[house_meta_top/]

House Malta’s team is always on the lookout for a genuinely good bargain, and there’s plenty to be found on the Facebook Marketplace, where droves of Maltese homeowners are selling items they no longer have a place for in their homes.

Marketplace is a convenient destination on Facebook to discover, buy and sell items with people in your community. From furniture and units to machines and cameras, new gadgets to retro consoles, antique décor to traditional houses, the Marketplace is a rich resource that Maltese homeowners are rapidly tapping into to shop around for their needs.

How you can work with second-hand or antique furniture (even if your interior style is very contemporary)

The majority of items and furniture pieces on marketplace are in very good condition, but even if something doesn’t necessarily look perfect, keep in mind that upcycling is also part of the fun, and can be intrumental to creating a personalised style for your home. If you remember our article with Thomas Camilleri, you’ll recall he is one of a number of local aesthetes who embraces the upcycling and redesign of furniture in the home – with showstopping results.

As we made clear in previous House.mt articles, we are big proponents of homeowners returning to craftmanship, second-hand items, and do-it-yourself projects when it comes to their home. For this we have four reasons

• The new looks best when it’s placed next to the old. The marriage of old furniture with new counterparts has properly cemented itself as a key ingredient to remarkable interior design.
• Older furniture that tends to made by expert carpenters, they’re more durable and robust than any new ‘budget’ furniture pieces.
• Redesigned or restored furniture and décor is going to raise the value of your home, add local flair and character, and allow you to differentiate your home from others.
• It is a cost-effective way to bring your home together. Don’t settle between low-budget, but quick to degrade furniture and well-made, but expensive furniture.

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of antiques that not only look great, but are also begging for a homeowner’s attention.

We kept out selection to items under €100, so don’t fret, your upcycling needs won’t be sending you to the poorhouse anytime soon.

Before we get to our list, here’s a quick how-to on accessing Facebook Marketplace:

And now, back to our list – which items caught our attention?

This antique cabinet (€75)

We’ll admit that these traditional cabinets are intimidating with their imposing height and dark wood. But they can be made livelier by covering the back in floral wallpaper, installing lights, or painting it a lighter colour. You can see some examples in the pictures below.

Find it on marketplace here.

This quaint hand-painted wooden clock (€30)

Find it on marketplace here.

This pair of 19th-century Italian Renaissance-style chairs (FREE)

Find it on marketplace here.

This gossip bench (€30)

Gossip benches became popular after the invention of the telephone in the late 1800s. A proper statement piece that radiates nostalgia, this is definitely an intriguing and usual design to our eyes. We hardly sit down to answer the phone anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find function behind this form. It has potential for book storage, seating in a living room or office, reading nook,

Knickoftime is a blog run by a couple who do really exciting furniture makeovers complete with detailed guides; check out what they did with their gossip bench!

A tip from the House: Give it a new coat of varnish and watch guests gravitating towards this treasure trove. If it fits your home’s crayon box, consider keeping that lovely shade of red too!

Find it on marketplace here.

This Art Nouveau bench (€50)

Give a facelift to the velvet fabric and the beautiful iris flower detailing, and you’ve got an eye-catching solid mahogany piece on your hands.

Find it on marketplace here.

This Moroccan-style birdcage (€60)

Give a facelift to the velvet fabric and the beautiful iris flower detailing, and you’ve got an eye-catching solid mahogany piece on your hands.

Find it on marketplace here.

This charming jewellery box (€40)

These types of wooden, hand-painted jewellery boxes are must-have centrepieces for any bedroom dressing table. Go over its few nicks, varnish the stencilled details, and give a good polish to the mirror inside.

Find it on marketplace here.

This intricate table (€30)

Give this table a good cleaning, place it in the middle of your foyer, and for the price, you’ve got an absolute steal. Just look at that evocative detailing on the table leg and face!

Find it on marketplace here.

These two mirrors (€70)

The oval mirror is your typical safe bet when it comes to classic oval mirrors, so just polish the gold frame (or spray it a different colour) and, for €30, you won’t regret it. It’s the other mirror that really caught our attention, because there’s something about its design that looks like those painting triptychs you find in churches. Quite a lovely piece.

This old wooden chest (€90)

Okay, so we might be stretching it with the price a little bit, but just look at it! The main detail looks like something out of a fairy-tale, and knights adorn the sides (and they’re also bearing shields with the Maltese Cross for the patriots amongst us). Besides, who doesn’t always need more space to store things in?

Find on the marketplace here.

[house_meta_bottom]