A Cabinet is any cupboard-like piece of furniture for storing objects, often with shelves or doors but not always. Compared to modern example which are often poorly constructed and quite plain, old cabinets were often constructed to proudly show off so are a great way to combine character and superb quality in one. With their glass fronted doors Display Cabinets have always been desirable for those special objects you just don’t want to hide away from sight and were particularly fashionable during the 18th and 19th Centuries. In contrast, Side Cabinets usually offer a mixture of solid or glass doors in a design more reminiscent of a sideboard. They tend to be elegantly thought-out objects in their own right often using fine timbers, carved rails and fine tapered legs.
Although most antique cabinets have been designed with a specific purpose in mind such as Cocktail cabinets, Filing cabinets or Music cabinets, never overlook them even if that is not the use you are intending for it. Their versatility can usually still work for any modern use and add a touch of unusualness to the room.
At LoveAntiques we have very large selection of Antique and Vintage cabinets for all your storage needs.
Salisbury Antiques Centre
Victorian Burr Walnut Side Cabinet
£ 7,500
Church Street Antiques
Victorian Cross-banded & Inlaid Walnut Cabinet
£ 5,850
Worboys Antiques
Oak Art Deco Style Glazed Bookcase
£ 275
Worboys Antiques
Small Walnut Cabinet Bookcase
£ 225
Marylebone Antiques
Antique Victorian Mahogany Bedside Cabinet
£ 495
Beresford Antiques Ltd
Georgian Tambour Topped Mahogany Cabinet
£ 795
Harper Baxter
Victorian Pine School Cupboard 19th Century
£ 1,950
£ 1,200
Beal Antiques
Antique French Louis Style Oak Bedside Cabinets
£ 475
Rawlings Antiques
Vintage Oak Tambour Front File Cabinet
£ 395
Philip Hunt Antiques
Victorian Mahogany 2 Door Side Cabinet
£ 895
Alain Michel Antiques
Empire Period Mahogany Bar Cabinet
€ 2,700
Stalham Antique Gallery
Good Example of Victorian Dentist Cabinet
£ 480
Stalham Antique Gallery
Victorian Walnut Pier Cabinet with Quality Inlaid Features
£ 695
Worboys Antiques
Pair of Limed Oak Bedside Cabinets
£ 395
Camden Antiques
Chippendale Style Mahogany Display Cabinet
£ 1,150
Beresford Antiques Ltd
Pair of Flame Mahogany Bedside Cabinets c.1830
£ 975
£ 329.99
The Antique Shop
Burr Walnut Cocktail Drinks Cabinet 20th Century
£ 475
Lee Wright Antiques Ltd
Pair of 20th Century French Oak Bedside Tables
£ 1,750
D and A Binder LTD
Vintage Top Bow Shop Display Cabinets
£ 2,160
D and A Binder LTD
1970's Bow Top Display Cabinets
£ 2,400
Marylebone Antiques
Antique Victorian Mahogany Bookcase
£ 1,650
Elmgarden Antiques
Early 19th Century English Oak Cupboard
£ 350
D and A Binder LTD
1970s Triple Bow Top Glass Shop Display Cabinet
£ 5,400
£ 239.99
£ 678.99
D and A Binder LTD
1920s Anderson Bros Flip Haberdashery Cabinet
£ 2,160
£ 265
£ 359.99
Georgian Antiques
Whytock & Reid of Edinburgh Satin-Birch Side Cabinet
£ 1,250
Mark Stacey Antiques & Decorative
Documentary Walnut Smokers Cabinet
£ 295
London City Antiques
Fine Quality Antique Edwardian Inlaid Mahogany Shaped Display Cabinet
£ 2,850
Fine Quality Antique Edwardian Inlaid Mahogany Shaped Display Cabinet
£ 2,850
London City Antiques
Victoria Antiques
Georgian Secrectaire Bookcase
£ 750
D & J Hunt Antiques Ltd
Victorian Antique Pine 1 Door Galleried Display Cabinet to wax / paint
£ 745
Victorian Antique Pine 1 Door Galleried Display Cabinet to wax / paint
£ 745
D & J Hunt Antiques Ltd
Georgian Antiques
Neat-sized Quality Biedermeier Mahogany Shaped-front Cabinet
£ 675
Warner & Watts Antiques
Edwardian Mahogany Bookcase
£ 195
£ 2,950
Antique China Display Cabinet, English Glazed Bookcase, Edwardian, Regency Taste
£ 2,950
London Fine Ltd
£ 3,950
Antique Astragal Glazed Drawing Room Bookcase, English, Display Cabinet, Regency
£ 3,950
London Fine Ltd
Georgian Antiques
George III Four Door Break Front Cabinet Bookcase
£ 25,000
The antique cabinet first emerged in Italy in the late Renaissance. From initially being a small room that displayed objects, thus the term display cabinet, the antique cabinet soon became a piece of furniture with a pair of doors enclosing small drawers. Some antique cabinets were on stands while others were placed on chests. In the 16th century, the French style antique cabinets were based on architectural lines, while the English style antique cabinets were small and mounted on a stand. By the 17th century, the English style antique cabinet was popular among the rich, and in the mid-17th century, southern Germany and Antwerp specialised in creating inlaid ones. After the Restoration in 1660, these antique furniture pieces became decorative objects.
Not all old cabinets are antique. It could be one of those vintage cabinets; it could also be a mere replica or a new display cabinet designed to look old. To know that what you have is an authentic antique cabinet, it’s essential to be familiar with the craftsmanship, material, and each style used at least a hundred years ago. Aside from signs of wear, you have to look for any marks of the manufacturer. Try to find the stamp or branding as well as the location or country where it was made. Determine the type of wood used, how the cabinet was put together, and signs of it being handcrafted. To accurately identify the age of your antique display cabinet, take it to a reputable appraiser or antiques expert or antique dealers.
If they aren’t yet a hundred years old, or not created during the Georgian period, Regency, Victorian or the Edwardian period, 19th century or early 20th century, then you have vintage cabinets. Vintage storage cabinets would often have bright or pastel colours and romantic floral decorations. For a display cabinet to be vintage, it has to have the best characteristics of the period it was created in, so you have to learn about the different styles of the different decades under 100 years. Going to an antiques expert or appraiser or visiting your local antique dealers will save you time and you’ll get to have all the information you need, including the price range you could sell your furniture for.
An antique cabinet can have a price range of £90-£85,000. The price of any antique furniture depends on the item’s condition, age, materials and style, among others. The more original components these items still have, the higher would be their value. By getting your items appraised by a professional, you’d be able to find out if you have antique cabinets UK dealers would pay much for as well as know how much money you could make out of the items. The more information you have about your items, the more chance you’d be able to sell them.