Antique Cabinets

The pieces that carry a room.

A cabinet, chest or bookcase is usually the largest antique in a room and the one doing the most structural work in the design, which makes proportion and timber quality worth more attention than decoration. It is also the category where alterations are most common, since tall pieces have been cut down, split apart and recombined for two centuries to suit changing houses. The Antique Guild assesses construction, originality and condition before any piece enters the collection, and describes what has been altered. We deliver throughout Australia. Explore the current selection below.

Why collect antique cabinets through The Antique Guild

Every cabinet assessed for construction integrity, period joinery, original fittings and the authenticity of any veneer orinlay work
Specialist knowledge across secretaires, chests of drawers, vitrines, buffets and display cabinets from the 17th century through to Art Deco
Sourced from private collections and specialist furniture estates, with a focus on pieces of genuine period quality and provenance
Cabinets chosen to function beautifully in a contemporary home — antique storage that earns its place in daily life

Care Guide

What to Look For When Buying

Case furniture rewards a careful look at the back. Original backboards are usually rough sawn, unfinished, fixed with cut nails and oxidised to a colour that machine sawn replacement timber cannot imitate. Take the drawers out and look at the carcass interior, at the dust boards between drawers, and at the drawer sides, where hand cut dovetails and wear on the runners tell you about both age and use. Drawer bottoms should show shrinkage gaps and chamfered edges sliding into grooves rather than being nailed flat.

The two most common alterations are marriages and reductions. A bureau bookcase or a chest on chest assembled from two unrelated pieces will usually betray itself in mismatched timber colour, mouldings that do not quite align, or a top section whose proportions sit awkwardly on its base. Tall pieces cut down to fit modern ceilings show in a cornice that has been re-fixed, feet that are later replacements, or a carcass whose height looks compressed against its width. Check that veneer is original and lifting only at expected points, that locks and escutcheons match their cavities, and that any keys present actually belong. We document these findings in every listing, and our team can talk through the construction of any particular piece.

Caring for Your Piece

Place case furniture on a level floor and check it with a spirit level, packing feet where necessary, because a carcass standing out of true will rack over time and eventually loosen its joints and jam its drawers. Allow a little air behind the piece rather than pressing it against an external wall, particularly in humid conditions. Keep it clear of heating and cooling outlets and out of direct sunlight, which fades timber unevenly and is especially visible on a large flat expanse of veneer.

Wax two or three times a year with a paste wax, applied sparingly and buffed, and never use silicone or aerosol polishes. Clean glazed doors with the cloth rather than spraying, so liquid cannot run into the glazing bars and lift old putty or finish. Wax drawer runners lightly with candle wax if drawers become stiff, and stop using a drawer that sticks badly rather than forcing it, since forcing is what breaks runners and drawer sides. Distribute weight sensibly in bookcases, keeping heavier volumes low, and avoid loading shelves beyond what the shelf depth and thickness were made for.

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What is a marriage, and does it matter?

A marriage is a piece assembled from two separate antiques, most often a bookcase top placed on an unrelated base. It matters because a married piece is worth considerably less than an original one, and because the two halves rarely sit together quite convincingly once you know what to look for. It is not dishonest in itself, provided it is disclosed, and a well matched marriage can be a perfectly good piece of furniture. It should never be sold as an original.
Should I have old locks repaired or replaced?

Repaired where possible, and by someone who works on period locks. Original locks, escutcheons and hinges are part of a piece's evidence and value, and replacing them with modern equivalents removes that. A locksmith experienced with antiques can usually free a seized lock or cut a key to an existing mechanism. Keep any original keys with the piece.
A drawer has become stiff. What should I do?

Stop forcing it first. Stiffness is usually seasonal timber movement or worn runners rather than a fault, and it often eases when conditions change. Rubbing a little candle wax or dry soap along the runners and the drawer edges helps, as does removing whatever has been overloaded into the drawer. Where a runner has worn through or a drawer side has split, that is straightforward restoration work for a cabinet maker and worth doing before it damages the carcass.
Is lifting veneer a serious problem?

Usually not. Veneer lifts when the animal glue beneath it releases, which happens with age and with changes in humidity, and a cabinet maker can re-lay it using the same reversible glue. It becomes serious only when the lifted section breaks away and is lost, so a loose area is worth attending to promptly rather than leaving to catch on clothing. Do not attempt to glue it back with a modern adhesive, which makes correct repair far harder later.
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