I'm so thrilled to announce that fabulous Australian publisher, Coty Farquhar, included a story on Swede in her April issue released today.
See pages 11, Swede's furniture style on pages 12-13 and a story about us on 96-100.
The April issue is 148 pages of beautiful things not to miss. So many lovely stories about other women as well.
If you know someone who would enjoy Coty's work, please pass this along.
Summer
Photo: Coty Farquhar
To everyone who follows me, I want to introduce you to the most excellent blogger and publisher of digital magazines on the planet, if you have not already found her, meet Coty Farquhar of New South Wales, Australia.
If you've ever wanted to be a photo stylist when you grow up, this is the ultimate place for inspiration.
I don't want you to miss the third issue of her digital magazine, due out Tuesday, February 12. Sign up on her blog to receive this magazine Tuesday.
Her blog also has links to the December and January issues of the digital magazine. And, don't miss looking at her Pinterest boards.
I cannot put in words appropriately how talented Coty is. I have been following her blog for several years and when I see she has posted something new, I have to look at it immediately. Her photography skills are out of this world -- the styling of the photos -- the subject matter -- the commentary -- beyond incredible.
Photo: Coty Farquhar
Remember that Australia's seasons are reverse of ours here in the US. It is Summer there now, so lots of fabulous flowers are in bloom.
Photo: Coty Farquhar
Photo: Coty Farquhar
Don't waste a minute. Go look at her site.
Summer
Photos: All Coty Farquhar
Now that Thanksgiving is in the past, I have been changing out the vignettes on the console and center tables. The Christmas tree is now up and I have been decorating with my Santos dolls. Here is a look at one console table showing my love of winter white.
White coral and Cyclamen made by Mother Nature who loves white like I do. Candlesticks by Pottery Barn and embellished with gold leaf. Cachepots from Home Depot. Cyclamen from Lowe's. I like how the canvas I painted is a great backdrop for these items.
Summer
Photo: Swede
I am in the process of changing the dining room. Tired of the old look -- want something different. More posts to come as I make changes. I am changing the chandelier, rug, wall paint and chairs. I am aiming for a total neutral look so that any tablescape I put together in orchid, aqua, purple, etc. will not clash with the room. I want colors to only be accents in the design, not a major part of it. That allows me to switch the accent colors with the seasons.
Anything that I can do myself at home, I enjoy doing. Particularly if I can get a good look and save money.
Some people hate to paint. I enjoy it. Love to see the color change. First, I had to paint this accent wall from peach [Martha Stewart Nasturtium] to beige [Lowe's Soft Camel].
Today, I am sharing a gallery wrap canvas painting that I did for the dining room. I am sorry but I forgot to photo the canvas with the base coat on.
I purchased a 60" x 48" large gallery wrap canvas at Michael's. I only get them when I can use a 40% off coupon as they are a bit pricey - about $100. To put the base coat on, I used various beiges in acrylic craft paint.
I just wiped the various colors on dabbing a little here and there in small sections until the entire white canvas was covered. You will be able to see the variations of the beiges in the finished canvas. I also taped off the side edges with blue painter's tape and painted the four outside edges a medium brown. Sometimes I use black or bright gold, but did brown this time. After the base coat dried, I stenciled it.
PLEASE keep in mind this is NOT how I would do it if I was going to sell it or do it for someone else. I wanted this for something quick to put on the wall that I could do in two days. You will DIE when you see what I stenciled it with.
I already owned a large damask stencil from Royal Design Studio, No. 724L which is 24.5 tall and 21 wide. I love damasks and the bigger the better. I was going to paint the wall beige and then stencil this damask on with irridescent pearl paint. Then I decided to not do the dining room wall but to do the canvas and then I could move the canvas anywhere I wanted in the house when I was ready for a change. Look on Royal Design Studio's website to see how fabulous this looks on a wall. Loved it!
Since I was in a big hurry to have it on the wall for Thanksgiving Day, I didn't have time to use actual stencil paints -- would have taken many hours. You will die -- I used spray paint. I am the disgrace of the faux paint industry!!
There it is. Brilliant gold spray paint from Michael's. Notice the size of the stencil compared to the paint can. That will give you some idea of scale. If you get the crazy idea to do what I did, here are some tips for you.
1. Put blue masking tape over the dashed and open registration marks. If you don't you will spray paint over them and then cannot align your repeat designs.
2. I also put 2" blue painter's tape around the outside edges to keep spray off the brown paint.
3. If you are right handed, use a disposable glove on your left hand or you will paint your fingers. Since the canvas "gives" you will need to hold the stencil down tight with your left hand or spray will go underneath the tiny parts to mess up your design.
4. Do NOT use stencil adhesive. All it did was deposit the glue onto the canvas and keep the paint from sticking. Wish I had not done that. Also, spray the paint down directly from above, not at an angle, or paint will spray underneath the stencil.
5. I also used 2" wide blue tape along the edges of the stencil and put newspaper over the remaining canvas so it wouldn't get spray residue.
6. I also recommend putting the eye hooks for the back wire into the frame interior itself so the canvas will lie flat against the wall with no gaps. I place my hooks 11" down from the top for better balance.
On this 60" x 48" canvas, the hardest part was finding the center of the stencil to line up with the center of the canvas. Not hard to find the center of the canvas, but finding the center of the unusual shape of the stencil was a pain. Of course, they are never marked with grid lines. I think I came pretty close and see where I am off by 1/8" horizontally on one repeat, but only a professional could tell [don't look]. This size canvas will take five full designs and then you fill in top and bottom with partial repeats. I put the first stencil in the center and then worked out top to bottom.
Keep in mind, I am doing this on the dining room table covered with a dropcloth with the front door open to get the fumes out before Mr. Swede sees me using spray paint in the house. Thankfully, he was upstairs on the computer for the 30 minutes it took me to do this.
So here is what my crazy project looks like.
Wahhhh-laaaa! Since the height of the canvas is 60", it goes to within 4" of the crown molding in this room with 10 foot ceilings.
The console table is 37" high and 50" wide. It is hard to get a good photo without getting the chandelier. Have to take the photo at an angle and it distorts how big the canvas really is.
Need to have Mr. Swede mount the sconces for each side. I have an antique pair that has been in a box for 20 years.
I like the reflected sheen off the metallic gold from the light of the chandelier. I made the deadline of Thanksgiving morning, and I actually like how it turned out. Although there is pattern in the damask design, I don't think it will conflict with my tablescapes.
I wanted the metallic paint to pick up on the gold leaf on this Marsta console table I designed for Swede Furniture HERE.
For accessories, I am using beige with gold leaf candlesticks, white coral in cachepots and my wire shell sculpture from the Phillippines that I found at Round Top.
I like how all the cremes, beiges and whites go together. I added more gold leaf to the candlestands after I purchased them.
So what do you think? You will keep my secret, right??
Summer
Photos: Swede
Interior sliding barn doors look fun. I've seen many of them on decor blogs. Here is a set that I saw last week in our local annual showcase of homes.
Finding good looking hardware to hang them seems to be a problem. I don't like the exposed track or supports. This one is better than most at hiding the apparatus but more improvement is needed. If you Google barn door hardware, you will see a lot of different styles, but most are exposed tracks. These were custom made by a local door company. I like the finish, though. For me, it would be a debate about whether to have this style or pocket doors. I do like being able to close off rooms.
Summer
Photo: Swede
While in Seattle Saturday, September 8, I attended the tablescape event at Masins Furniture store in Bellevue HERE. If you have been a long-time blog reader, you know my love for creating tablescapes. I could not miss this. Check my archives under the category tablescapes. I moved from the Seattle area in 1998 before the store opened in Bellevue so I had not been in the store before. At the end of this post, I will show some vignettes in the store. Thanks to the Masin family for making this seminar open to the public to enjoy. Friday evening was the fundraiser at the store for DIFFA [Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS].
The event panel consisted of three women. First, Tobi Fairley, an interior designer from Little Rock [remember that I blogged about attending one of her first design camps in Arkansas]. I have been a long-time subscriber to her blog HERE. Second, Kathryn Greeley, interior designer and author from North Carolina - I have her book and follow her blog too HERE. Third, Mindy Lockard who I did not know about - blog HERE, who talked about table etiquette.
Tobi Fairley [who was as stunning, lovely and friendly as I remembered her] in addition to doing a tablescape also designed the entrance vignette to Masins store using the young David Masin family as her pseudo design client. I want to show you those photos first before discussing the other 12 tablescapes of the designers.
Tobi spoke about the design elements she used in this red, blue and white room.
Just ignore the price tags hanging off the furnishings. I apologize for the light reflections and quality of my indoor photos. I spy Tobi's design on the red lantern Rothesay sconce HERE.
I recognize the Hickory Chair Furniture Co. center table HERE. The framed labels attract close examination and conversation. The tabletop items on this table have great proportion and tie the blues and whites together.
Here is a close-up view of the accessories.
Aren't those red Tulips dashing? They bring the entire room together. This striped rug is by Dash and Albert HERE. I am considering the purchase one of their rugs for under my dining table because it is in their indoor/outdoor collection which is easily cleanable. I thought it would be the perfect solution to food spills under a table. I'm a bit tired of my flat-weave Aubusson and looking for a change. I need a 9x12 rug which size they don't sell and Tobi gave the audience the perfect answer to my problem - sew two 6x9 rugs together. Thank you, Tobi for solving my design dilemma. The stripes are too casual for me, but I am thinking of the solid white one. Should look great with Swedish interiors.
Above you can see the red lantern and stripe fabric of the table runner from Tobi Fairley Home. The wall stripe paint is the same blue from the living room. I like the nine white plates on the wall. When I've hung plates, I paint the tips of the wires the color of the plates so they don't show. The white plates are simple but striking. I am also a fan of white dining chairs. Of course, I have a secret fabric that I use that is extremely durable and cleanable that I have used throughout our home. It is No Fear White. Discussing the centerpieces, Tobi inserted a glass cylinder into a larger one to create space to place red ribbon. I am going to steal that idea too, only use other items not ribbon -- just think of the possibilities. Tobi used the David Masin family's blue and white china. It looks like it could be the Blue Fluted Mega pattern by Royal Copenhagen. I see dark blue Kim Seybert capiz shell placemats [I have the aqua ones] underneath of some red spray-painted acrylic chargers. I liked Tobi's idea of spray painting inexpensive chargers different colors for various tablescapes you do. I sprayed some brass ones and the paint peeled off. I believe she said the napkins had an iron-on embroidered transfer -- I will have to look into doing that. Hopefully less expensive than having my monogram lady do my napkins if they stay on after being washed. Inside the napkin folds are Recipies For Life messages.
I struggle with getting my centerpieces low so people can see over them. I'm always looking for ideas to accomplish this. I will further discuss this later in the post in my thoughts on the other table designs.
I have mentioned before in my tablescape blogs my top five requirements for a successful tablescape. The first one is relevance. Tobi's table is a perfect example of my rule. The most successful design relates the elements of the table to the guest of honor or event of the dinner. Here you see Tobi used red ribbons and chargers for AIDS to salute the DIFFA fundraiser event and each placecard has the name of Me, Sister, Brother, Mom, i.e., people in a family who are affected when a family member has AIDS. The cards in the napkins also bring this message home.
Up next is this pink orange and black soft orientalist theme table with orange stools by designer Beth Dotolo.
I LOVE that wallcovering of large damask. I just bought an extra large stencil to do that on one wall of my dining room which I hope to execute in the next few weeks.
The orientalist style on this table is delivered with the abundant white Orchids and Dahlias, metallic gold noodle bowls, chopsticks and black lacquer table. The stools which are probably drinks tables or garden-type stools rather than dining stools are an attractive color, but would be difficult to sit on through a three-hour dinner. Comfortable seating is rule number two on my tablescaping requirements.
The Dahlias are so pretty and I love Cockscomb.
The moss in the tall vases appeared to be dry, so I surmised the white orchids were in floral water tubes.
It appears that the runner coordinates with the creme underplates to the bowls. The height of the vases was discussed at the seminar and it was agreed that they would need to be removed during the dinner. I think they would be perfect on the buffet or console table against the wall. I personally struggle with centerpiece heights in my tablescapes as it seems hard for me to be creative on low arrangements. You want the impact that these stunning arrangements have yet they are not practical. I feel bad when a guest gets up and removes my creation. I also struggle occasionally with just too much stuff in the center of the table. But I'm working on it.
On to the next exhibit.
