LIFE AT THE COTTAGE

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Timeless Treasures



Over the years, many of my home décor items have come and goneas I've moved from one style house to another.

Othersthose with a more timeless appealhave remained and have found their special places in each new dwelling.

For instance, I've had this French buffet and hutch for almost twenty years. 

It has worked beautifully in my last four homesan English Tudor, an English Cottage, a 50s ranch, and, at present, my tiny cottage farmhouse. 


Though the piece itself has looked the same over the years, the items displayed upon it have been in a constant state of flux.

These are the treasures it currently holds.


This vintage bakelite flatware is known as Butterscotch to collectors.

I've placed it in a large, vintage pressed glass pieceset atop an old restaurant china dessert plate, with an even older pie pan underneath.


Displayed in this old platter is part of my vintage silverplate creamer collection.

When I started collecting these beauties some years ago, I set a ceiling purchase price of five dollars per piece.

The most expensive one here is the one in the back$2.99, from a thrift store.  The least expensive, of the four, was only ninety-nine centsthe one on the right.


I love vintage buttons and have been collecting them for many, many years. 

I think the soft, creamy tones, of those displayed here, create a romantic look when coupled with the various shades of gray of the silverplate.

Behind the platter, I placed an ornate, vintage English ironstone lid.  It's an orphan I adopted, because I admired its sculptural quality.

The unique, octagonal framed print, beside the lid, was another thrift store score from long ago.  At only ninety-nine cents, it was a bargain I couldn't resist.

I actually have a project planned for it...that I hope to get to someday.  ;)


In this image, you can see another of my pretty orphaned English ironstone lids.

It's a complete mystery to the Yankee why I like to collect just lids.  

But then, much of what we women like is a mystery to men.  Am I right?

The thick coffee cups stacked on the shelf above are Buffalo restaurant china.  You just can't beat restaurant dinnerware for its durability.


On this part of the same shelf is another vintage platter, a William Adams and Sons English ironstone teapot, a vintage doily, the base to a miniature, antique oil lamp, a square ironstone dish, and a vintage tinblackened with age.


This shot gives you a glimpse of all the wonderful vintage and antique items displayed on the two uppermost shelves.


I used the soup tureenthat you see on the upper shelf of this shotin one of my tablescape posts.

The clear glass piece to the right of it is an old creamer.

On the shelf below is another vintage platter, two more pieces of English ironstonea William Adams and Sons water pitcher and a Johnson Brothers gravy boatanother vintage doily, and an antique cruet.

Years ago, the Yankee and I actually stood in frigid cold snowin the mountains of Tennesseeto garner that cruet at auction. 


On the opposite side of the shelf are two other Johnson Brothers ironstone piecesa plate and a small pitcher holding silverplate flatwarea French creamer, and a vintage bird print. 


The gorgeous, vintage transferware gravy boat is one of my favorites.  It's displayed atop an old doily, set on a vintage cake plate, atop a restaurant china dessert plate.


As you can see above, I'm fortunate to have two of those wonderful old French creamers.

And in this image, you get a better look at the clear glass one.

Behind itagainst, yet another, vintage platteris a chippy old applique.

The bird prints were framed when I found them.   But I removed them from their frames and placed them in the hutch like vintage cabinet cards.


The loving cup trophy was a fortuitous flea market find at only $12.00.

Now, if, after all this, you want to know what vintage goodness I have sitting on the top and tucked away at the very bottom of my buffet and hutch, you can take a look over here.

Linking to these fun parties:
Kathleen's White Wednesday



26 comments:

  1. I love everything about your hutch/buffet! I love all the items displayed on it too! Glad you are able to adapt it to each home you have lived in. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. What a great piece of furniture, Liz! You've certainly gotten good use out of it. I love the way you've displayed all your collections and dinnerware. The white really makes it so it works in any setting.

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  3. Oh, that hutch is gorgeous and I love all the ironstone and silver you have in there. The vignette with the silver sitting on buttons is very cute.

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  4. What a beautiful piece of furniture and you have created some lovely displays on it. I love pieces like this with lots of shelves for display. Thanks for sharing. ~~Sherry~~

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  5. Beautiful post..dazzling and gorgeous treasures! I came here from Frenchy's post!
    Nice to meet you
    Victoria~

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  6. You've got such a wonderful display here. I love every bit of it!

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  7. Your hutch is beautiful, as are the treasures you have so lovely displayed on it. You are right - they are timeless.
    xoxo,
    Kim

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  8. What a beautiful blog you have! Found you from Frenchy's site.
    New follower!
    http://polymerplaytime.blogspot.com/

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  9. Your buffet looks very nice filled with all your great treasures.

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  10. Well that was just beautiful!
    I'm having a lot of fun with the 'welsh-ish' cupboard I bought in May. I can't wait to re-do it for Christmas.

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  11. Your buffet and collections are beautiful!! Love your items and the vintage buttons (I just did a post on vintage buttons :).
    ~ Julie

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  12. Your collection is impressive and I like also how you display it. I'm your new follower and I found your blog from Frenchy's site. www.scentedleaf.blogspot.com

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  13. All the whites and tans are just wonderful. And I love the button accents! My husband definitely doesn't understand why I squeal over this stuff....I guess he never will!

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  14. Thank you for sharing such beautiful treasures. I have my mother's old silver tea set and some of her silverware. I love how you have displayed yours.

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  15. Your hutch is great and full of so many interesting pieces. I love the platter of buttons...so sweet! Your ironstone pieces are all wonderful :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  16. Talking about you on my blog !
    XO
    Frenchy

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  17. I love your white dishes. So classic! I passed up a large white platter at GW the other day and now I am regretting it. Oh well, maybe next time :-)

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  18. Hutch is gorgeous! What beauties it holds!

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  19. One beauty after another! I love the white and cream together. What a beautiful setting. Would love to see your Thanksgiving setting! I can just imagine.

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  20. Everything is just lovely. Love the buttons on the platter, so cute. Happy VTT!

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  21. I like the way all the neutral colors and different shapes look together.

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  22. love how you have layered everything and added in lots of texture and interest - especially love the bird prints and your explanation of displaying them like cabinet cards - excellent!
    amy of four corners design

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  23. An incredible display, and the individual pieces are amazing. Love the old creamer and the transferware gravy boat and the ironstone teapot. Fabulous!

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  24. Beautiful Liz, Just beautiful but then I wouldn't expect anything less from you.
    Hey so when can we have a sale at one of your barns? hmmm?
    tammy

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  25. Love it! that's a classic piece of furniture!

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  26. Perfect arrangement of all your beautiful things! I love it!

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Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to comment.