Antique of the Week: Demilune Cabinet

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community's points of pride. Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more. This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

This week's piece is a Williams-Kimp Demilune cabinet that was purchased from an estate by Goldsborough Glynn Antiques and Decorative Arts earlier this summer. The mahogany cabinet with ebony and satinwood inlay, a drawer and a locking cabinet with a shelf is priced at $795.

Williams-Kimp furniture company existed between 1925 and 1952 and was then purchased by Baker Furniture, according to G&G co-owner Margaret Goldsborough, so the piece dates somewhere in that time frame, she said. The company's insignia can be found on the inner left side of the drawer.

The most appealing aspect of the Demilune, which means half moon, is its versatility, Goldsborough said.

"It can go behind a sofa in a living room, can be used as a server in a dining room, as a console in a hallway or used in a bedroom to hold lamps and picture frames," Goldsborough said. "It doesn't take up a lot of room visually because of its curve, and it actually has a lot of storage space."

Both Goldsborough and her co-owner and sister Susan Glynn agree that furniture today is usually oversized, which makes it difficult for some people to fit pieces in their homes. Glynn added that when looking for antique furniture, people usually focus on pieces that are a specific size. The console is 46 inches wide, 19 inches deep in the center and 35 inches tall.

Additionally, the sisters said that antiques are better made than a lot of mass-produced furniture. Goldsborough pointed out that consumers will not find staples or particle board on this console.

"People are looking for the quality of construction when looking for antiques," Glynn said.

Interested parties can stop by G&G at 3746 Howard Avenue or call (301) 933-4460.