In the 80s Rachel Ashwell became a well known designer by showing us how to love our old chippy things. She let us know it was ok to not have everything in your house all matchy matchy like the stores wished we would do. She embraced the concept of using everything you own everyday. No longer were we to keep our fine china in our cabinet for the holidays only. These items we bought over our lifetimes showed who we are as a person. Vignettes of those items around our house made our houses feel like home versus a showcase. I don't believe in catering to trends. I only buy something if it makes my heart skip a beat.
I absolutely loved the Shabby Chic concept and still do. We have totally opposite styles as she's pinks and whites and all light. I'm Victorian lovely ornate dark carved wood. That said, I immediately got rid of the boring everyday dishes and pulled out my transfer ware. We have one of two sets that we eat off of nightly, along with a set of plain ironstone that doesn't put me in a panic when my kids walk around with it in their hands. Everything is used in our home. Everything rotates through the seasons. You wander through our house and you see our passions. Our history. Our story.
Figure out how to use things that you had stored in unique ways. My husband loves cute frogs. We have them in the house and garden. I've embraced that whimsy of his because it makes us both grin. My 60s froggy planter that was in the closet became a coffee scoop holder next to our coffee pot. He fits perfectly next to a vintage hand painted plate. Our kitchen can never be said to look sterile lol.
There was a wee bit of time that my mother and I collected transfer ware chamber pots. Yes, I can always say I have a pot to piss in... My favorite is displayed year round. I have it by our front door and every time my family comes home from ANY beach, we toss the shells we lovingly picked and brought home into the chamber pot. This pot is full of so many happy memories for the kids and I...
From now til December I'll have fresh cut flowers in my home every time I'm home for a few days. As a flight attendant that's not every week but I try. Walking into the home and seeing the flowers brings instant cheer to my heart. I used to keep them in a vase (there's nothing wrong with that but I needed more color where it was placed) and then I found this beautiful 60s jug. I could save it and actually use it as a water pitcher for family events but I just can't bring myself to put it away... So a flower frog was put in the bottom and now it graces my foyer table with an understated elegance.
So lets talk about todays treasures that I picked up for our booth... This little lot has tons of potential. Every time I see crystal creamers I smile and think of my mom and step dad. They set their table daily like they are in a five star restaurant. Linens, candles, crystal. There is nothing shabby to their chic but they too embrace the idea that Rachel started years ago. Can you see sitting down with coffee for you and your spouse and serving the milk in something this pretty? As for the hand painted egg... I have had one for years in my office that holds my pens. Its a touch of feminine that I can't deny. You could use the porcelain candlesticks on a table or... on a birthday cake... how fancy would that be? Smalls in antique stores are a bit of every dealers whimsy... an inside look to the little things that person loves to cherish. Come check out these whimsies in the last photo, along with the others I've collected over the years... I think you'll love them as much as I do. They'll be at Queen for our debut on March 1st.
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