Town guide / Alderley Edge to Bowdon
An antique cabinet in a Hale Barns home
Hale Barns grew mostly in the twentieth century, and many of its houses are detached homes with wide rooms, large windows and plenty of daylight.
i.
The houses
That gives a different set of considerations from a Victorian terrace. Ceilings are typically modest rather than lofty, rooms are often opened up into one larger space, and full-height glazing can leave fewer solid walls. A cabinet in that setting may need to stand away from bright sun, which can fade old timber and polish over time, and on deep carpet it needs a little more attention to stay upright and level.
ii.
Antique cabinets in that setting
Antique cabinets range from glazed display cabinets and bookcases to enclosed cupboards, and the glazed kind can lighten a large room without filling it. Ask Sara about the condition of the glass and the doors, whether the top section lifts off the base, and the full height and depth. On carpet, check the cabinet stands square and consider a discreet wall fixing, especially in a household with children or pets.
iii.
Buying from Caernarfon
Life: Full Colour has no branch near Hale Barns; it is based in Caernarfon, reached by the A55 along the North Wales coast and the M56.
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.
iv.
Questions for a Hale Barns buyer
Not necessarily. A single period cabinet often reads as a deliberate contrast in a plain, modern room. The practical questions matter more: whether you have a solid wall long enough to stand it against, and whether that spot avoids direct sun and the blast of a radiator.
Older glass can be thinner than modern glass and is sometimes slightly wavy, which many people like. Ask Sara whether the panes are original or replaced and whether any are cracked. Take care with doors when the cabinet is moved, and keep heavy objects off glass shelves.
On thick carpet, a tall and fairly shallow cabinet can tip forward more easily than on a hard floor, particularly when doors are open. A small, discreet fixing to the wall at the back is a sensible precaution, and it can usually be done without damaging the piece.
Old cabinets were made to stand against a wall, so the back is usually plain boarding rather than a finished face. If a cabinet has to stand out in the room, the end of a run of furniture or a side wall is kinder to it. Look at the back before you decide.
Measure from floor to ceiling at the exact spot, then take off any coving or light fitting. A cabinet with a projecting cornice needs a few centimetres of clearance above it, so a hand's width spare is a comfortable margin. Lower cabinets often feel more at ease in a room with a modest ceiling.
Full height glazing leaves fewer solid walls, so choose a wall where the cabinet will not sit in direct sun for hours, which can fade old timber and polish. A side wall away from the brightest glass is usually kinder. Check the width of the wall before you check the width of the cabinet.
Thick carpet compresses unevenly under the feet of a heavy piece, so place a spirit level on the top once it is in position. Slim, firm packing under a foot can correct a lean. The doors should then close with an even gap all the way round.
Allow for the cabinet's own doors as well as the room door, because panelled or glazed doors often swing wider than expected. Leave enough clear space that neither door catches the other or blocks the way through. Try opening both with the cabinet outline marked on the floor.
A glazed cabinet lets light pass through and shows its contents, which can suit a large room without filling it. A panelled one hides what is inside, which helps in a space that already feels busy. Ask Sara which style a particular cabinet is.
Leave about a stride in front, enough to open the doors fully and see the shelves. A sofa back pressed against the cabinet will scuff the timber and block the doors. Measure the clear space with the doors open, not shut, and mark it out with tape first.