Acquiring the art of buying the right furniture for a room is something that simply has to be gained with practice and many an error over the years. If we have an inexhaustible pocket then the small matter of just replacing and starting again isn’t such a problem. However, in days gone by our ancestors – well rich folks’ ancestors, spent vast sums of money on buying up whole houseloads of furniture and effects when they went on their grand tours of Europe. They’d see something in a grand house and literally insist on buying it to bring home. As not so much of the original is available these days, many copies have been made but they can still be a couple of hundred years old and need just as much care and attention. Just gently brushing dust off with a very light dry paintbrush is very effective, dust gets ingrained in the corners of leg and table stresses. Wooden furniture, oak, walnut, rosewood etc. anything made from a tree in fact, will appreciate a very sparing application on furniture poslish or beeswax. A gentle buff afterwards will restore the lustre of the wood. Just once a year is generally enough for that prized table or dresser.