I was very impressed by this purple table by designers Diane Summers and Deanna Dayment. I loved the shape of the leopard placemats for round tables. Nice mirrored chargers. Loved the tumbler and stemware. What was successful about this table was that it had a "real" factor that invited you to sit down by having the red and white wine already poured into the stems and water present in the tumbler.
Congratulations ladies on knocking that out of the ballpark.
Notice the metal screen with stars in front of the purple painted wall. Its see-through effect added just enough visual interest. I also give these designers points for my rule of tieing the table elements to the theme. Here they were designing for a restaurant named Purple. They also conquered the urge to overdo the center of the table with stuff.
The purple vases of orchids could easily be moved to the sideboard leaving the vase of white Roses in the center to be stunning in and of itself. Nice job.
Moving to the next tablescape by designers Sue Trudell and Kim Beauregard.
This tablescape had a pink and lime green garden theme. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that the pink and lime votive candleholders are Glassybaby products since that company is headquartered in Seattle HERE. People outside Seattle might not be familiar with their products and charitable mission.
The centerpiece was a child's chair with white Roses on the seat. Ivy vines ran on the tabletop.
And this moss purse with flowers in it.
Here is a place setting. Loved the pink napkins and silver napkin rings.
Another look at the table.
Next is this table designed by Rich Holliday for The Hunt Club in an animal theme. The blue and white ceramic elephant centerpiece is an attention getter. Note the texture of the three runners that criss-cross the table for the six placesettings.
I believe this china charger is Jaguar Jungle by Lynn Chase. Rich hit the target dead center with my rule number one of relevance to the theme for the Hunt Club.
The opalescence of this platter is stunning. Maybe not something to eat off of but it is eye candy. You could serve some types of appetizer on it but its impact is really for a serivce plate before guests sit down. This table design was done by Christie Long for the restaurant Seastar.
I just LOVE the sea colors of blues and greens which hits the theme for Seastar right on target. Love the clear sparkley flatware and the color of the charger. I would have loved to see this on a much bigger table so there was room for the glass balls, seaglass and tealights. The centerpiece is a very tall glass sculptural vase that was too tall to get it in the photo.
The rattan table and chairs are fitting for this theme. Notice that the tabletop is covered with irridescent cellophane. I might use that idea sometime. About my tablescape rule number five to leave blank space on the tabletop, I want to mention here that the most memorable table I have ever seen was nothing more than a white plate with an old sterling fork on a white tablecloth with an orchid color napkin and clear crystal goblet in an all-white Swedish room that had a crystal chandelier. It was so simple but heavenly I have never forgotten it. No layering of chargers and a multitude of plates -- no stuff.
One more look at this stunner.
This table using green reindeer moss was designed by the team of Meredith Mallott and Lori Broznowski for the restaurant Crush.
Store owner Bob Masin did this sportsman's table for Steelhead Diner. The mission style of the chairs and table are very fitting. Table elements include the fish theme plates with flies, runner and napkins, fly rods and reels across the tabletop and a fish net.
The centerpiece was a divided tray from a tacklebox holding flies, spinners and sinkers with white Chrysanthemum heads in the squares.
Diane Akana of Neiman-Marcus did this table with McKenzie-Childs ceramics. I believe that is wild long-grain rice in the bowl.
This autumn design with the velvet pumpkins was for the restaurant Mariposa.
Next, this table for one is the entry of Renee Manier and Page Campau for the restaurant Pearl.
On to the next one, artist Kathe Fraga for the restaurant Rovers. The framed photo is of the chef in the straw hat, Chef Thierry Rautureau. Kathe also displayed a grouping of men's hats on a halltree.
Kathe used all vintage and flea market finds for this table. There are three tablecloths layered here with silverplate trays and flatware as well as many whimsical and decorative objects.
Above is a wider view of the area around her table filled with vintage items. The bird dinner plates coordinate with the birds on her paintings and pillows.
Kathe was at the event and I had the pleasure of meeting her and talking to her about her art. Her miniature paintings were at the placesettings and a large canvas was behind the table. Her custom pillows were there as well as her greeting cards.
This table is by Tim DeClue for the restaurant Spinasse.
Tim used vintage silverplate trays as chargers. The metal mushrooms are interesting. You can also see the black stones in the center.
This table appears to be made of metal with log benches. I like the clear stemware but don't know the maker - will have to ask.
Last of the 13 tables, but not least, is this tablescape by J. David Welch for the restaurant Volterra.
Here is a wider view.
Close up of the place setting.
I promised to show you some vignettes around the store, so here they are:
Vignette One.
View from a different angle.
Close up of the chair.
Vignette two. Seeing the black oriental lacquer screens tempted me to consider getting mine out of the attic.
Vignette three.
Vignette four.
Vignette five showing the black buffet.
Masins Furniture is located in the Bellevue area of Seattle at 10708 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98004 or call 425-450-9999.
Hope you enjoyed viewing the tables with me.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Continuing along with more photos of our trip to Paris, I am showing below some of the furniture at the Grand Trianon on the Versailles estate property. This is where the king and queens went [across the property several hundred yards, maybe] to get away from the goings on at the palace. I am only showing furnishings in this post as the gardens were not planted yet so no flowers in bloom to speak of for vast colorful sweeping views.
I thought the chairs in the first photo above were totally unusual with the pierced seats and backs. I've never seen anything like them. Very intricate carving. They also had small benches in the same design. I like the ormolu trim on the table's rim but not the urn and pheonixes on the stretcher. There was a time in my past that I would have liked the savonnerie rug, but not now -- just too much color and too much pattern. This estate is a good place for it to be together with those rose damask chairs.
This is one very large sitting room. You could probably entertain 100 guests here for cocktails. Notice the lavender paint trim on the chairs. Very unusual don't you think paired with the turquoise damask?
Of course, you have to see the queen's bedroom. I don't think I could do the gold room either. Just tooooooo much.
Nice console table but I probably would get tired of the swags. Some more unusual chairs. They said that during the revolution most of the furnishings were looted and they have slowly gotten some of them back by donation or acquisition. Some pieces were brought here from other palaces that they owned in the kingdom.
I enjoy looking at the interiors even though much of it is not my taste. What I did love, though, were the doors, interior shutters and door hardware -- oh! much to love there. Look for a later post of those objects.
I did also want to mention that it was difficult to get great photos inside the palaces because of the light. It was either too dark with the drapes pulled, or too bright with so much light flooding in.
Summer
Photos: www.swedefurniture.com
Well, if what you read says something about you, then I've got a one-track mind about Swedish decor and Swedish antiques.
Mr. Swede is building a new bookcase for all my design books in the master bedroom. I've been begging for the bookcase for a long time. Like two years! He cut some boards last week.
Summer
Photo: Swede
The Daffodils are pushing through the ground and stand about five inches high now. Inside the house, though, I am trying to rush spring by using bright greens.
This tabletop grouping is in the living room on a 1902 marble top center table.
I brought out my apple green English Coalport porcelain dessert tray and yellow green Varga wine stems.
The green peapod porcelain sculpture is by Pamela Tidwell of Vieuxtemps. HERE . I always loved Pamela's work but couldn't afford it. I found the peapod this summer at a charity consignment shop. I would love to have her tall porcelain flower arrangements like the Foxgloves someday and I like her cantelope as well. I always have my eye out for them and who knows maybe a piece will show up at the consignment shop again. I also gathered up an Anna Weatherley small dish and creamer that have greens in the designs.
On the Varga wines, the stems are all the same but the yellow green crystal bowls are all of different designs. The names of the patterns are all girl's names, Madison, Amelia, Sharon, Aspen, Gemma and Hattie. None of these are my family names.
The arrangement is placed on an old silverplate huge tray with Greek key design that I purchased on eBay.
The bright spring green is so refreshing during the winter.
The Annabelle Hydrangeas I dried when they bloomed this past summer. I have mixed them with Curly Willow, Green Orchids, Amaranth and Bells of Ireland.
The orientalist vase I also found at the same charity consignment shop. Actually there are a pair.
This week I am linking up to Tabletop Tuesday here:
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
and linking up to Tablescape Thursday here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Summer
Photos: Swede
I have switched up the decor on my hallway console table. This is the one that had my Santos Angels during the holidays.
I decided to put metal pieces here to tie in with the metal balcony in the photo on the wall. This is a photo of a building taken by Mr. Swede in Paris this summer that I had enlarged and put on 30x40 gallary wrap canvas.
With this wider view you can see that it is a canvas. Looks like I captured a creative cobweb as well. This Franco-Swedish console table with brown marble top I designed for Swede Collection. The shadow box being a gray/blue goes very well with the color of the console. This hallway is narrow and has columns for the dining room which block being able to take a photo straight on.
The two metal candlestands on the ends are from Tuesday Morning. The shadow box is from Wisteria and other pieces are from Hobby Lobby.
This week I am linking up to Tabletop Tuesday viewable after 6:00PM Eastern on Monday evenings here:
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Summer
Photos: Swede
As you know, I'm an original content blogger, well about 99.99%, so I look for things around the house or yard to photo.
Here is a warm-toned winter collage of a crown on a peach marble-top table in my living room, some big shells, and an Amaryllis plant in the dining room. Love the peachy-ness of it all.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Continuing with the magenta theme for the holidays, this week's tablescape is also in magenta paired with silver.
Magenta napkins set the theme along with the ornaments placed at each setting. Ornaments from Target last year. Napkins by Le Jacquard Francais, primrose bordier, in their colorway Cassis Black Current in the Graphic pattern.
I think magenta is such a great color for the holidays as a change up for brighter red and it looks so good with silver and grays.
The above photo shows the line up of the plates. On the bottom is French maker Jaune de Chrome's English Rose on Song which has a dark edge and a multi-gray floral. Next is the dinner plate by Haviland in the Malmaison pattern showing magenta around the border and the central scene of the young couple fishing. I am using JL Coquet's Hemisphere Matte Platinum soup bowls for appetizers since they have such a small central cavity and to me are too small for soup. The silver grooved borders also stain very easily so I find it best to use them just for an appetizer. Even touching the Hemisphere with your finger will leave a fingerprint stain.
In the above collage, on the left side is the Jaune de Chrome charger and on the right is the Haviland dinner plate.
Here is how the dinner plates look on the table. The bread and butter plates are French maker Niderviller which is a pale gray in the Boston pattern. Sterling is Tiffany St. James.
Above is the JL Coquet soup with the small cavity and the dessert plate below.
I actually started this tablescape with the intention of doing it all in silver and then added the magenta after I got into it.
The above collage shows the antique English dessert plates by Cauldon holding raspberry cheesecake. On the right is a tablecloth I made of acetate satin in a color called New Silver. I take 7.5 yards of fabric and sew it together lengthwise so it will fit my table with one leaf in it to seat 8 people at the table. Lower right is a photo of individual flower arrangements I made for each place setting in magenta-toned fresh flowers placed in antique sterling baby presentation cups.
Above you can see a larger view of the silver tablecloth.
Above are the six sterling cups. The oldest one in the group is inscribed 1854 and the newest is dated 1891. Inside them I placed wet Oasis to hold the stems.
I used red Roses, magenta Chrysanthemums and cherry Alstroemeria in the cups. Greenery is from my yard.
These are various table shots.
The above collage shows details from the center of the table.
I am using my collection of mercury glass including mercury glass trees with garlands of clear beads and a few magenta colored holiday ornaments.
The silver hurricanes contain flameless candles.
The above photo shows a wider view of the table. You can barely see that I placed a silver damask flocked runner down the center on the tablecloth seam as the centerpiece items nearly cover it up. I always have good intentions on limiting what goes in the center of the table but have trouble sticking to that idea.
This collage shows more detail views.
The bubble glass set of goblets with ruby stems was a Christmas gift from Mr. Swede several years ago. They are from Pottery Barn.
Plating up the dessert.
As you know, I like to use my tablescapes more than once by switching the plates out which works great when guests stay for the weekend. Next week I will show what elements I kept and which I swapped out to make tablescapes for a lunch and dinner the same weekend.
What color themes are you using this year?
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
To see all the entries, after 9:00PM Eastern on Wednesday, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Summer
Photos: Swede
This new online magazine was just released by Irene Valdirose. You must take a look!
http://issuu.com/valdirose/docs/misscaffe/66
Miss Coffee's photograpic skills are just fabulous.
Summer
As I continue to decorate the console and center tables in the house, I change the colors. I am not a red and green scheme holiday decorator. I do like natural greens and branches from the garden, however, mixed into the settings. In my last post, you saw turquoise. Today I worked on a magenta and clear sparkle theme.
