Swede

Swedish Style: Antique Swedish Furniture

 

For those who are like me and suffer from Swedish furniture love [or serious disorder], I want to share this beautiful occasional chair.

This chair is in the style called Late Gustavian/Early Empire.

The little faces make it Empire.  I wish I had started collecting Swedish antiques when I first started decorating.  The issue was access not funds. Nobody I knew sold Swedish furniture and I have lived in some large cities. One thing the Internet has done is provide access to markets. Can we back up time thirty years with today's technology so I can go shopping?

Maybe I can convince you youngsters to develop your Swedish furniture addiction early.  What I love about these pieces are how elegant they are in style but are not overdone.  No shouting here. Incredible detail.

Makes my heart sing.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Paris: Astier de Villatte

 

Astier de Villatte

I had heard so much about Astier de Villatte that I had to check it out while in Paris. I think there are two storefronts, and I found the one on St. Honore. My favorite product of theirs is the Alexandre line which has the little face on it.  HERE

173 Rue St Honore

and  63 Boulevard Messana

This is the front door, although I did not see their business sign.

This is their side window.  Not sure what the ceramic feet are all about.

There is an antique painting of a woman hanging on the wall to the right.

I missed recognizing those red demilune tables as being Swedish because they weren't white.  Interesting vessels on the table.

The door is open, I recognize the product line, let's go in.

So much eye candy. Not sure why they have the animal heads on the walls.

Somebody loves antique Swedish Rococo chairs as much as I do.

Back wall of products on display. The pieces are thin and light weight, not heavy like pottery.

These are their candle products. Most run $75. If you want the lid with the finial, it is another $80. With the dollar/euro difference, add 27% to the prices.

These products all look white but the glaze is more French gray from the undertones in the clay versus stark white. I loved the pedestal plates on the far right but they were out of my price range. I got one of the small plates.

On the far right are the compotes I liked [$195 to $272].  Also like the knobby pitchers on the top shelf [$380] and the small bowls with the faces on them on the middle shelf.

Lots of mugs and cups - items with handles.

I found two US online stores that sell this brand.  You can see the prices there.  Look at Suefisherking.com and mazehome.com.

On our next trip back, I'm sure I will be tempted to purchase more pieces.

Summer

Photos: Swede

Books: What do they say about you?

 

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

 

Tablescapes: Introducing My Virtual Dining Room

 

 

I decided to try something new for me in tablescaping -- the virtual tablescape.  Several reasons for this: 1) I want to introduce my readers to dinnerware that they may not know exists, ranging from the stunningly beautiful to the quirky  2) I cannot ever afford most of it to do an actual tablescape, and 3) I cannot do 52 weekly tablescapes each year at home for Tablescape Thursday.  So, on the weeks I don't do a real tablescape at home, I am going to try to do a virtual one.  Nice thing about virtual ones -- you can spend the king's money and pretend to be Queen Antoinette and pick anything your heart desires!   Since money is no object, let's just pick a beautiful home in Paris. Today's color theme is turquoise.

 
Photos: Mr. Swede

This beautiful Paris door photo that my husband brought back for me is the perfect color for today's turquoise tablescape theme.  Let's put our dining table in this Parisian dining room. I have chosen one from Amy Howard Collection called the Manhattan Spider.

 
Photo credits: amyhowardcollection.com [top table] and nicholsonantiques@cox.net  of Laguna Beach, CA [console table below] Let's put the console table on a short wall with the Swedish mirror above it.

Dining table is mirrored [price unkown].  Beautiful turquoise and gold console table is $7,500. Luvvvvvvvvvvvv that console.

 
Photo credits: bjorkantikt.com [left] and massant.com [right].

Swedish 1820 mirror from bjorkantik in Atlanta is $2,450. That will look nice in our white room with turquoise accents. On the right, gold carved wood chairs by Massant. Surrounding the dining room table, let's place 12 of these Louis XVI beauties.  They are Massant's L16TF9 designed by Poirier Cabriolet in 1777 the original of which is currently in the Louvre.  These chairs are just 2die4. I have no idea what the price is, but way beyond my budget, I'm sure. Sigh!

 
Photo: massant.com. More swooning! A closer look at the chair. I love white upholstery with gold leaf frames and the running coin carving.

