I’m not sure who coined the term ‘brown furniture’ but there should be a special place in hell reserved for them. While in fairness the expression does encapsulate the least desirable of vintage furniture, I suspect it should also take a little of the blame for the falling from grace of period furnishings. It conjures up images of dreary 1940s interiors populated with low grade ‘Utility’ furniture, its brown hues matching the nicotine stained drabness of the rest of the room. However, to tar (pun intended) all period furnishings with this brush is to do great injustice to the variety of aesthetic styles and periods available. The opportunities open to those willing to dip into this field are boundless and make sense on a number of levels.
Reject the generic uniformity of contemporary furniture warehouses and instead visit your local auction room. Therein you will find brown furniture, though not of the type pejoratively referred to above. Open your mind to the huge range on offer and I defy anyone not to be seduced by the range of styles and quality, from Georgian oak and country pieces for those wishing to create a cosy cottage environment, to the clean modern lines of the Art Deco.
Younger buyers seeking out-of-the-ordinary interior furnishings are already embracing auction rooms, and as a consequence original Ercol and good period Scandinavian teak are selling at all-time high prices, and yet still at levels below those of retail furniture outlets.
Without a large budget, and taking full advantage of the free advice available from auction staff, you could introduce to your home items with real individuality and quality which will enrich your existence and certainly impress guests more than the latest contemporary fad furnishings. Furthermore your purchases will have lasting value; decide to re-furnish a few years down the line and your contemporary material will be worthless, however period furnishings, in what appears to be a rising market, may have retained their value. Who knows, with a good eye and a little homework, you may reap a reward on your investment in ‘brown furniture’.