The console table in my dining room is up against the window. It is hard to style it to look good because of the plantation shutters on the window. I started with a huge antique silverplated tray and placed clear decanters on it. Then I encircled it with a garland of clear beads that has a lot of sparkle. As much as I can, I like to incorporate items in the house that I already have in creating holiday decor, such as this tray of crystal decanters, jugs and stoppered bottles.
It started out like this. But I keep adding and subtracting trying to find the right balance.
Then I changed it to this. I still have more boxes in the attic to go through to find items to add more variety. I'm still not happy with it, so will keep working various elements. I think this needs some subtracting and something added of a different scale.
Console table is by Swede Collection.
In a few days, I will post the final tablescape. Now back to reworking it.
I am linking up to Tabletop Tuesday
Summer
Photos: Swede
Now that it is the first week of December, I've started getting some ideas together for decorating my console and center tables. I begin by gathering some items up from storage in the attic and other places and group them by color.
I made this grouping in the living room using an old English silverplate tray, mercury glass trees, turquoise mercury glass finials and turquoise glassware.
As I continue to work on the displays, I keep changing them so every few days they look different as I add and delete items. Next, I will probably add some turquoise ornaments to this mix. All the tables in the house are different -- different colors and different themes. This is the only place I will use turquoise.
Summer
Photos: Swede
I finally have accepted that it really is fall now. The summer has gone for another year. When I think about styling autumn tables, game birds always come to mind. I guess it is due to getting hunting licenses for pheasant, quail and turkey in the fall if you are a hunter. If you have an occasion to honor a man for his birthday, promotion, or other event, setting a table with game plates is a good fit for a masculine theme.
Fall harvested fruits and vegetables such as pears, persimmons, pumpkins, kumquats, quince and apples that have colors we deem to be fall colors - oranges, golds, peaches and reds are a perfect selection for a table using game plates. I have placed Apple Annie faux pears made of resin and nut shells in a leaf-shaped dish by Vietri.
The above collage is a sampling of elements for this table. Flowers are an easy selection of an array of Chrysanthemums, berries, seed pods and Roses in peachy-orange tones.
These Mums are in my bricked flowerbed. They were in a hanging basket last year and in the spring they started to leaf out. I didn't want them in the hanging basket anymore so I tossed them into a nearby flowerbed where they amazingly made their new home.
On the left the glassware I selected is a white wine by Rick Strini Artglass of Hawaii in Flame Bella Gold and a vintage iced beverage in the Mt. Vernon amber pattern by Indiana Glass. I love using amber colored glass with this style of tablescape. And, I love giving vintage pieces new life by incorporating them with new stemware. This is my kind of recycling. I made the floral centerpiece for this table from three packages of florist Mums from the grocery store, one package of spray Roses and greenery and berries from my yard. I took a three-week class at a florist shop about 25 years ago just to give me confidence that I knew what to do. The class taught us to do all kinds of structured arrangements for weddings, funerals, etc. so I have a good foundation of skills under my belt that allows me to now do my own thing.
I am using a very simple bread baking pan as my container since it will be hidden underneath of foliage. Notice that I have placed the Oasis up high over the lip of the pan. Make sure it is in the pan very tight. Extending the Oasis is so I can get the flowers to drape over the edge. If you are trying this for the first time, make sure you purchase "wet foam" not the kind for making silk flower arrangements and soak it in water for 30 minutes. I chose the bread pan because I need a long and narrow arrangement for this table not a round one. It was just the quickest thing I found, I could have chosen a porcelain or glass container if I wanted to search through the cupboards.
I am constructing this on my kitchen counter. When I place it on the table, I will put it on top of two old leather bound books as a lift for a little bit of height but not enough that guests can't see over it. Make sure you put paper towels and Saran wrap on top of the books to absorb any moisture. In the above photo, you can see I have started the green up with cut greenery from my shrubs and Nandina berries which are still green at this time of year. From here, I will add the Mums and Roses just by "eye" until I am pleased with how the flowers hang over the edges and drape outward.
Here's how it turned out.
I think this Schumacher fabric for a tablecloth with its rich peaches, melons, golds and raspberry plaid is perfect for a fall table. You can also see the moire shine in the light.
Chargers are by French maker Niderviller in the color vanilla. When I ordered them the photo showed the color to be more beige but they are a good match to the pale yellow stripe in the tablecloth. I am using my gold plated stainless steel flatware again by Ricci.
Dinner plates are vintage English from Johnson Brothers in their Game Birds pattern. There are several birds in the series. This is the Quail. The plates come in ovals and rounds. I have the 11" ovals.
Here is the Ruffled Grouse.
The Pheasants.
This is a wider view of the table with the Game Birds plates set for six. I am using a red/orange hemstitched napkin from Pottery Barn. With the floral centerpiece, I didn't want alot of accessories, so I chose to only use the faux pears scattered around and the chalkware bird statues which belonged to my MIL.
Here is a larger view of the glassware. I like the chunkyness of the amber Mt. Vernon as well as the shape and the square-footed base. Their molded sturdiness is a counterbalance to the mouth-blown hand-made Strini art goblets.
Here is a closer look at the chalkware birds. Note that the spray Roses and Nandina berries drape down to touch the tablecloth.
Close up of the peach colored spray roses.
I am using my orange fish plates to serve dessert. When I first got these I didn't think I would use them very much because of the orange color, but I find I use them frequently. In the Spring they look great with a vase full of orange Parrot Tulips.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
To see all the entries, after 9:00PM Eastern on Wednesday, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Summer
Photos: Swede
I attended the fall antique show at Round Top, Texas last week in the 96 degree heat. I came home a day early. Yes, unheard of for me to be a quitter at an antique show. I got to the point where I was drained of energy and just couldn't focus on another booth of fabulous stuff. I guess I shopped until I dropped. Just too hot to shop after about 10:00 in the morning. On the second day of shopping it rained for all of five minutes and didn't even get the ground wet. Texas has a big struggle with livestock survival this year as the long-term intense heat dried up all the grazing land and ponds. Driving across Texas the land looked desolate. Even the Red Oak trees couldn't survive and the Live Oaks were struggling. Everything was brown. On the highways we noticed truck after truck hauling hay bales into Texas.
To see past posts I've done on the spring antique show at Marburger Farm, go HERE and HERE. Marburger Farm is just one venue at this event. There are more venues all up and down Hwy. 237 and in the small surrounding towns near Round Top. Mile after mile of antiques. I did notice that the former sign that said the population of Roundtop was 77 had been changed to 90. Now imagine 20,000 people showing up for a week of antique shopping. We certainly helped the local economy.
First, if you have never attended, I want to show you how big the tents are at Marburger Farm. They must be the length of a football field. There are three this big [below], another one this long but only half as wide and then another two that are almost this long and wide and three a little bit shorter and then two small tents. To get through the eight major tents and 11 wooden buildings on the promenade takes a full day if you move fast. I try to move through them at a moderate pace and take two days. Then I go down the road to The Red Barn [air conditioned!!!] for a half day. Sometimes I hit Bahia or go to Warrenton. You really can't see it all even if you stay a week.
Do you think this tent is 100 yards long? These tents are not air conditioned. See how brown the ground is - grass has all died. If I go back again, I think I'll only go to the spring show in April. I saw Leslie Sinclair outside one of the buildings under an awning selling her new book, Segreto. That's a dedicated but brutal way to sell your book. Also signs were along the road pointing to Rachel Ashwell's place but I decided not to go to her book signing party at her new ranch Tuesday evening.
Walk through the tents with me and I will point out the things I liked and the best booths. They claim to have 350 dealers on 43 acres, so I only photoed a few. My camera got very heavy in the heat so I didn't take as many pictures as I have in the past. I must say that they do have fabulous items - so many incredible things your head spins. I have never found a bargain here either. Mr. Swede calls it "high retail". The most I hope for is just a fair price. Much of it is out of my price range, such as a set of 8 Swedish small kitchen chairs for $16,000. Looking at the eye candy is inspiring and I find it uplifting and joyful.
This is the General Store. Inside are six dealers with fabulous china, glassware and other decorative treasures. On the porch is Maison de France of Leeds, AL. I never miss stopping by the porch for antiques brought over from France by Ginny. I purchased a metal floor candlestand here.
I like how the antiques are displayed. Mirrors stacked in front of mirrors, architectural salvage and big French chairs.
Designing with alter candlesticks is still going strong. Nice country fruitwood chest.
Sconces, neutral pale pottery, and big meat domes are plentiful. Gilt and silver leaf finishes always get my attention. I am seeing severly distressed objects being considered "perfect" condition. I like aged finishes but not distressing on purpose to create age.
Sunburst mirrors of all styles going strong. I loved the pattern on the frame of this silver mirror. I still see many lamp bases made of iron salvage. Those looks don't seem to have faded in popularity.
I don't think French chairs will ever go out of style. These Louis XIV chairs have been recovered in linen. Beige linen upholstery or white upholstery is still a great neutral choice.
Small tables and French mirrors of any size are always in demand. I always get my fill of eye candy at Ginny's booth.
Next building - Legler House on the promenade.
There are two wonderful dealers in this building, Designs by Grace and Kelley Zeleskey of Houston.
These dealers show repainted furniture in lovely shades of gray and white. Here you see some 1960's blue dining room chairs waiting for reupholstery. Do you remember this style? There were thousands of this style French chairs made in the 60's and 70's.
They do a great job of merchandising and display. They always have nice mirrors. I enjoy this very pleasing booth since I am a lover of white and neutral interiors.
Here are two cute white painted chairs and another look at the French cupboard which was probably brown wood before. Now it is sporting wire door panels.
Next, in big tent A, we have Willow Nest Farm from almost local Burton, Texas. It is a booth not to miss.
If you love white, romantic interiors or feminine style, don't miss this booth. Above you can see the beautiful white children's clothing.
The Aubusson flat weave rug and coverlet is in a soft shell pink color. Just beautiful!
Linda and Ludmil put together a stunning booth.
Linda's attention to detail of small objects is just total eye candy.
In Tent A, this is California dealer Machtolff's Mercantile. Linen and hemp fabrics are still going strong along with Belgian decor.
This is a wider shot of their booth.
A couple dealers had these zinc baskets. None of them could nail down what they actually were used for. Machtolff's said they were to dip olives into a brine during harvest and were from France, others said they were from Turkey and others said they were to dip flowers into water during field harvest [don't think so]. I first saw them online at Atelier de Campagne HERE in California. I also got the popular zinc wire baskets from Machtolff's that dealers weren't sure what they were originally designed for. They reminded me of baskets to pick potatoes [but too tall] and one dealer said they were for harvesting mussels. Lifting those filled with mussels would ruin your back! I would guess they are from the 1960's. I think it is best to buy them only if you like them and not count on dealer information to be accurate. HERE are the wire baskets at Atelier de Campagne in California. It would not surprise me if some dealers purchased them there at the recent container sale to sell at Marburger Farm. Mine has a maker's mark on the handles that does look Belgian.
I bought two zinc baskets from Machtolff's to use for burgundy colored fall Mums for my front porch.
I saw prices all over the place on these -- from $65 with a lot of rust to $295 - that's crazy! You could use them like I am as cachepots for plants with internal pots such as ferns or any seasonal plant or for rolled bath towels at a beach house. Pretty much as versitile as a woven wicker basket. Mr. Swede loved buying wayyyyyy too many gourds and pumpkins in Burton at a roadside stand.
Louis Vuitton trunks are for sale outside the Gulf building.
Also in Tent A, I always stop at Antiques on Holiday's booth.
I'm always anxious to see what Ann and her husband brought back from France and Belgium. They have the best prices on glass demijohns. Ann always has things like bird cages, antique books, china, tables, chairs and this time a taxidermed blue peacock.
Here you can see the peacock.
Ann's shop is in Destin, Florida. She has a good eye for selecting merchandise.
Sconces, paintings and architectural elements like shutters and doors are still going strong. People are still faux painting in light paint these brown wood French buffets, chests and armoires. The two big books above are French dictionaries.
Another dealer not to miss in Tent D is Mitra of Houston's Art & Antique Hunter booth.
Mitra has fabulous trumeaus, chandeliers, tables, mirrors and chairs.
I believe she said she is a fourth generation importer of Italian and European antiques. My eye caught the coronas on the table. A wide variety of lovely things to choose from in this booth.
Next in Tent A is this eye candy booth which I think is East of LA. One thing I don't like about Marburger Farms is that the booths do not have the seller's logo prominently displayed so you know whose booth it is.
I love this gal's style. She does a great job of merchandising her wares. Gold leafed chairs and metal objects, white/light fabrics, great display pieces.
