilding is costly, labor-intensive, and rarely sought after in contemporary design.
10. Timber Selection and Hand Milling
- Lost Skill: Selecting and milling raw timber for specific furniture pieces, ensuring proper grain orientation and stability.
- Why It’s Disappeared: Prefabricated boards and engineered wood products (e.g., MDF, particleboard) dominate modern furniture production.
11. Inlay Work
- Lost Skill: Embedding contrasting materials like mother-of-pearl, ivory, or different woods into furniture to create decorative patterns.
- Why It’s Disappeared: The intricacy of inlay work has been replaced by printed patterns or mass-manufactured substitutes.
12. Traditional Finishing
- Lost Skill: Using natural oils, waxes, or hand-mixed stains to finish wood surfaces.
- Why It’s Disappeared: Modern finishes are synthetic and spray-applied, prioritizing speed and durability over traditional aesthetics.
I have examples of all of these in my home and I cannot imagine a world without such beautiful pieces.
Today I was initially uninspired about what to write because I felt that there was so much stress and sadness in the world, creating this list has reminded me of why I write this blog. I don’t want us to lose any more than we have already lost – we need to love and hold onto the past, not because it was better, but it is why we are here and just for that alone it has a value.
So when you are buying an antique for your home (or investment) think about what someone invested in that individual piece. Was the decoration had carved, how long did it take? What the the maker invest in that piece? Could he have imagined the inspiration that his work could give to later generations? Never stop thinking with antique, our interaction with them is as important as the object itself.
You can check our some of our latest finds and treasures in the shop here.