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Before putting the ornaments in the storage box for another year, here is a last look.
Love this sparkley garland that almost looks like ice chunks.
I really enjoyed the combination of silver and magenta this year.
Makes me want to linger putting away the holiday items.
Now that another holiday season has ended, I'm very excited about spring bulbs.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Last week, I showed you this magenta tablescape: http://swede.typepad.com/swede/2011/12/tablescape-holiday-dinner-in-magenta.html for a dinner with guests. Today I am showing how to take that same tablescape and change it for lunch the following day. I like to get a lot of mileage out of my tablescapes especially when guests stay a weekend and I don't have time to create totally new ones each day. Next week I will show the third tablescape for a dinner the second evening with a different switch up.
I have now added a cranberry color to the magenta table with these antique Spode Copeland floral lunch plates. They are hand painted and signed R. Wood.
I think all these pinky-purpley-red colors blend fairly well.
I guess the color of this charger is greige. I didn't realize it was gray until I got it home as I thought it was beige with gray flowers. This is a pretty unusual pattern for Jaune de Chrome as they don't do many florals.
Here is a wider view of the lunch table. I have also switched out the gray Niderviller Boston bread and butter plates and replaced them with these Haviland Malmaison ones. I am using many of the same elements from the dinner the night before. Jaune de Chrome chargers in English Rose on Song patern, Tiffany St. James sterling, Pottery Barn stemware and Le Jacquard Francais napkins.
The Spode Copeland plates are a perfect match to the red Roses in the antique baby cups.
I kept the centerpieces the same and used the same silver tablecloth and runner.
Mercury glass is one of my favorite things to decorate with because of its reflective value.
Just a close up view of the shiny silver and bubbles in the glass.
I have candles on the table but don't light them. The light comes from the flameless candles in the hurricanes and the chandelier.
Such a pretty old plate. These are the kind that I cannot pass up when I see them for sale. Finding a set of 12 or more of these at an estate sale can get me hyperventilating very quickly.
One of the things I enjoy most about tablescaping is bringing to life antique china by pairing it with new modern patterns like these French pieces.
This is your plate. Please be seated.
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
In 1975 I wanted to start collecting Christmas china. There were only two patterns available, Lenox's Holiday and Spode's Christmas Tree. I chose Lenox because it looked more formal. I wished they made it with a white interior rather than creme. Since then, of course, many manufacturers have done numerous styles of holiday plates. I first purchased 12 salad plates and then the next year bought 12 dinner plates and then cups/saucers and a few serving pieces. It never did thrill me, but at the time I wanted to have china that became a holiday tradition through the years. Now my tastes have drastically changed, well, it has been 36 years!!!, so I was bound to change as I grew older.
To bring the Holiday pattern to modern times, I am using chargers by French maker JL Coquet in the pattern Hemisphere Matte Gold, and my gold plated flatware by Ricci.
Since I have it in the cupboard, Mr. Swede begs me to take it out and use it just once a year. I am not into red and green anymore, but to honor his request, I will do a breakfast or lunch with it.
I am also using these pottery plates with red Hibiscus which are hand made by Faros Keramik Paradissi with 24 karat gold. I purchased 12 of these around 1992 when I went to Rhodes, Greece to meet Mr. Swede who was a pilot on the Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga that had a port call in Rhodes. The Hibiscus is the national flower of Greece.
I remember going to every china shop in Rhodes [it was summer] to find 12 of these plates.
I am using a vintage Northwood tumbler in the Memphis pattern, an emerald green stem from an unknown maker purchased 14 years ago, and in the center, a gold rimmed stem by Tiffin that Mr. Swede inherited from his mother.
Green beaded napkins and napkin rings are from Dillard's.
I am also mixing in these English porcelain plates by Coalport.
And these English porcelain plates from the 1830's. The green isn't Christmas green, however, I still like using them.
I love the romantic landscapes in the center of the plates.
I love mixing patterns and it really helps to add different styles and ages of china [new, vintage and antique] when you have a pattern you don't want to sell but your taste has changed. I am always trying to come up with new combinations.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch. I will have two entries. Be sure to see the other one which is more "me".
To see all the entries, after 9:00PM Eastern on Wednesday, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Summer
Photos: Swede
I want to show you a few more little vignettes for the holidays before we find ourselves in January. The month has moved so fast, I am very far behind. Christmas is in three days and I am not ready.
This collage shows my foyer console table. I left the console the way it was before the holidays and just added strings of clear crystal bead garland strung in and around the shell sculpture and two silver mercury glass trees. Very simple. Nothing over the top.
Above is the Swedish cabinet I designed for Swede Collection that resides in my home office. I have my white china collection stored on the five shelves and linen napkins and napkin rings, etc. in the drawers. The cabinet is 102" tall and 49" wide. The hardware is hand made glass pulls and knobs made by artisians in Oregon. The glass hardware is a perfect match to the Paris Gray paint. I designed it to have a sexy cinched waistline and antiqued mirror panels on top. My office walls are painted aqua and the floors are beige Italian tile. Chairs with aqua painted frames in the photo are from Amy Howard Collection.
In the left photo I hung from the glass knob a beaded wired star from Pottery Barn that has a bridge where a flameless candle sits. The star is 13" across and was a special offer last week to the first few people who purchased online. This is the largest one I have seen. Last year I purchased some from Dillard's but they were smaller, perhaps 9" across. I got six of them and was going to hang them outside but then it rained for three days. In the right photo I have added silver and gold ornaments among the china.
Another photo of the cabinet and a closer view of the silver beaded star and the birds.
With the five shelves and three linen drawers, this cabinet is perfect for a china addict like me. This is just a fraction of my stash though.