Maybe because I am attracted to white and light interiors, I found many booths at Marburger in this style. I don't think it is going away anytime soon.
Cute little French desk in the front. Lots of white pillows, slipcovers, etc.
White chest, white marble sculpture, white iron planter, etc.
Light wood chest and mirror with iron lamp bases.
Another light wood chest, metal lamp bases and painted metal box for flowers.
Every shade of gray is still going strong. Notice the salvaged wood used to back the sconces.
This painted white antique chair is ready for reupholsery and a better faux finish on the frame. Very unique and a true antique. If there were do-overs, I would have purchased this.
There was an unlimited supply of brown wood furniture painted light colors -- gray, white, beige and pale greens or blues.
Chairs reupholstered in white.
Chests and nightstands ready for a new life.
I am so glad the recycling of these pieces is popular. I can't imagine how much furniture went to the landfill before this style became chic. Sorry I don't know the name of this dealer.
Here is another dealer with a fabulous booth. Wonderful canape/settee.
Needlework pillows and a framed piece on the wall.
We do see some brown wood tables that were not repainted.
Old beds are always popular especially with white bedding. Lots of ruffles. I think this dealer is J. Hill Designs.
Very attractive look of the lace top on the dress form. Nice French cabinet also.
Clock faces in decor hasn't faded. This dealer was also selling Leslie Sinclair's new book, Segreto.
Silverplated meat and food domes are in the height of popularity. Very beautiful display.
Crackle painted old kitchen cabinet.
And, here is the latest style --typography used in interiors.
What do you think? Do you like subway style?
And the industrial look.
Another building not to miss is the Silver Dollar Saloon. The dealers in here sell excellent transferware, majolica and estate jewelry.
You can also find an English transferware dealer at Zieger House.
Christopher English and Dennis & Dad are the dealers here.
They have an extensive collection of transferware, earthenware and pottery. I have a platter very much like this one.
Some nice painted chairs here on the porch.
Note to Dealers: If I could not find you or your business card in your booth to identify you in my photos, I want to give you credit. Please send me an email and I will add your name. I don't want to leave you out but I couldn't be certain from the Howdy map who the owners of the booths were.
We came home to a cool 70 degree temperature. My flower garden is loving it -- and so are we!!
Hope you enjoyed your tour of Marburger Farm.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Happy Birthday to America the Beautiful!
Do you decorate the exterior of your home for the Fourth of July? I see a lot of exterior theme decorating for Halloween and Christmas, a little at Easter but not much for the Fourth of July.
I love the show of patriotism of homeowners who fly the flag year round. I remember in January of 1990 when the Desert Storm Gulf War started patriotism was nearly dead -- you couldn't find a flag in a store to buy as they stopped carrying them. But when the first American plane was shot down in the Gulf, and the photos flooded TV screens, American homeowners stormed the stores demanding flags. I never saw so many yellow ribbons and flags flying in my life. Patriotism certainly got off the back burner. My husband and I met following the first Gulf War where he flew jets for the Navy off an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.
If you ever get the chance to see a collection of historic flags in a museum, don't miss it. Amazing. And, so much you never knew.
What do you think of patriotic bunting? I think it is very fun but it is hard to find in stores or maybe I just get there too late and it is all gone. Here are a few photos of homes near me using bunting.
Here's another nice one.
And this one is very nicely done.
White picket fences and bunting just seem to go together like America and apple pie.
There are flags in all the front entry flowerpots.
This red front door and red Crepe Myrtle bush get in on the celebration.
Oops, the plants died, but these homeowners still show the patriotic spirit in the empty planters.
One of my flowerbeds with red Begonias on the left and white ones on the right.
On a hot July day, who wouldn't love to sit on this front porch in the rocker under the fan with the flag flying? Note the Haint blue ceiling on the porch.
I also want to show you some of Mother Nature's celebration in red, white and blue in my yard.
Red and white Dragon Wing Begonias and blue Evolvulus called Hawaiian Blue Eyes. Iron Crane was a Target purchase in 2007. He was originally black and I painted it white.
Here is a close up of the Hawaiian Blue Eyes. There are not many true blue flowers and even fewer that work well in patio pots. These close up at night and open back the next morning.
I just love Dragon Wing Begonias. They bloom heavy and the blooms stay on all summer.
Each spring I buy 12 flats of Dragon Wings and put them in all the beds. In October when it cools down, they are at their premium. There are three red plants in this front planter. In October, the plants will be six feet wide and four feet tall. Another look at the white ones below.
I also plant Rainbow Swiss Chard in my flower beds. It is great to steam as a vegetable. We just love it. Love the red stems.
I have other white and red flowers in my yard, but many bloom early in April so are long gone.
Hope you have a fun celebration and fly some flags! I'm going to keep my eye out early next year for that bunting!
Summer Day for Swede
Photos: Swede
Continuing my prior post about antique shopping at Marburger Farm in Round Top, Texas.
I want to show you some of my favorite booths. I am going to just post the photo with no comments about each one so you can enjoy the details in your own way.
For those of you who have never been to Marburger Farm, or attended the Round Top antique show [there are hundreds of venues], just at Marburger Farm alone, the brochure says there are 350 dealers on 43 acres. There are old buildings which look like they were brought onto the site as well as HUGE white tents. Four or five of the white tents are each the size of a football field. Below is a photo of one of the smaller tents. There are probably 3 of these. There are also venues in Carmine and Warrenton. I don't think it is possible to see every vendor in the county in a week's visit.
Below are some of the old structures where vendors set up.
When we are traveling down the two-lane back roads to get to Round Top, we go through this one-lane arch.
If you love antiques, and have not been to this antique show, I hope you are able to attend soon. They are held twice a year. Check out their website.
Summer
Photos: Swede
German plates and figurines with sea barnacles and Roses from Ecuador. Figurines belonged to my MIL.
Roses are Mysteri [lilac] and Double Party [two-toned deep pink].
Hope you are having a fun weekend.
Summer
Photos: Swede
For Valentine's Day my husband treated me to a trip to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the annual Antique and Garden Show at the downtown Convention Center. While we are in Nashville, we never miss driving down to Franklin, the cutest little historic town about 30 miles south. My first stop in Franklin is always Iron Gate. I believe I discovered this shop about 13 years ago.
Have you seen the first issue of Canadian virtual decor magazine Dabble? They did an extensive story on Nashville and mentioned Iron Gate in Franklin. The gals who put virtual magazines together really amaze me. See it here: Dabble
Come with me to check out this cute interiors shop.
Iron Gate is at 338 Main Street in the old section of downtown Franklin. You can't miss it. Here is their website: Iron Gate
This mirror-topped table is the first thing you see when you walk in. I love mercury glass anytime of year, not just at Christmas. These items were beautiful.
They had a few pieces of the currently popular industrial look. This cabinet was very large. You can see the mirror better in the photo below.
I loved this mirror behind the light fixtures. Those are Jan Barboglio iron pieces in front of it. I like the way they make iron flowers. These are glass pillar candleabras on iron stands. You can see them better in the last photo.
Readers of my blog know how much I love white natural coral. My husband has gifted me many pieces over the years from this display cabinet.
A decor trend that has been strong the past few years is taking metal casement windows and replacing the glass with antiqued mirror. I think they are wonderful. Iron Gate had two of them.
And the romance of a white sofa with a gold frame!
Just dreamy. They also had pieces of Tara Shaw's Maison line. A dining table, corner cabinet and chairs.
This large mirror is wonderful also. This credenza was exceptionally large.
This iron bed is in the front window.
The lamps on this French buffet look like they are made of squares of Capiz shells.
The linen room has nationally known bedding lines such as Shabby Chic.
Note the mirror behind the headboard. Lots of beautiful white linens to choose from. Cute light fixture.
The day I was there they had a large selection of Jan Barboglio's iron pieces. They are so unusual.
Another cute little shop to check out while you are in Franklin is Scarlett Scales. She recently got a nice mention when Country Living magazine featured a table she and her Dad covered in zinc.
If you have a couple hours, be sure to stop at the Franklin Antique Mall on the same street as Scarlett's shop.
There are many wonderful shops in Franklin. Another favorite that I don't miss is The Registry a wonderful tabletop and bridal china shop. The Registry
Main Street in Franklin is typical of other older historic downtown areas as it has wonderful old buildings.
I hope you have seen something that has delighted your eye in this shopping trip with me to Iron Gate.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Whenever I am near Jackson, Mississippi, I must stop in at Annelle Primos. I am always looking for beautiful items for the tabletop, and, of course, I love light painted antiques.
Annelle Primos's interior design shop is in Highland Village right off I-55.
Have you been to a shop that is so "you" that you want to ask for the key so you can just move in and never leave because everything is to your liking?
Annelle Primos provides interior design services as well as a bridal registry. Visit the website here: Annelle Primos
My favorite item in the shop is this French mirror. The chest is wonderful also.
Here is a closer view of the fabulous top. Notice the birds.
How gorgeous is that? The gold bowl is 2die4.
I love light-toned neutral furnishings and painted wood finishes as they are so soothing as well as flexible when switching out accessories.
This mirrored pair of white painted doors makes a great backdrop for the Swedish sofa.
These light woods make decorating so easy.
I liked the shape of this piece by Bliss Studios in California.
So pretty.
Another light toned cabinet.
Nice console, trumeau and framed intaglios.
Antique altersticks. Notice the little bird under the glass cloche. And, the table below has a bird cage. Birds are a favorite accessory for spring.
The shop always has several dining tables. I like the way they display the tabletop items on each table in place settings.
This makes it so easy to see how these items will look on your own table.
Here is a close up of the place setting.
The Kim Seybert fringe beaded placemat with the antique china plate. Charger is clear glass with a gold rim. Totally elegant. I do like that this shop carries antique plates and mixes them with new ones just like I do. It gives the table so much character.
Here is another dining room. Note the painted green cane chairs.
The tablescapes are designed for Easter.
Cute rabbits and eggs.
Below is the place setting.
Neutral tones with lots of varying textures.
This dining table's cloth has a burlap look to the fabric's weave which goes great with the seagrass rug. It is tied so cute at the corners.
A really smart way to update a dark wood table that you are tiring of.
I love how they have mixed the antique plates here with new chargers and placemats. Note the unusual shape of the goblets.
A small table in Easter decor with a "feather" tree. Love the stemware here and the napkin with the aqua colored plates.
And here is another one.
A cute Easter rabbit with her baby. I like the planted carrots.
Another room at Annelle Primos has decor for more casual, rustic interiors and lake cabins.
Look how big and sturdy this dining table is. The antique French bench provides interesting seating instead of chairs.
These deer plates were a nice look for a hunting cabin theme.
I loved the amber stemware with the glass buttons. They were very reasonably priced. I will show these in my tablescape in a few weeks.
The deer napkin rings are unusual. The green placemat and octagonal plates make a great look.
This paneled screen is very pretty. Bird cages are very popular.
The registry section of the store carries exquisite china and stemware.
The cabinetry was painted by Virginia Weathersby of The Southern Institute of Faux Finishing. I came to Jackson to take my third class at her shop. I will do a post next on that topic. Virginia is the one who told me about Annelle Primos and I am so glad she did.
I see they carry my favorite French china, Jaune de Chrome. The cabinet above is displaying Juliska.
You won't want to miss the chandeliers.
Here are a few of my purchases on my dining room table.
Maybe I should say this is the "before" shot. Being a painter, you didn't think I would leave them this way, did you?
These three Bliss Studio pieces didn't make it 24 hours in my house before getting some gold "make up". They needed some added character so they didn't look like they all came out of the same Chinese factory [which they did].
Love the shape but it needs some help. First step is to add French gilding wax. This took me less than one minute on each piece. I just put the gold on the pad of my index finger and rub it on. You could use an artist's brush, but I like to feel how it is spreading.
I am using two different colors of gold wax for variation in the finish. This is the first step on the finial below. Next it will get a darker gold wax and then some paint.
Here's how all three of them looked after three minutes.
Ah, you say they all look the same again. Yes, they do. But wait until you see what I do to them next in another post. They each need their own individual character.
I hope you have enjoyed shopping with me at Annelle Primos.
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede
Last week for Tablescape Thursday, I showed a pink theme tablescape as a nod to the 2011 Pantone color of the year, Honeysuckle. In looking through my cupboards, I found more china with pink colorways.
With the flowers from that posting, I have substituted French Alberto Pinto service plates for variety should you do two dinners back to back with the same flowers. If I have guests staying at the house for several days, I like to mix up the china but keep the same flower arrangements. In the six styles of these service plates or chargers, three of them have bright pink in the design as shown below.