Now lets put in a chandelier or two and some sconces from julieneill.com. Since I like white, I am picking her Lizette models.  Don't know the price of these either.

Photo credits: julieneill.com.  Love the leaf fronds formed into a crown.  I love crowns as a symbol. The chandelier would look great in a Swedish dining room. [hint, hint Mr. Swede]

Since the dining table is mirrored, I think I want to put the chargers right down on the table without a tablecloth or placemats.   

 
Photo credits left to right: 1) limogesfrenchchina.com 2) albertopinto.com 3) kimseybert.com and 4) kimseybert.com.

French maker J. Seignolles chargers are $313 each in the Petrouchka Bleu pattern.  Have you seen these before?  2die4  Dinner plates by Alberto Pinto in the Mer Turquoise pattern at $220 each. I like how the gold centers of these dinner plates will pull up the gold on the edges of the charger.  Next, Kim Seybert tumbler in Bubble Teal at $60 and knobbed goblet in Bubble Teal at $130.  Here is a closer look at those fabulous Seignolles chargers.

 

These were love at first sight - brilliant turquiose and gold. As you may know, I don't like my china all from one pattern or one maker.  I like to mix up the patterns but keep things all in the same color theme.

 
Photo Credits: 1) Top left: linens from kimseybert.com and her cuff napkin ring below left at 4/$112. The dessert plate, top right, is by French maker Raynaud in the Jardins Celestes pattern at $78. Let's use Alberto Pinto's bread and butter plates in the Filet A Papillons butterfly pattern at $135.

 
Photo Credits:  Left: bernardaud.com; Right: raynaud.com.

For after dinner coffee, let's select another French maker, Bernardaud's Eden Turquoise cup and saucer at $230.  And let's use a salad plate from Raynaud in the Cristobal Turquoise pattern at $95.

Since we are in Paris, it is only fitting that we select French flatware. I will let you pick from my two choices.

 
Photo Credits: Left: Alain-Saint-Joanis.com.  Right: puiforcat.com

Turquoise or gold?   You may wish to stay with the turquoise theme with the color handled pattern from French maker Alain-Saint-Joanis's Tendances Seville pattern. Five pieces for one person runs $520.  Or on the right, Elysee vermeil from Puiforcat at $5,025 per place setting. This was the official service in the 1940's of the French Presidency for the Elysee palace.  Also available via neimanmarcus.com.

 
Photo credit: tacori.com

Before dinner, let's slip on this ring from Tacori's 18K925 Collection made as a doublet from quartz over green onyx with 18K gold and sterling "ringing" in at $1,150.

So there's my turquoise dinner in Paris. Did I forget anything other than food and flowers?  I used Picasa3 software to make the collages to double up the photos to save space.  If you know of a better way to do this, please email me.  I am a true novice at this. Doing the virtual tablescape certainly took more time to put together than a tablescape at home. 

Hope you have enjoyed shopping with me and spending alot of virtual money.

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/

All the best to you,

Summer

 

Getting the Look: Marburger Farm Continued

 

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  

Searching for Beautiful Things: Guess Where I Went Last Week

 

Here is a clue as to where I went last Wednesday.

 

Isn't she a beauty? Kinda skinny though.

 

My nice husband took these photos for me of the Longhorns. And, here's another clue.

 

Texas Bluebonnets. I couldn't figure out why there were so few wildflowers on this visit, our second time to visit in the spring.  Locals said it was because this winter there wasn't much rain.  Indian Paintbrush was just starting to bloom.

 

This cute little flower below was very plentiful, though.  I don't know the name of it but I think it is an Evening Primrose.

 

It was a last minute decision to go to Round Top, Texas for the semi-annual antique show. We barely found a hotel room in College Station.

I want to show you vendors' booths at The Red Barn, The Arbor and Marburger Farm that I found visually appealing.  I am not giving the vendor's name or prices on items. This is just a visual tour and an overview of decor style that intrigued me.

 

French demijohns are still popular. There are fakes among them with new wine labels. Most were only used to transfer juice from the grapes not wine after it was made. I saw a lot of glass domes as well.

 

 

 

Shown above are four that I purchased. They range in age from the 1920's to the 1960's.  My husband likes the green ones and I like the aqua ones.

