The Antique Blogger | Matures With Age

It's got to that stage now, life would just be easier if we had a stair lift to help us up and down the stairs and save our various aches and creaky bones.

But we like our house the way it is, and stair lifts can be so ugly, is there any way to stop it from being such an eyesore?

We've spent a lifetime collecting nice furniture and bits and bobs, we don't want the house ruined, so we'll have to try and think of inventive ways to make it stylish!

I'm sure there are more attractive designs than others, and as long as they're not too costly we'll probably pick the best looking. Then maybe we can add some stylish seat covers or something. Anyone got any other (or better) ideas?

I love rattan garden furniture. I think it is the most stylish style and just makes the garden look elegant.

I recently purchased a new set for my back garden. It took me a while to save as they are not cheap, but it looks lovely.
The set has four seats and a little glass top coffee table to go in the middle. It is fully weatherproof and it can all be left outside all year round, which is a really big help as I don’t have anywhere to store it.

I bought my one, like the one below, in white for £539.70, and it also comes in black or brown rattan.

Hopefully it will last us a while and we will have many BBQ’s and gatherings with it!

Picture: featuredeco.co.uk

Whilst watching BBC News at ten yesterday, I came across this interesting story about The Crosby Garrett Helmet, discovered by a metal detector enthusiast in Cumbria in May. This is a one-of-a-kind Roman bronze helmet, which has a complete face mask and was possibly worn by the Roman soldiers as a mark of excellence at sports parades. The helmet has been named after the hamlet in Cumbris where it was discovered.
This unique bronze face mask is believed to be just one of the three found in Britain.The discovery has described ass an important one as it is an extraordinary example of Roman metal work at its zenith. The Crosby Garrett Helmet is expected to fetch at least �300000 at Christie's Antiquities auction in London on 7th October.
If this has caught your interest, there are more details and also a video about this rare find at the BBC website. Take a look at it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-11287093

I love having antique items around my home as I feel that they add an exotic charm to the setup. These antiques often remind me of the kind of history those objects are a part of.
The most common antiques found in homes include furniture - chairs in particular. If you have an eye for detail, you can purchase these pieces - some of them as old as 200 years - at great prices. However you will have to keep a few things in mind while buying them.
You might have noticed that some antique chairs are too small for the modern body. Also ensure that the chair or any other piece of furniture you're buying is intact and hasn't worn down with time. You also need to be able to tell if the pieces used are original or just inferior wood that appears old.
To sum it up, antiques are great; but the fact that they're so old also makes them very susceptible to damage. Therefore, I am very careful about their quality and deal only with a handful of dealers whom I know to be reliable.