Here are a few photos of the individual plates.
You just gotta dig those fancy tailfeathers!
Also in my stash, below, are these pink luster W.T.Copeland plates from the 1860's. They are a lighter color pink and I haven't used them since I found them in 1992 in San Diego when I went to a thrift shop with a friend. I will work them in as a dinner plate.
I also have some pale pink Limoges shell shaped plates which I have used to serve appetizers or sometimes cake for dessert. I found a dozen of these at an antique show in San Franciso around 1994.
Do you have china that you have lost your passion for? Perhaps some that is now discontinued and seems outdated? I bought this Wedgwood Cuckoo bird pattern in 1977, and it falls into that category. Do you look for a way to update your lost love? Perhaps that plate will fit into this pink scheme.
I think remixing the china with newer pieces creates a new look for these plates or casts them in a new role.
I didn't realize how many plates I had with pink in them. Here is a Limoges dessert plate with pink Carnations. I bought this set of a dozen from a seller on eBay who raved about them. Of course, when I got them, I discovered that was all sales pitch. But I kept them to use "someday".
I found a small number of these pink lunch plates, below, in Missouri around 1985. That was when I was very much into the Victoria magazine look. They are unmarked but I think they are English Coalport or Copeland. They now live in an English pine plate rack in one of the guest rooms.
To get more variety, I could also choose green dinner plates to tone down so much pink. Also, for those who asked, the color of the wall in my dining room is a peachy color that goes with the silk plaid drapes and is not really pink. It is Martha Stewart's Nasturtium.
Are you willing to give Pantone's Honeysuckle or any bright pink a spot in your decor for 2011?
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
You can view the other entries here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede
When Pantone announced in December the color of the year for 2011 was Honeysuckle, I started thinking about what I already owned in pink. Not exactly Honeysuckle in hue, but bright pink which is similar. Being a self-confessed plate addict who cannot pass by a beautiful stack of plates for sale, I do have some pink plates in my stash. Truthfully, doing a table in all pink is not really something I have a passion for but due to the selection of Honeysuckle, we will all be seeing a lot more pink in 2011. So I decided to let the pink plates have their day. I started to build the tablescape around my garden statue Lucy who you have seen in several past posts.
I am not a fan of totally cluttered table tops where some object occupies every square inch. Some of these plants, especially the scented Hyacinths, would be removed prior to the meal. I think this tablescape would look just fine with just the statue and the Primroses at each place setting. I only want just enough objects to make it intriguing to my guests and interesting enough to start light conversation.
For the flowers, I already had the pink English Primroses, so I went to the grocery store and purchased two pink Hydrangeas and two pink Hyacinths. The Primroses are inside lion-head soup bowls from Williams-Sonoma and the other potted plants are placed on top of pedestal cake plates. The pink china in this tablescape is: 1) an antique Royal Worcester dessert service from around 1877 which has five cake stands and 14 plates; 2) hand-painted service plates by artist A. Rhodes, date unknown, set of 12 all with different painted scenes; and 3) a set of 10 dinner plates by English maker Cauldon and sold in Tiffany's New York store sometime between 1920 and 1930.
First let me show you the overall tablescape with each of the three services and then I will show more detailed photos.
Starting the meal with the service plates, each of these has a garden scene painted in exquisite detail. I don't know who A. Rhodes was, of course, but she was extremely talented. I always wonder who had the china before me and what they were like. These would be wonderful for a small bridal shower in a garden or a lunch for a group of garden club members.
Here we have the Cauldon for Tiffany dinner plates with cartouches and leaves around the edge in a very bright pink border.
And the last service is the dessert plate by Royal Worcester.
Now for the details of the build-out. I first started with a bright pink linen tablecloth from Williams-Sonoma but it looked awful. Too much pink. So I went to white and put on a cutwork tablecloth I purchased from Canada in a crosswise position over top of a white quilt. I am not really a tablecloth fan because it seems they never are made the right size and I don't like just 9" hanging down the sides. But I am okay with layering different cloths on an angle.
I started with my largest gold charger Hemisphere by Jl Coquet below.
The flatware is antique 1898 St.James by Tiffany. I used two sizes of stemware, a water and a wine, with a pink flash stem and bubble clear top from Pottery Barn. My husband inherited from his mother two wine stems in cranberry glass which I believe are Moser Cabochon and then I added more glasses to his set.
Here is a close up of the dinner plate. You can see the lion-head soup bowls as well. They have a gold rim around the top.
Below is a close up of the Royal Worcester dessert plate with a hand-painted floral grouping in the center.
And with some cookies. Honey if you are reading this they will be all gone by the time you get home.
I also want to show you a few of the hand painted service plates.
All are outdoor garden scenes. This one is of a garden staircase.
Roses on an arbor.
A pathway through two columns.
This one has a sundial on a pedestal.
This one has an archway.
Here is the backside of the tablesetting showing how the cake pedestals give height to the flowers. I always like vertical height in my tablescapes.
The remainder of photos in this post are miscellaneous ones you might enjoy.
Next week I will show the remainder of pink plates in my collection.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
You can view the other entries here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
I hope this inspires you to put a little pink in your life during 2011.
All the best,
Summer
Photo credits: Swede
I'm sure you've seen these a million times in decor magazines over the past few years. They are a decorative take off from the original glass cloches used in England to keep frost in the spring from nipping plants. Today they are used for a variety of different things. Recently I decided to place some antique French documents in mine. These are letters and official documents from the 1810's to 1860's. Some have royal stamps on them. I wish I could read French to know what they are all about. I can read a few words which are the same in English as in French. One I can tell is a prenup as it uses the words marriage and discusses what property the bride brings to the marriage. I think they are just pure fun.
I had some thin purple ribbon from a gift that I cut up and tied around the documents.
I love the beautiful script of the handwriting on the parchment paper. This cloche is sitting on a mirrored brass plateau.
Since this cloche is quite tall, I used a photocopy machine's enlargement feature to print some of the letters on 11x17 paper. All the documents are loosely rolled so as to not destroy them with creases. I think this is just a fun way to display these papers and protect them under glass.
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede
At Scott Market in Atlanta I found Belgian design still going strong. Here is the booth of Luz and Hernando Punto, owners of La Casita Home Decor of Tampa, Florida.
These vintage chairs are reupholstered in linen. They displayed a table of many styles of grain sacks with the printed dates and logos that have been so popular this past year.
Here's a cute chair.
Cute chairs in chocolate.
Pillows with embroidery or stamped designs.
Here is a large bench. I think you could also pad a large coffee table and convert it to a bench.
La Casita's business card does not have a web address, only an email address. If you would like to contact them, send me an email and I will pass it along.
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede
When I went to the December show at Scott Market in Atlanta, I met Mary Robertson of Shell Art & Design. I wanted to show you some of her work.
She said she is showing pieces of jewelry and shell decorative accessories at the Jacksonville Beach Museum, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida until January 6th if you are close by and want to see her work there.
This is a lidded box with the shells afixed.
She attaches the shells to sconces, statues, picture frames, lamps and mirrors.
I'm sure you have seen books published the past few years on Shell Chic interiors. I still love decorating with white natural coral and some large shells. In the past couple of years shelter magazines have overdone the look and some say it is a trend that has gone. To me my coral pieces are everlasting and a room can still be beautifully done with shells as accessories if not done to extremes, as with any trend.
Mary's business card does not have an email or website, so I can't give it to you. I do have her phone number if you just email me.
All the best on this early Janaury Sunday.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Scott Antique Market in Atlanta is one of my favorite places to go. Their show is one weekend a month. I have gone a couple times a year over the past ten years or so and attended the December event. Before I started blogging, I did not think about taking photos. I am seeking Swedish antiques mostly but keep an open mind to just find anything beautiful in accessories, natural coral, table silver or china. This is a large show, so there is just so much to see and takes a full day if you walk up and down the aisles fast with just a glance inside seller's booths. I think their website says it is 336,000 square feet but that must include both buildings. When I need to visit Atlanta or a nearby city, I try to plan my trip on the week of this antique show. http://www.scottantiquemarket.com/
Here are some photos of some of the beautiful things that caught my eye. People buy at the November show for Christmas so inventory was not as high as I have seen it in the past. I have listed the dealer's name where I have that information. Email me if you would like their contact data.
Benton Hayden & Associates of Atlanta. Window and door frames are still very popular as backdrops for other accessories.
A close up of her booth.
This lovely candelabra is from Arcing Sky Gallery Art & Antiques as well as the following hurricanes, candelabra and painting. The paintings were very stunning.
This pillow is created by Joan Garrett of Atlanta. She has hundreds of high end designer fabric decorative pillows that she makes herself. They were outstanding and in every color imaginable.
The designer fabric used in these throw pillows was amazing. I couldn't narrow down a color I wanted to use in the redo of our living room.
Antique European chairs with great character. Note to self - buy every one of these next time.
Lots of white ironstone. It is so loved, I don't think it will ever go out of style.
This is the booth of Antique Sanctuary of Atlanta. Hope Fassett, the owner always has a beautifully styled booth.
Hope had these pretty painted benches.
And the beautiful glass jugs in greens and blue/greens.
I just love light painted woods. This large scale bench was wonderful.
Lovely pieces.
Hope has a lot of things that touch my heartstrings.
Need some silverplate? Here are just a few patterns to choose from. You can have a lot of fun looking through this pile. I believe this is Gulf Coast Silver from League City, Texas.
Moving along to another booth, this is Illuminati Antiques of Atlanta. Their booth sells out quickly, so come early on the first day of the show.
Pretty sconces. They also had beautiful demijohn jugs in green tones of the glass.
Wine jugs are still going strong. It is a trend that could stay awhile.
Illuminati also carries many nice mirrors.
Here we are at the booth of Nostalgia Fine Art from Douglasville, Georgia. They have an enormous supply of framed and unframed prints of pages taken from antique books.
Moving along to another pretty vignette.
Lots of pretty Majolica.
If you love blue and white, this dealer from Dearborn, Michigan has a lot to choose from.
Does your heart speak French?
This pretty 1870 stepback gray cupboard is from the Hunt's Antiques who specialize in cupboards. They are from Monticello,Georgia.
Christy Hickey's booth looked like it belonged on the cover of Country Living magazine. This unusual display is composed of cotton yarn spools from the old Atlantic Cotton Mill in Macon, Georgia.
Here you see spools of gold thread on the right.
Christy is a fun talented gal with a great styling eye.
David Herndon Antiques of Atlanta deals in English porcelains, paintings and Black Forest wood carvings of exquisite quality. Some of the china I have shown in my tablescaping posts was purchased from David.
Oil paintings of dogs and other animals remain in constant demand. David Herndon has a nice selection here.
You know how much I love painted furniture. This is a stunning piece that would be the focal point of any room.
This Italian painted chest from Butte's Antiques of Thomasville, NC is 2die4.
Eye candy.
Isn't this fabulous!
Diane Dunn's shop White Rose Linens has a fabulous selection of vintage laces and linens.
Lovely oil painting in another booth.
Another fabulous look.
I've had a long standing dream of furnishing an entire house by selecting items from all the booths at Scott Market. There are so many wonderful things to choose from including lighting, carpets and art in two huge expo buildings. All the photos in this post are from the North Building. You can purchase high and low here as pricing is all over the map.
More eye candy.
Yummy.
More light painted wood pieces that are loved by so many.
Very sweet oil painting.
Imported wood lamp bases for the look that is so popular now.
Beautiful sconces. The dealer was not in their booth, so I don't know the name.
It takes me a full day to see the hundreds of dealers at Scott. There are several restaurants and food booths so you can stay all day.
This is the North Building which has the high end antiques. There are many estate jewelry and sterling dealers that I haven't mentioned. Literally millions of dollars of inventory. There are also booths outside and in tents in the parking lot. So much to see.
I will show you more in my next post of a shell art dealer.
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede
Before we are into New Year's posts, I wanted to do one last Christmas post to show you some tablesettings I've done where I used Christmas tree ornaments to bring in a desired color. Ornaments at each place setting can be given to the guest as a favor at the end of the meal if you wish to do that.
This magenta and white theme on a marble table uses a jeweled ornament from Target to bring out the magenta of the bird on the charger by French maker Alberto Pinto. The magenta napkin is 100% hemp from Williams-Sonoma. It really is magenta [not red or cranberry] as the camera distorted the color. Magenta flash stem goblet from Pottery Barn. Antique sterling is Tiffany's 1898 St. James pattern. Also bringing in more magenta is the cup and saucer in Haviland's Malmaison purple fishing scene.