 

Here is what they look like in my family room after cleaning them up.  The big green one is very large so it sits on the floor.

 

Everything light and white is still in. I saw a lot of old brown wooden antiques repainted with white or creme paint.

 

 Cast stone in light coloration.

 

Bed coronas and anything crown shape is very popular. I've always like this symbol.

 

The spiritual look was also prevalent. Lots of church alter sticks, religious statues, alter and podium architectural pieces and sconces.

 

Madonnas of all kinds.

 

Angels of all sorts.

 

 

 

Any architectural piece out of a church sells.

 

Someone could write an entire book just on photos of these items found at Marburger Farm.

 

Sunburst mirrors were still plentiful.

 

The Belgian linen look was still strong.

 

 

And, of course, you could purchase yards and yards of linen to upholster your own items.

 

 

I saw a lot of brown wood furniture pieces painted white or creme. The Shabby Chic look seems to still be continuing in polularity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For tonight I will leave you with this unusual booth display.

 

I took over 300 photos and will show more tomorrow. I have selected some of my favorite booths and will show those.

All the best,

Summer

Photos: Swede [exception: Longhorns taken by my husband] 

French Collectibles In-house Antique Sale in Memphis

 

 

 

Joni Webb, on her blog Cote de Texas, mentioned that New Orleans antiques dealer and stager Mignon Favrot Topping was doing an in-house antique sale in Memphis, TN this week.  The information is at the very bottom of Joni's post on February 22 where the main story is on Jackye Lanham. Last year, Joni did a post on Mignon's in-house sale staged in Houston on June 25, 2009. To read it go here.  The home used for the June 2009 sale was very large.

The Memphis one is a very small 1940's English cottage style 3b/3b home in a very established older section of Memphis called Belle Meade. It appears that Mignon's business plan is to host these sales in vacant homes that are for sale.  Unique idea, I admit.

To see the house when it was listed for sale, go here.

Here are some photos of the French Collectibles Memphis sale.

 

4143 Gwynne Road in Memphis

 

 Stone, brick and metal entry.

 

French Collectible's sign hanging from the huge old tree.

 

The front door opens directly into the living room. Here we have a Swedish bench in front of the window holding silk pillows, an acrylic coffee table, silver metal and glass-top end tables, contemporary art over the fireplace, a black French occasional table, faded Oushak rug, leather folding screen, French chairs, and in the wall niches painted black, some small artworks.

 

Near the front door, an inlaid chair and a large walnut French chest. Notice the rugs.

 

 

 On the left you can see a painted corner cabinet that is nice. In the foreground is a Swedish daybed in melon silk.

 

 

 

On a short wall, there is a mirror on top of a Swedish chest and a wooden box for a statue. Of course, you could put a lot of wonderful objects in this cabinet.

 

 

Here is a close up of the small double door tabernacle.

In the hallway on the left there is a small wooden chest, a black painted wooden art piece and a candlestick.

 

Below is a bedroom with twin beds.

 

Modern tables at the ends of the metal beds.  Cute chest in the middle.

 

I think this was actually the master bedroom as the other two bedrooms were smaller.  

 

A closer look at the chest.

 

And a leather screen.

 

And antique framed wallpaper panels.

 

 The third small bedroom had a coffee table, bench and chest.

 

 

Here is a French vanity with inlay, probably walnut.  

 

A pair of pretty white chairs.

 

 The third small bedroom had a French trumeau.

The dining room was my favorite.

 

The relief panels of putti above the Italian console were wonderful.

 

The opposite wall in the dining room. Trumeau above the pine cabinet.

 

More views of the dining room. The carpet was made in patchwork squares.

 

 

 

Here you can see the candlesticks are not gilded on the backside. This is the way they were made at the time because gold was precious in cost and when placed on the alter, nobody saw the backside anyway.  

 

 

 

This kitchen table had two benches.

 

The kitchen banquette area displayed these bamboo-style chairs and a bamboo trimmed wall cabinet shown on the right.

The upstairs family room was a sales display area for smaller rugs.

 

I have intentionally not given prices on this post.

Mignon's sale runs through Saturday, February 26th.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the photos.

All the best,

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Today's Holiday Decorating Photo

 

 

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)