Town guide / Chester and around
Victorian furniture for a Handbridge house
Handbridge lies on the south bank of the Dee, reached from Chester across the Old Dee Bridge, with Edgar's Field and its carved Roman shrine to Minerva close to the river.
i.
The houses
Its streets are largely Victorian and Edwardian, from tight brick terraces near the river to larger villas further up, so many Handbridge homes were built in the same decades as the furniture people come looking for. That helps with proportion: a Victorian chest or wardrobe usually sits naturally under ceilings of its own era. The catch is getting it in. Terrace staircases are steep and narrow, and back bedrooms can be awkward to reach with anything large.
ii.
Victorian furniture in that setting
Victorian makers often allowed for this, which is why many wardrobes and chests come apart: cornices lift off, bases separate, and some wardrobes dismantle further. Ask Sara whether a piece separates and for the size of its largest single section. Then measure your narrowest doorway and the tightest turn on the stairs, including the headroom at the turn.
No.06
Hall chair
- Timber
- Hardwood
- Period
- c. 1880 to 1900, as listed
Priced on Creative Caernarfon. Ask Sara whether it is still here.
Photographed in the collection, Plate 06
Victorian Chair with Decorative Tile Back
Aesthetic Movement chair with a floral ceramic tile set into the back, clean geometric lines and turned front legs. Listed in good antique condition with wear consistent with age.
One-off. Ask whether it is still available.
Ask Sara about this pieceiii.
Buying from Caernarfon
Life: Full Colour has no branch in Handbridge or anywhere in Chester; it is based in Caernarfon, reached by the A55 along the North Wales coast.
Buying works the same way from anywhere: find a piece, ask Sara about it by the enquiry form or on 01286 400155, and buy through Creative Caernarfon.
Visiting and delivery
Life: Full Colour is based at 9 Segontium Terrace, Caernarfon LL55 2PN. Ask Sara whether delivery or viewing is possible for a particular piece.
Victorian furniture listed on Creative Caernarfon
- Victorian Chair with Decorative Tile Back (opens in a new tab)
- Victorian Mahogany Wind-out Dining Table with Eight Chairs (opens in a new tab)
One-off pieces: ask Sara whether a listing is still available.
iv.
Questions for a Handbridge buyer
It depends on the wardrobe and the stair. Many Victorian wardrobes were made to separate into cornice, carcass and base, which makes them far easier to carry. Measure the narrowest point of the stair, the turn and the headroom above it, then ask Sara for the dimensions of the largest section.
Often very well. Victorian pieces are usually solidly made in mahogany, walnut, oak or pine, and a single chest or bookcase can give a plain room depth and warmth. The thing to watch is scale, so check heights against your ceilings and window sills rather than relying on how a piece looks in a photograph.
Check whether the drawers run smoothly, whether the handles look original or replaced, and whether the top has split or warped. Small marks are normal for furniture of this age and are part of its story. Ask Sara for close photographs of anything you want to examine, including drawer sides and the back.
Browse the pieces on lifefullcolour.uk, then get in touch through the form or on 01286 400155. Sara can answer questions about the piece and about whether viewing is possible and how delivery would be quoted for it. When you are ready, the purchase completes on Creative Caernarfon.
A mule chest is a lidded chest with drawers below the well, so it gives you deep storage and handy small drawers together. It suits the foot of a bed or a window wall. Allow room for the lid to rise fully, and for the drawers to pull out without catching on the bed.
Press cupboards were large cupboards for linen and household goods, often in two parts with a recessed upper stage. The Tridarn and Deuddarn are Welsh members of the same family. In a modern house they take bedding, table linen or crockery well, and they make good use of one tall wall.
Usually the floor is slightly out of level or the catch has worn. A thin packer under one foot, checked with a spirit level, often cures it, as can a new catch. If the door has dropped on its hinges, the hinges need looking at rather than the floor.
A hall chair is a plain, upright seat made to stand in an entrance hall, for a short sit rather than a long one. It can still do that job beside the front door, handy for pulling on shoes or setting down a bag. Check the seat height and that the back feels solid.
A chest is sturdy, but children use open drawers as steps, and a tall chest can tip. Put the heaviest things in the bottom drawers, keep the top ones light and teach children to open one drawer at a time. Check the chest stands level on its feet.
Wood takes up moisture and swells in damp spells, so a drawer that slides smoothly in summer may bind in winter. Rubbing a little candle wax on the runners often eases it. If a drawer sticks all year round, the runners or sides may be worn, which is worth checking.
Take each section separately and put the piece together again in its new room. Empty the drawers, lift them out, wrap corners in blankets and never force a joint that resists. Measure the stair turn first, and ask Sara for the size of the largest section.