I used the same magenta ornament here with the Malmaison plates but added the Jungle Leaf placemat by Rose Tree [Dillard's] to update this vintage discontinued china with some punch for the holidays. I have to say that this jungle look is way out of my comfort zone, but it does update tired china patterns. The magenta runner is also hemp from Williams-Sonoma. I am a sucker for romance and loved this pattern because of the husband fishing while the wife sitting on the rocks holds the baby and watches nearby. So French.
On this table I've remixed again swapping out the Tiffany silver to the English King pattern, selected another Alberto Pinto charger [there are six bird scenes] and added the antique English magenta [really, it is NOT red] plate by Spode-Copeland handpainted by R. Wood.
This next remix brings in more of the acid green from the placemat with the French Jacquard Francais napkin, French Raynaud's Festivities dinner plate and a switch out to Gorham's antique St. Cloud silver.
This antique green plate from an English Coalport dessert service is fun to use at Christmas time. Charger is Anna Weatherley Simply Anna and dinner plate is vintage Royal Worcester Ripple, a pattern from the 1960's in a gold glittery glaze finish, which was way ahead of its time. You are seeing this type of finish now from French porcelain makers.
And this green setting is using another antique Copeland/Spode scenic batwing pattern called Compagna. I'm getting tired of that zebra print, aren't you?
Ah, yes, we were talking about ornaments. Back to discussing ornaments.
This is one of my most favorite settings using chocolate and white. Brown beaded ball ornament from Hobby Lobby. Metallic gold thread oversize monogrammed napkin is French maker Jacquard Francais. All china is Anna Weatherley's Simply Anna [made in Hungary] except for the cup and saucer from Italian maker Richard Ginori in the Fiesole pattern. I think the white natural coral and white quilt on the table create a simple elegance.
This ornament, also from Target, fills the entire rim soup and is made of chocolate brown thin round glass with a metallic gold damask pattern stenciled on the glass. Sorry for the bad flash that distorted the ornament's finish.
Here the large beaded ball ornament is used with a brown embroidered placemat by Noble Excellence [Dillard's] atop an antique French marble table, Wildlife Leopard highball tumblers by Slant [Dillard's] and the charger from Paris, France, my all-time favorite porcelain maker Jaune de Chrome. Their glazes are indescribably out of this world. This is the Tortoise Encrusted pattern [they offer it in two gold rim finishes], which when held in the light shows a lilac cast. Fabulous, fabulous maker. I can't say enough about this company's creativity and excellence in making their product. Rim soup is Italian maker Richard Ginori's Fiesole. Irish Waterford Colleen stem and Tiffany St. James silver.
For some reason I like putting ornaments inside the rim soup bowls. Here is a purple blown glass peacock ornament from Marshalls [unknown Chinese maker]. This photo shows the more true color of the Jaune de Chrome china glaze. Stemware is Home James Society amethyst on the left and an unknown maker purple wine glass from Marshall's on the right. I could have also switched out the napkin to a purple one. I'm sure there is another tablescape coming where I will do that.
A simple glitter ball ornament joins natural clam seashells in this rim soup. Usually the ornament appears to have fallen into the plate from the centerpiece where more of the same ornaments are grouped. The china, bottom to top, is JL Coquet Hemisphere Matte Gold charger, Royal Worcester vintage Ripple dinner plate, Richard Ginori Torino rim soup, Chas. Field Haviland Arizona bread plate, Limoges monogrammed side plate and Royal Crown Derby Gold Aves cup/saucer. Waterford Colleen and Simon Pearce Stratton stems.
In this black and white theme with the Anna Weatherley Simply Anna china, we have an ornament from Target that is a black glitter encrusted box in an egg shape. Toile napkin is from Williams-Sonoma. Antique Tiffany 1871 Japanese silver.
This magenta and gold ornament from Target coordinates with the hemp napkin. Salad plate is English Royal Worcester Contrast, dinner plate is Paris maker Jaune de Chrome's Feuille d' Or and charger is by Raynaud in the Horizon Granite Gold pattern.
In this violet and green theme, I've used Anna Weatherley chargers in violet with an antique Minton dinner plate with gold embossed on green. Antique silver is Gorham's St. Cloud. The purple twinkly object on the upper left is a cone-shaped Christmas tree out of view.
This glittery white ornament in Royal Crown Derby's Gold Aves cup is joined by an unmarked English dessert plate from a dessert service in a wonderful shade of green with a scalloped gold edge. Charger is JL Coquet Hemisphere Matte Gold.
I really enjoy doing the mixes of antique, vintage and new to keep it interesting.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch. Go here to see all the entries.
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best,
Summer
Photo Credits: Swede
This tablescape of dinner for six in white and gold incorporates seashells and clear glass. I like to mix various patterns of china, crystal and silver in the place settings as I think it is more interesting than all one pattern. I particularly like mixing antique, vintage and new pieces together. In this setting, I am using Raynaud Horizon Granite Gold chargers, Chas. Field Haviland Arizona dinner plates and Richard Ginori Torino rim soups. I very seldom buy salad plates, soups and dessert plates, but purchase a rim soup plate to do all three tasks. Here I have used a mix of antique silver from Tiffany and Durgin.
I love white and gold anytime of the year.
The tablecloth is a white scalloped-edge quilt. A white orchid is under a huge glass dome which sits atop a white pedestal cake plate.
I am usually not a tablecloth person and prefer placemats, but in this case, I wanted to cover the entire table in white. The quilt has a very French boutis look.
The stemware is also a mix of Simon Pierce's air twist Stratton pattern, Waterford's Colleen pattern and an unknown pattern stem with a swag pattern that I found on eBay.
The glass canisters are placed in the center of the table and hold various types of seashells. Some of these would be removed to the side when dinner is served due to their size.
Williams-Sonoma footed dessert dishes hold mercury glass ball ornaments.
This huge glass cloche sits on a mirrored brass plateau.
The antique linen monogramed napkins from France unfold to 27" square so are officially "lapkins". I love how the French are able to fold them up into such a small size.
The dining room is currently under "restructure". The dining room and living room recently were switched. There is much still to be done.
Would anyone like a serving of seashell casserole?
Hope you are all having fun decorating your tables.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch. Go here to see all the entries.
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best,
Summer
Photo Credits: Swede
Each year I look for unusual ornaments or unusual items to decorate for the holidays. Once I find an object in that category, I purchase it as I can't find the same thing the following year. And, it seems, unusual things like folk art and especially hand made items are never there when it comes time for the after Christmas sales. Sometimes I don't know what I am going to do with the object at the time I buy it, but somehow it works out in the decorating scheme. Such was the case this year when I found these metal frame "cages" that hold a tea light candle. The "cage" is made up of beaded wire and clear stones. They are about 9" wide and long and hang by a metal hook and a 10" chain. They also come in different sizes. Mine are the large ones.
I don't know where you are supposed to hang them, but the only place I could find was on the arms of the dining room chandelier. [Yes, I know a real decorator would faint.] The store had them hanging down from the ceiling on plastic fish line. That doesn't exactly work in my house either.
I think they look good hung in clusters. Also, I used flameless votives instead of real tea light candles in them. Votives put out more light. Having caught my fireplace mantle on fire many years ago, I am kind of leary of an open flame. I don't know how the Victorians put real candles on their Christmas trees and lit them inside their homes. Knowing me, the candles would tip and fall off and burn the house down. At any rate, I feel very comfortable with the flameless battery operated ones and you really can't tell the difference. The candle sits on a little bridge between two sides of the cage.
I think they were $25 each but the day I was there the store was having a 33% off promotion.
I found these in the home section of Dillard's department store. They came in silver [shown here], bronze [I got two of those for another room], red and gold. Maybe by next year I will have found a great place to display them. Any ideas?????
I can envision a Swedish all white room with the silver ones hung on large white Birch tree branches in a tall metal urn nearly reaching the ceiling. Silver and white, yummy!
All the best,
Summer
Photo Credits: Swede
The best to you at the holidays.
Summer
Credits: Photo Swede
Angel: Wisteria online catalog, "Flora" angel
Mirror: Vintage starburst mirror from Italy
I love natural white sea coral and mercury glass together any time of the year, but for the holiday season it looks even better, particularly mixed with clear glass beads.
All the mercury glass pieces are new. I have not found any antique ones.
One thing I don't like about mercury glass is that it doesn't photo well as it takes on the reflections of items around it. You don't get the correct silver look in the photos.
Hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday season so far.
Summer
Photo credit: Swede
While shopping a few weeks ago, I found some very unusual beaded pick ornaments at Dillard's. They had them coming out the top of an artificial Christmas tree. They are about 24 inches long. Here I have placed 10 of them in a clear glass vase as I didn't want to put them on my tree. They were so unusual I couldn't pass them by and hope to find a better way to use them next year. The branches are encrusted with glitter. I like the clear glass beads coming off the branches. If you have an idea on how they could be used, please email me.
I am currently using them with three sizes of silver mercury glass trees which I also found at Dillard's.
You can also see the medium and small mercury glass trees on page 105 of this month's November/December issue of Veranda magazine in a room designed by Lisa Luby Ryan. I love that home she designed because it is Swedish and shows some great Swedish antique pieces.
Photo by Erica George Dines.
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede first (3)
I love Tulips at the holidays. Here is a photo I took last year of the angel I purchased from the Wisteria catalog. I have used her in a lot of different photos. I gave her one of my gold chains to wear. Tulips look great with the finger painting on gallary wrap canvas I did in coral tones.
Hope you are having fun decorating for the holidays.
All the best,
Summer
Photo credit: Swede
I'm running late decorating for the holidays. Here is a little display in my home office. I love to mix real coral into my holiday decorating. Metal painted shadow box is from Wisteria catalog. Cross in shadow box is from Hobby Lobby. Cabinet doors are the ones I painted in a class at The Southern Institute of Faux Finishing in Mississippi this summer. Turquoise painting is a 4'x6' gallary wrap canvas I finger painted a few years ago and then added some gold leaf. Are you through with your holiday decorating?
Summer
Happy Thanksgiving To All My Blog Readers
I'm Thankful For You
All the best,
Summer
I, like many of you are hunter-gatherers, love the thrill of the hunt and delight in the find. I have always said I don't care where I find a fabulous piece whether at Neiman's or a flea market, as after you take it home nobody will know where you got it as the value lies in the piece itself. I truly enjoy hunting at flea markets, antique shows, church rummage sales, garage sales, high-end shops or low-end stores. I am always on the look for something fabulous and it is a thrill to find something fabulous at a low price. Don't we all love that? Church rummage sales tend to be the place to find the greatest stuff at the lowest price. It is not often that I catch a church rummage sale as many are on Fridays while I am at work, but this weekend I spotted a sign on the street about one starting Saturday morning at a church to raise money for their deaf school. Beautiful new church building in a lovely part of town. I was there at 7:30AM to score this find.
Someone had donated this vintage candelabra. My score for $10. Made of bronze and bisque porcelain. I can't tell whether the arms are painted black on bronze or are iron. The arms also move. It can hold 6 candles if you remove the central finial or go with 5 candles and leave the finial in place. I opted to do the latter as I was sure if I took it out I would lose it.
If you have one of these and can tell me more about it, please email me. I'd love to know more about it.
I'm a sucker for anything with angels on it especially if it is porcelain and white.
For now, I decided to put it in the living room niche over the fireplace with my mercury glass. I will add some glass bead garland for bling for Christmas decoration after Thanksgiving. I am in the middle of redecorating that room, so took down the painting at the back of the niche. Looks a little bare right now.
In September I found this porcelain gravy boat at another charity consignment sale. I do love aqua trim with a monogram and gold edging. It is marked on the bottom with a Paris maker.
I wish there had been more pieces of this set for sale, but alas, only one. The monogram is great tho since it is my maiden name.
The monogram is on both ends of the piece.
Here is another find at that same sale. I am pretty sure she is Marie Antoinette. Resin busts like this can be purchased at the museum shop of Versailles for about 164 Euros.
Or you can buy this one for $25,000 from Newel Antiques.
At that same charity consignment sale, I found this large scale 14" pair of oriental porcelain vases with wonderful colors. I place coral long stem roses in these on chests on both sides of the living room fireplace.
Finding the sweet pieces is what keeps us all going to the next sale.
Here is a Reed and Barton ladle still with the pattern "patent applied for" on this early version.
Young woman with long curly hair holding a garland of flowers. Very romantic. Must be from the 1880-1890's.
I hope you too have found some wonderful things if that is your passion.