Going from my office to the family room, the only thing I changed here was to add white candles and clear candlesticks from Pottery Barn and on the left a framed shadowbox with a crystal and wire ornament in it. It is from Target. The glass demijohns are from France. I did the canvas painting on the wall behind a few years ago as well as painting the Henredon chest a metallic silvery taupe.
Moving to the living room, I have placed a 4 foot tree on the marble topped center table and decorated it with just white and silver ornaments. Tree is from Tree Classics online store. A few years ago I made the 60"x48" canvas fleur-de-lis painting on the wall behind the sofa. I decided not to put up our large tree in the foyer this year since I was running so far behind. Very simple. Nothing extravagant here.
In prior posts I have shown you other holiday tabletop displays around the house. Not only did I not put the big tree up, I also skipped putting garland and lights on my staircase. Some years I put lots of energy into it and some years not. This is a "not" year. We're cooking a turkey on Christmas day, so I guess I had better get to the grocery store and finish wrapping. Hope you have finished everything and are in the "enjoy" stage.
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
Continuing with showing you how I decorate my console and center tables for the holidays, today's post is about angels. The angel in the center I purchased from the Wisteria catalog two years ago. She stays out long past the holidays. There are also angels inside the tall candlesticks. I am not an over-the-top holiday decorator with multitudes of stuff all over everywhere. I try for an "edited" look as much as possible. Sometimes the photos on this blog won't really capture the look like you would see it if you were in the room. I prefer to use items I already have in the house and incorporate them into the theme. The items on this table are used throughout the year on various tables and rearranged multiple times.
I love making collages, so here is one of the candlesticks, angel and sofa.
This is a wider photo showing the corner of the living room that is difficult to decorate.
There is a short wall that is curved from the staircase on the other side. It messes with putting down rectangular rugs and furniture placement. I have placed this Swede Collection center table in that space. The doves on the table rim are romantic and are caring for each other. The beautiful marble top and carving on the table legs makes my heart sing.
The center table is one I designed for Swede Collection. I put alot of my soul and passion into my designs, so in the end, I want the pieces to visually "sing". I hope you like what I design.
When I turn the lights on, I get alot of shadows on the wall. I don't know how to operate my camera well enough to deal with the lighting. This room is difficult to photo due to the light being absorbed by the milk chocolate walls and limited outdoor light coming in the French doors due to the roof of the porch. It has also been raining for days so is darker outside as well. I wish I knew what a professional photographer would do about the light.
Here you can see the fabulous color of the marble.
I have angels in other rooms of the house and will show them in another post.
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
Magenta is a great color for the holidays. Here is a collage showing how I am using magenta this year.
Love the ice-y look of the garland with the magenta vase holding an ornament.
Above is where I started. Below is the console table top after I have rearranged it one more time and added to it.
After more tweaking today, here is the final look.
The only place to put this console table in the dining room is in front of the plantation shutters which do not make a glamorous backdrop.
Here is a larger view of the console table I designed for Swede Collection.
I brought out these fabulous magenta pillows I purchased last year. Can you believe they are from Target!!! What has happened to Target this year, anyway? They don't have great items like they used to.
Magenta - such a fun color to use for the holidays.
I think I am through re-arranging it for this year. I'll do something entirely different next year.
Tonight I am linking up to Tabletop Tuesday here
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Summer
Photos: Swede
I can find something beautiful in unusual places. I am particularly fond of crown symbols. When I saw a photo of a French wine bottle with a crown formed into the glass, I asked Mr. Swede to see if he could locate the bottles on his business trips to Paris.
Mr. Swede was successful. Apparently several wineries bottle their wine in this bottle.
There are two different wine bottles here using the crown logo -- just slightly different in the design on the crown.
I will save these wine bottles and use them to decorate. Perhaps using a candle or as a bud vase for flowers. Very fun. Brings me simple joy. Thank you, Mr. Swede.
Summer
Photos: Swede
I have been collecting silver mercury glass for a few years. This year I am doing an arrangement on the top of a silver metallic console table I designed for Swede Collection.
Due to the reflection of mercury glass, you almost have to be in the room to get the full effect of the display.
Since it wouldn't hurt the marble top, I decorated this console while it is waiting for its new buyer. I don't really have two consoles in my foyer all the time.
I think mercury glass is hard to photo. I love using clear glass bead garland for its beautiful shine.
The metallic finish on this console table is highly reflective as well.
Since I am constantly tweaking my decor, I will be changing this as well in the next few days.
This console table has a beautiful creamy marble top.
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
Today's beauty is this collage of holiday crowns and ornaments.
Summer
Photos: Swede
We woke up this morning to about an inch of snow. Our first and probably the last of the season. When I came home for lunch it had already melted off.
The back flower beds.
The neighbor's tree branches are hanging over the fence from the weight of the snow.
You have to capture the beauty quickly. I took these this morning before driving in to work.
Snow on the fountain.
White garden crane and the Kimberley Queen fern.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Today's thing of beauty is a photo of my Amaryllis plant.
Summer
Photo: Swede
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
Today's holiday photo greeting card of my three Santos cage dolls.
I decorated the hall console table today with my cage dolls. The canvas behind the dolls is a photo Mr. Swede took of a building in Paris that I had enlarged and put on gallary wrapped canvas. It is one of my favorite photos that he took for me in Paris.
I purchased these three Santos dolls this year. I had seen them in decor books such as Devine Home as antiques and new ones in magazines, but when I found the one on the left at Pottery Barn this year, I decided to start a small collection. I am loaning her my necklace. The doll on the right I found at Tuesday Morning. She is wearing earrings.
Console table by Swede Collection.
This large doll has a metal dress. I purchased her online at SantosCageDoll.com. There are many styles of cage dolls. Two of mine are angels and one is a regular cage doll.
Summer
Photo: 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
