THE TRUTH ABOUT "BROWN FURNITURE"

Redefining clutter as a pleasant word

- HENRY BUCKINGHAM

Every day, at least one customer walks into my shop and asks, "Does brown furniture still sell? We took all of our Victorian/Edwardian/Deco/French furniture to auction and got nothing compared to what we paid for it in the '80s or '90s, so how can you be doing so well?"

My reply: "Did you have anything resembling the stock in my shop?" Their answer is always no. Then I say, "What brought you into my showroom?" Their replies are, "We liked your window display" or "We saw your furniture at our friend's home."

The fact is, each week, scores of couples are downsizing, moving into modern apartments or townhouses where their large, fancy, heavily carved, out-of-style pieces simply do not suit. As a result, they throw them into an auction room where the other dozens of couples have sent the same style of furnishings.