All the best,
Summer
Photo credits: All Swede except Marie Antionette white bust from newel.com.
Marburger Farm Antique Show starts September 28 -- next week. Are you going? Twice a year [April and September] thousands of people arrive in Round Top, Texas to look for treasures. Here are some four-plex collages from my visit in April. If you are planning to go, I hope these photos get your heart pumping. If you have never been and you love antiques of all kinds, start packing. April is a great time to go as well. The wildflowers are blooming in fields that stretch for miles and the weather is cool.
This antique show is really the whole county. Tents and buildings with merchandise for sale are in several towns, in hay fields and in wide spots in the road.
Driving through the countryside in April we saw many miles of beautiful landscape.
Here are some collages of the individual buildings at Marburger Farm as well as the huge white tents. Be sure to pick up a brochure when you arrive that tells you the layout of the farm. Also look at the website before you come.
Many of these old buildings were brought onto this site.
There were many of these huge white tents. Lettered from A to G, I believe.
Let's take a look inside some of them. Many of the dealers are regulars returning for years.
Lots of eye candy from this dealer who was inside Legler House.
This dealer was one of my favorites in the General Store. Love the displays and the light painted wood pieces, lots of mirrors -- just pure eye candy.
This Texas dealer makes new jewelry out of old disparate pieces. I love how she displayed them on old photographs of long lost relatives of somebody's. My sweet husband purchased a necklace and earrings for me. In looking at the necklace, I can tell it was assembled from an old buckle, an old dress clip, and a pin. Every piece is unique. This is definitely up-cycling.
There is no shortage of ironstone, majolica, bone china, porcelain, pottery, transferware, faience for every collector.
There are decorative items of every kind as well as clothing, estate jewelry, garden items and so much more.
Here are more booths.
The dealers are from all over the United States and some international.
There is so much inventory in all these booths, I commented that I could furnish an entire house in just one visit.
There is so much to see just at Marburger Farm alone. We spent one full day there and barely got to all the tents. To thoroughly look at all the booths, you could spend the full week here and never make it to any of the other venues.
If you have more time to spend, be sure to stop at the Big Red Barn. There are fine antiques in this building that is air conditioned. It is on the same road as Marburger Farm. You can also continue on and drive to Warrenton where there is much more to see.
I hope this has whetted your appetite for some fall antique shopping. And if you go to Round Top, I hope you find some things that make your heart sing.
All the best,
Summer
Photo Credits: All Swede
Who would have ever thought I would go to camp for the first time at my age? When I was a youngster, there was no such thing as going away to summer camp. Nobody left town. We lived where all the campers wanted to come, the Rocky Mountains. "Real" camping was available 365 [have you heard of snow camping?] in the most scenic mountains, rivers and valleys [think bighorn sheep, cougars, elk, rattlesnakes]. Although my Mother did real outdoor tent camping often as a child with her family and loved it, including Yellowstone Park in the 1920's, I never spent one night in a tent as a kid.
So for my first camping adventure, how much better could it get than having Tobi Fairley for camp counselor? She is the hottest name in interior design right now - at the peak of it all. I'm still pinching myself that I got to spend a day with her. And what better topic than color in interior design. Okay, I'm in heaven.
When I was pulling out of my driveway to head to Little Rock, the postman delivered the October issue of Traditional Home magazine. Guess who has a four-page spread [starting on page 66] -- Tobi Fairley! And she is wearing the cutest red floral dress. The article showcases two rooms she did on green space for the charity Energy Showhouse in her home state at Hot Springs, Arkansas. Tobi has become known for her unusual color combinations such as aqua and orange shown here. She also uses bright hues with full saturation.
Photo Credit: Traditional Home. Photography by Nancy Nolan.
Here is Tobi's blog: http://tobifairley.com/blog/topic/tobi-fairley-interior-design/ and website: http://tobifairley.com/ and her art gallery: http://www.tobifairleygallery.com/. Be sure to click on her web portfolio to see projects she has done. You can also hear the podcast on The Skirted Roundtable where Tobi talks about her business and design work [blue living room] on the March 2010 cover of House Beautiful. Her office lobby is painted this same color which looks nothing like the magazine cover [see photo below]. http://skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com/2010/03/guest-designer-tobi-fairley.html
So let's take a look at our tent. It is 140 years old and recently refurbished.
We "roughed" it at the Capital Hotel in downtown Little Rock. Having running water is great! http://www.capitalhotel.com/site/index.php
The inside of my tent is done in an English floral.
I could see the Convention Center out my window which is across the street from the hotel.
Camp Tobi Fairley's agenda covered topics such as Tobi's Tips on fabric pairings, furniture finishes and accessories. We studied forming color palettes by selecting and pairing paints, creating inspiration boards, getting the best bang for your decor buck, and where to splurge on furnishings, as well as viewing slides of her work. She shared her top 10 paint colors. We also got to preview her latest fabric designs.
Here is a collage of campers hard at work. Campers came from Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina.
Tobi is assisting each camper with building their own unique color palette. I went to Sherwin-Williams when I got home and picked up the paint chips I worked with at camp. Okay, so I hated them when I got them home in my light. I started over with new chips from Sherwin-Williams latest 7000 series paints. I am now liking: SW7659 Gris, SW7570 Egret White, SW7616 Breezy, and SW7601 Dockside Blue.
Ask S-W for their free chip fan called Concepts in Color that contains all the latest colors [7501-7750]. Their previous fan is available for purchase. You can also use their Interactive feature on their website to try out colors.
Tobi is so good with color, she can look at a chip and tell you if it has an undertone of pink, yellow, green or blue. I am debating whether a person is born with that ability or whether it can be learned. I am hoping I can improve this skill with my new lessons from Tobi.
Here is my inspiration board featuring the things I love. Swedish furniture, of course, and light and warm white interiors. I've added some aqua fabrics to this one. I coined the phrase "Soft Grandeur" to describe my style. I'm sure you have heard of styles such as Rough Luxe, Soft Elegance, Shabby Chic, etc. This is luxe without the rough. Calming, easy comfort with some eye candy to delight the visual senses. I selected items that I never tire of looking at which are very versatile. White fabrics are all washable. Soft Grandeur has a northern Euro look of gilded objects juxtaposed with simple lines.
I like keeping a room neutral so I can throw a dash of any color in it with pillows, art, china or flowers and the whole room immediately becomes that color. Then I can change my mind and do a different color the next day. I need to be able to bring in a bouquet of flowers from my garden that are coral Daylilies one day and purple Iris another time and have the room always look good with no colors fighting each other. I can also use every color in my china collection on the dining table without a problem. I am a nester. I am always trying to improve the look of my nest. I also need constantly changing visual stimulation. After all these years of decorating trial and error, I finally figured myself out. Whew! My sweet husband hasn't had any issues with the white sofas and chairs.
Here is a collage of boards created by some of the other campers. I was not able to get photos of all the boards.
Inspiration boards are where you place pictures, fabrics, paint samples, objects or anything from which you derive inspiration. This creates the basis of assembled ideas to edit and then move forward in creating an interior space.
While at Tobi's offices, she gave us a tour of where she and her staff work.
I just love her personal office done with pink paint and white furnishings. It immediately reminded me of John Coote's home in Ireland, Bellamont.
Photo credit: Knight-Frank real estate listing.
We also were given a tour of her art gallery next door.
If you are interested in further information about any of these works, call Amy at their gallery. Link provided above.
Here is another example of her use of dramatic color.
This is in Tobi's art gallery.
Ten things I liked about Camp Tobi Fairley:
1) Tobi is willing to share her resources. She will tell you the exact paint color used in a room. None of that "its a custom mix only my painter knows".
2) You can ask her design questions and you get real answers, not "its a trade secret" pretentious replies.
3) Tobi as a business woman knows that education is a great marketing tool to both your clients and admirers. Sharing knowledge is good business.
4) Her understanding of color is phenomenal. Even though she likes bright intense colors, I feel she could be equally successful with neutrals and would love to see work in that area. She understands all colors.
5) She encouraged questions during the session and dialog between campers. Sharing ideas with other campers helped both the experienced professional designers and the enthusiasts. Everyone was able to take away knowledge from the event.
6) I liked that she was willing to up-cycle used furnishings to give them a new life. [See Traditional Home article on the Energy House]. When a top designer does this it gives validity to saving resources and others follow suit.
7) The before and after photos of her projects were just great. You were also able to learn in her Tips segment how and why to apply the design theory.
8) I will definitely look at colors in a new way with a different understanding.
9) My curiosity keeps me constantly wanting to know more about design and it is a privilege to learn from someone as successful as Tobi.
10) We got lunch [smile].
One of the most enjoyable parts of camp was the evening "campfire" where design war stories were told at the Capital Bar and Lounge.
What a great time.
I hope you have enjoyed going on my first camping adventure.
All the best,
Summer
Photo Credits: All Swede except Bellamont and Traditional Home.
How exciting this will be. I'm going to Little Rock, Arkansas to attend Tobi Fairley's Design Camp next Saturday. Stay tuned for my post on all the happenings.
Tobi uses a lot of color impact in her designs. I'm a lover of white and neutrals, so this will be interesting. I am always up for learning about design. It's been toooo many years since I took college design classes. This is really a great woman's weekend event and entertainment as well as absorbing all things design. I'm sure most of the attendees are not newbies in the design field. I am really looking forward to a great time.
All the best,
Summer Day
Photo credit: Tobi Fairley Interior Design
Last week I returned to The Southern Institute of Faux Finishing in Brandon, MS for a second class. This one was on furniture finishes. I loved every minute of it.
This Institute is close to Jackson, Mississippi.
Our beautiful instructor, Virginia, who is not only extremely knowledgeable with 15 years of experience, but also an excellent teacher who makes every second a fabulous event.
Here are my photo collages of the six furniture finishes we did.
The finish names from top to bottom, left to right are: Veranda, Arabesque, Chalk, Chinoiserie, Versailles, and Delicato.
Making the Veranda finish. This finish is named after the cover of Veranda magazine's Jan/Feb 2007 issue of a room in the Belgian residence of couturier Edouard Vermeulen. The console table is 2die4 also. This cover is probably the most talked about cover Veranda has done. Another cover in similar blue-greens is the September 2009 issue. I love both of these.
This is the gold-leafed Arabesque finish which uses Aquastone for the raised dimensional look.
This is the Annie Sloan chalk paint finish. The Annie Sloan brand is a new introduction to the United States from England so is all the rage lately. The texture sets it apart from other paints. It is now being manufactured in the US giving better access to it than ordering from England. Virginia will be teaching an entire class on Annie Sloan chalk paint the end of August at the Institute. Unfortunately, I have to be in Seattle but purchased several colors and am testing them on furniture pieces now. The cabinet in the lower right portion of the collage was done for one of Virginia's clients. It is the same finish we did in class.
Here is Chinoiserie in black and red as a plaque with the symbol for "home" made with a stencil and Tamise gold leaf.
This is the making of Versailles named for the motif found in the French castle Versailles. It is one of my all-time favorites.
Here is Delicato which is stunning with the aqua against the black.
We also learned about antiquing mirror.
Students having soooooooooo much fun.
These paint finishes arranged by 12 colors are done on small sample mouldings. Each one is uniquely fabulous in it's own right. It would be so hard to choose just one.
These finishes are done in the cabinet class. Looks like another fun one to take.
And, here are some inspiring wall finishes to intice faux finishers to take that class. So many wonderful classes are offered at the Institute. Is it possible to quit work and just go here full time?
I plan to hang some of the samples on my home office wall. Here is Versailles and Delicato displayed on my office console table.
I hope you have enjoyed being a student with me.
All the best,
Summer
Photo Credits: Swede with the exception of Veranda cover by Francis Amiand.
I want to share with you my interior design inspiration boards that I submitted in Tobi Fairley's contest. Tobi is an interior designer in Arkansas and held a contest via her blog for students at her summer design camp, her staff and those following her blog.
http://tobifairley.com/blog/2010/inspiration-board-winners/
You can read about the camp and the winners via this link. I didn't win, of course, but it was fun and I learned how to build a collage board via Picasa software. I actually submitted two inspiration boards, one using one-of-a-kind antiques selected from various online antique shops and a second one selecting new furnishings from websites where the products are available to everyone.
I took an imaginary house and filled it with things I liked. Since I used Picasa collages, mine is not a photo of an actual board with fabric pieces, three-dimensional items, family photos, carpet samples, etc. Using the collage limits you to just a few photos, so I was not able to select items for an entire home or even one complete room.
