Saturday, January 8, 2011

“Avoid harming family antiques”

“Avoid harming family antiques”

Avoid harming family antiques

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:54 PM PST

In the weeks and months following the holiday season, we tend to reconsider our home decor, furnishings and

Photo provided

To avoid damage, hang prints out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources, air conditioning vents and windows. Interior walls away from doors and windows are the best location for fragile prints.

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accessories. Our vintage collectibles and antiques are often highlighted and reviewed. Of course, you can spot obvious damage like mold growing on your antique prints, a tear in an oil painting that grandma handed down or a huge crack in that 1950s ceramic cookie jar. The question is: can you stop it before it starts? Yes. When it comes to properly displaying your art or antiques, some of the most common mistakes are the easiest ones to fix.

The single most common way to ruin a work of art or damage an antique is to display it or store it in the wrong place. When you are displaying your art, whether it's worth $1 million or $10 dollars, there are certain parts of the house that you should avoid.

The off limit rooms

First, don't display art or antiques in the laundry room (duh!). Don't display precious objects in the kitchen near the cooking surfaces where dirt and heat are typical guests at the dinner table. As for the bathroom, a nice dried floral wreath will work better than a fragile oil painting, watercolor or pastel. The bathroom is the place where moisture and mold make regular appearances even if you are as immaculate a housekeeper as my Mother. You don't want that mold to get into your fine art print or carved frame. Once mold takes hold, stopping it is a tall order.

Try to avoid hanging paintings or prints on walls next to windows, heating vents, air conditioners, air purifiers or radiators. Also, don't hang a work of art in direct sunlight or near hot reading lamps.

Just like people, art and antiques like a stable, consistent environment. In museums, that usually means low humidity and constant temperature of 66 to 72 degrees. You don't like it when your living room feels colder than your bedroom; neither does the art work or antiques. Antiques like to live the way you like to live —-cool and comfy in summer and warm and cozy in winter.

Antiques appraiser, author and TV personality Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide and hosts luxury vacation cruises focusing on antiques. Watch Dr. Lori on the Fine Living Network and "Daytime" at 10 a.m. weekdays on WJAC-TV. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call 888-431-1010.

 

 

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