Here is the first inspiration board created with mostly antiques and vintage items:
Product List:
Let’s go online shopping for inspiration for a dream home on the outskirts of Paris.
1) First, let’s go to Jacqueline Adams Antiques for a Swedish sofa.
2) Then, hop over to Cote Jardin for a trumeau.
3) Next, click over at Avolli for a pair of white chairs.
4) Let’s go to Robert Shapiro for an Italian aqua & gold center table.
5) Next, to Robert Kime for some English damask for pillows.
6) Then, click over at Ann Kroener Antiques for some sconces.
7) And, we’ll need a chandelier from John Roselli.
8) How about a side chair with a gold frame from Cupboard and Roses Antiques.
9) Take some gold edged china from my pantry.
10) And some white coral and mercury glass from the living room.
11) Install some white marble overdoors.
12) In this lovely house outside Paris.
Here is the new products inspiration board:
I am decorating this house in Atlanta on Peachtree Battle that I found in the real estate listings:
Product List:
Although I do not decorate in blue, it seemed that these items went together.
This collage is of all new furniture available now [not one of a kind antiques].
1) Faux Effects International faux paint on wood door panel
2) Chaise from Councill Craftsmen
3) Floor mirror from Restoration Hardware
4) Haviland Prestige Turenne china at china shops where Haviland is sold
5) Chandelier from Julie Neill
6) Buffet by Randall Tysinger via EJ Victor Furniture
7) Commode by Amy Howard Collection
8) Console by Amy Howard Collection
9) Four Poster bed by Corsican
10) Occasional chair by Hickory Chair
11) Sofa by EJ Victor
12) Trumeau by EJ Victor
I have not provided the links to the product websites, but they are easy to pull up with Google. Hope you enjoyed my picks.
All the best,
Summer
Frequently I come across a product that I love so much I want to tell everybody about it. I really don't collect baskets, but when I saw this one at Target Stores, I was smitten by the sturdy quality, large size and the sea grass. Baskets seem to propagate at my house on the top of the cabinets in my laundry room. Every so often I release them from captivity at a garage sale.
Yes, I know this looks horrible. One of the things on my list for deep cleaning. My laundry has a lot of cabinets which is great for a dish addict. Of course, they are overflowing!
The deep rectangular size, 18 x 15 x 18.5, is great for a lot of storage, maybe for magazines, beach towels, toys, newspapers, office supplies, etc.
These baskets are made of heavy woven sea grass fiber and have chalkboard tags on two sides so you can label them if you wish. I turn mine around so they don't show because I haven't had the heart to clip the ties that hold them on just yet. I think they would look good in a large mud room with kids' names on them for boots, backpacks, sports equipment, etc.
Here I am using one for storage of interiors magazines in the corner of our living room. You can see the chalk tags, but I usually keep the basket in this room turned around. It actually doesn't look bad with the creme colored leather on the French daybed. I purchased several and have them around the house holding lots of different things. The sea grass did smell somewhat when I got them but that has subsided as they have dried.
Target is one of my favorite stores for a lot of new seasonal things. Their designers and merchandisers seem to be so good at innovative style. If you don't have a Target store nearby, they are item #11188674 at www.target.com. They are made by Smith & Hawkin and well worth the $39.95.
Enjoy!
Summer
Here is more to the love of white story. White with metallics is special eye candy. White with gold or white with mercury glass work so well together. White natural sea coral never goes out of style - always beautiful. Mother Nature gives us a wide variety of white flowers. One of the plants that is always magnificent is the Annabelle Hydrangea. Some of the flower heads are about 11 inches across. They grow in cold and warm climates. Every yard needs a few of these.
One of my first purchases of coral. This one is actually fragile and requires care.
Richard Ginori Fiesole cup and saucer and other Haviland vintage pieces.
Love the gold metallic edges on these large platters, mostly vintage Haviland.
White coral placed in a pedestal vase of silver mercury glass.
Shells and coral on a marble topped antique 1880 French hutch.
Enjoy!
Summer
Photo credits: Swede
Original content: Swede
Do you love living with white?
I am sharing today a collage of some of the white things around my house that I love. Hope you enjoy.
Love of White
Photo Credits: Swede
Original Content: Swede
1) Vintage china – eBay
2) Orchid with sea coral – Orchid from Target Stores
3) Coral in mercury glass vase – Vase from Pottery Barn
4) Waterford linen pillow – Dillard’s
5) Mandevilla vine in my yard
6) Antique linen sheet from France – eBay
7) Mercury glass and white sea coral [love this combination]
8) White Hydrangeas from grocery store in wire basket from Hobby Lobby on foyer console
9) Haviland and Coalport vintage china - eBay
10) Amy Howard Collection chair
11) Vintage china lady plate with Richard Ginori cup - eBay
12) White Iris plant in yard
All the best to you this Sunday afternoon.
Summer
Where does new product design inspiration come from? Is there much that is truly original and new? Is it okay to copy what someone generations ago has designed if you cannot identify who the original maker was? What actually defines "inspiration", "re-imagining" or "re-designing"? These questions could be a bit controversial in the design world. Those topics came to mind when I was very surprised and delighted today to see Cote de Texas's blog post.
I have been reading Joni Webb's blog Cote de Texas for a long time.
http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/
On today's post "Darling French Apartment for Rent", which I just loved, imagine my shock and surprise to see this photo.
There it was, the design source for a new iron bed I purchased a couple years ago from Corsican in Los Angeles. The company that made this antique iron bed many years ago must have made many in this style and a few have survived the years. It is hard to know how old this bed is or who the original maker was unless it has a nameplate attached to it somewhere. I would guess that a designer for Corsican found another such antique bed at a brocante or, perhaps, at the Paris Flea Market. Then the designer took the best of the design as inspiration to create a new product. As controversial as it may seem, after all those years there would be no copyright, patent or trademark infringement. It would be nice to honor the original maker, but in my opinion, it also honors the maker, although silently, by reproducing his design and letting it live again for more people to enjoy for another 100 years or so.
Go to Corsican furniture's website and plug into the search field at the upper right each these numbers: 6072, 40128, 40048, 6924, 6834 and my bed 41632. You will see how the original bed inspired these products.
Even I redesigned this bed, having never seen the antique. I asked Corsican to take style number 40048 and make some changes. I added the crown on top for this "king" bed [as I treat my guests like royalty!], the frame structure at the top, and I added a padded headboard for my guests' comfort. Iron beds are very uncomfortable to lean back upon to sit up in bed and read a book or magazine which I wanted my guests to be able to do. Adding the padded panel solves that problem. The style shown on the website 41632 is my exact guest room bed photoed in Los Angeles before they shipped it to me.
Here it is in my guest room.
King size Corsican bed 41632. Pillows have been removed so you can see the padded panel.
Added crown from another style Corsican bed.
Added frame at the top.
A close up of the footboard.
Be sure to look at the other photos of this apartment called leTurenne on the Provence West website:
The entire apartment is just wonderful. Neutral, light and white furnishings that I just love with accessories having aged surfaces. I also want to mention that I love the trumeau and the salvage iron made into lamps that are shown in the photo. How fun it would be to rent that apartment and stay in that bed! My husband flies to Paris almost monthly. Maybe it could happen if all the stars align! Wow!
If I remember, the MSRP on these Corsican beds for a king size was around $5,600 before the $800 additions I made to it. If you would like any of Corsican's products and do not have a connection to a discounter, send me an email via "email Swede" and let me know. I think queen beds were the same price but full and twin sizes were, of course, less.
I am a big fan of brass and iron beds. In another of my guest rooms, I have Corsican bed number 5698 which is very romantic with the birds and vines. It, too, comes with various available modifications to customize the posts, footboards and canopy. It is hard to believe that I have owned it for 20 years and was the first bed I purchased from Corsican. If you want to look at it on the website, type that number in the search field. I had mine finished in gold leaf. I wish I owned a private luxury hotel so I could own more of these beds. I know which ones I would select.
Well, how fun was that!
All the best to you,
Summer
Photo credits: 1) Cote de Texas via Provence West of Paris
2-5) Swede
Blog content: Joni Webb of Cote de Texas; and Swede
Maclura Pomifera better known as Osage Oranges. Sometimes called Horse Apples or Hedge Apples.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera
I can see where the word apple came from as the leaves do resemble apple tree leaves.
I have found people have strong emotions to these trees, either hate or love. When I have taken a big bowl of them and put them on my desk at work, people say "why do you have those horrible things on your desk? We used to throw them at each other as kids". I like the citrus smell which is released as they mature, the strange green color and texture of their unusual skin.
They grow along ditch banks, vacant land, hedgerows or the edge of farm fields. Their sturdy and sharp branches make a strong fence. I have heard they can survive an intense fire and the wood is very difficult to saw through. There is a grove of them by the back gate to my office. I pass by them four times a day and start to watch for the large fruit to turn green in July. The first year I noticed them they had already fallen to the ground in late fall. Now I pick them mid-July the first time and pick more in late summer. The newly picked ones last inside the house for about 3 to 4 weeks. When they turn brown, I toss them into my compost pile.
I pick from a tree close to the road that was knocked down in a storm but is still alive. Being allergic to poison ivy, I don't venture very far into the brush.
Trees can grow over 30 feet high. I can only get the Osage Oranges at the top when they fall to the ground later in the year.
If you pull them from their branches like I do instead of waiting for them to fall to the ground, where you break the branch a white milky fluid comes out. Not to worry, just wash it off. They also have small brown hairs that shed. I did not bring a plastic bag with me and just put them in my shirt tail and had a very messy shirt when I got home. The greener they are when you pick them, the longer they will last.
About that love-hate thing, I come down on the side of love but from my introduction to what they were, I probably could have gone the other way. Let me tell you a little story of how I came to know what an Osage Orange was. I did not grow up where they were native trees. I was a grown adult woman in Missouri at the time that I took a early Sunday morning jog alone one fall day down a country road. It was cool and I was enjoying the morning and ran way past where I should have turned around and gone back. I was starting to get a very unnerving isolated feeling -- you know the one you get when you know you shouldn't be where you are. I suddenly realized that no cars had passed me all morning and if I screamed nobody would hear me as there wasn't a helpful soul around for miles. When the brush along the two-lane road started to get thicker, my mind said "what if some bad man jumped out of the trees with a knife? Nobody would find your body for months."
At that very moment, I heard the startling sound of a tree limb snap and something brushed my shoulder and hit the ground by my right foot. Thud. My heart was way beyond in my throat--I think it had left my body with the touch on the shoulder. After a few seconds past that scream nobody could hear, I realized I wasn't dead and the bad man didn't appear. I looked down and there was this strangest thing. It looked like a grapefruit but with an acid green color and wierd skin. Then I noticed more all over the ground. Needless-to-say, I survived, made the fastest time ever getting home and researched what in the world that thing was. I had been introduced to the Osage Orange by Mother Nature who threw it at me to bring me to my senses that grown women make bad decisions, and, of course, I had made many of those. I have never forgotten her lesson.
I generally pick about two dozen and place them in a large glass bowl so the green shows through the glass. Baskets also work fine depending on the staging you are trying to accomplish. The glass bowl can be moved around to wherever you wish to add color for entertaining or your own enjoyment, both outdoors and indoors. Here it is placed on our back patio near the Hydrangeas.
These pink Hydrangeas are now turning color to a greyish-green.
Here I moved them on the patio by a large potted Fern, a container of Dragon-wing Begonias and an iron Crane.
Near a raised flower bed and sidewalk.
They look great with the bright lime green of Caladiums.
Or here with the intense green of Creeping Jenny.
Osage Oranges make a simple easy arrangement. Just pile them in a clear glass bowl, a porcelain painted bowl or a basket. Place a few outside of the container. I like to make sure I pick some with the leaves attached. I look around the house to find vases or china that I have to add more of this acid green color to the arrangement. I found two 24" tall porcelain vases with bronze mounts. I love the green Caladium leaves with the Hydrangeas.
My Annabelle Hydrangeas have changed from white to green and are the perfect color to bring inside for my arrangement.
Let's add some Annabelle Hydrangeas to the tall green vases.
I leave this angel statue out most of the year.
Angel statue among the Hydrangeas.
The green in this antique English Coalport china dessert service is perfect.
I love the green color on this china.
Perhaps I have a particular relationship with the Osage Orange, but I hope you will give the Osage Orange a place in your decorating if you live where they are grown. I have also seen artificial ones made of resin and walnut shells.
All the best to you,
Summer
Photo credits: Swede
Original content: Swede
Large glass bowl: Pottery Barn
Angel statue and gold crown: Wisteria catalog
