Norbridge Antiques

Michael Ryan, Interior Designer

2012-01-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

Ever since I first met my friend Michael Ryan, an interior designer in Chicago, I marveled at his creativity. He sees beauty in many things, so often in a nostalgic way. I admire him for his aesthetic sense and excellent taste. His attention to every detail for quality in his interiors seems to come from his passion for fabric design. I find that he has a wonderful sense of humour, loves people, and is fun to be with. Michael is accomplished in many ways.

Michael brings his love for the outdoors and a sense of history to his designs and drawings. He creates a feeling of luxury, elegance, and comfort to his interiors, and incorporates the textures and layers of colours in nature with his inherent sense of order. The results are always inviting and fresh. His designs range from contemporary to traditional with the underlying theme of timelessness. He feels equally at home designing the interiors of an elegant house in the city, or the rooms of a country estate.

Michael began by studying fine arts and design at top art institutions before launching into his creative career. He gained experience as an award winning product developer, trend forecaster, and manager of large corporate design teams.

There are a number of interior designers in Chicago. Why do your clients choose you?

I really believe it’s a personal connection or a bond between my clients and our team. We become family and discuss much more than design. I also can find products that fit the client’s lifestyle that they may not be aware of: making their home or business a reflection of who they are. It’s a wonderful balancing act, working with needs, budget, time frames and introducing new possibilities.

Do you have a signature style? If so what is it?

I do! As many of my friends in social media put it….It’s a bit nostalgic. It’s comfortable with a bit of an edge. I truly believe that clients should be able to use their space and furnishings to the fullest extent. What would a home be without a wet dog, a friendly gathering in the kitchen or playing horse shoes in the yard after a day at the beach? My job is to make these spaces stress free and enjoyable.

I know you grew up in Colorado and later moved to Chicago where you continue to live. Would you say your style has been influenced by these regions?

Quite a few of my clients come over to my place here in the city just to check things out I suppose. What they find is always a surprise. I am always painting something in the house and there is always a project going on. My foyer has an extensive collection of antique oars hanging on a pale blue wall. My bedroom has sleds, skis, and a toboggan that is mounted as a headboard. The dining room table is full of glass urns and oversized glass vases filled with seasonal greens and beach glass that we have collected. The mud room is filled with whatever sporting equipment we were using that day, not to mention a lot of sand! Back home in Colorado we grew up like this and I’ve never out grown it.

Do feel your services appeal to a certain segment of the marketplace?

I am lucky enough to have a clientele that is mostly Downtown and North Shore. They all have a busy life style. Today it seems everyone is working at least a 60-hour work week, our services make things easier and fun for the client.

What is your dream project?

I really enjoy large projects working with a corporate team. For instance, we recently worked on an advertizing office here in the city. There were a dozen or so members assigned to work with us. It was a joy introducing not only a functional space, but the products, colors, and flow that reflected the client’s brand. The team had their own voice in the design and took ownership of the way they wanted things laid out. Thus making a more productive space that they enjoyed working in.

Do you limit yourself to big budget projects, or do you also work on smaller ones?

Ah, good question! As we know the larger projects just aren’t there due to the economy. I have taken on several smaller ones just to keep the ball rolling so to speak. There is absolutely nothing wrong with helping Mrs. Smith find the perfect lampshade, or suggesting a new color of paint for her dining room. She could be the one person down the road that will give a personal recommendation for a larger project when things turn around. Again, it’s about a personal connection between client and designer.

What is your favourite architectural style?

I love the Arts and Crafts movement. I grew up with that style of architecture in Colorado. Studied it in school quite a bit along with surface design and enjoy visiting this style here in the city. There’s something about the craftsmanship that intrigues me and I love to seek it out. Mind you, I do also enjoy some of the more modern structures and marvel in their ingenuity as well.

Where would you most like to live?

We all have these visions of where things could be better, weather wise that is. I would love to sun on the coast in Greece, garden in the countryside of France, surf on the coast of California, retire in Vermont and live in a busy city like New York. For now the college town of Evanston suits me perfectly. I have the beach life, the snow, and able to take in all of its historical offerings.

Who is your favourite person in history?

This is a hard one! There are so many talents out there. The first person that comes to mind is William Morris. He was able to introduce a new way of looking at things that encompassed true craftsmanship.

What do you value most in your friends?

Knowing that they will always be there even when I’m wrong, which of course never happens. I love that they will help me see the way and give me a good kick to get things going when I’m down. They will also be here to help celebrate when things are good. Isn’t that what friendship is all about?

What trait do you most dislike in others?

Simple, not treating others as you wish to be treated.

What do you like to do when you're relaxing?

I’m at the beach with Summer my Portuguese Waterdog and Miss H. In the kitchen inventing the next best dish, organizing or painting trim in the house. Never an idle moment.

What do you like most in yourself?

I’m pretty easy going and enjoy learning new things.

Do you have any regrets?

Of Course! Who doesn’t? Mine would be not listening to my heart and taking more risks instead of playing it safe. Luckily this is lifetime learning experience.

What is your greatest achievement?

Raising a wonderful daughter in a loving house, passing along what I have learned.

When your friends and clients say Michael Ryan, what thought would you like to come to mind?

A vision of style mixed with an appreciation of craftsmanship and quality. A gracious host, always having time to listen and help.

You can reach Michael through his website Michael Ryan Design You can also see Michael on tumblr

Approaching Christmas

2011-12-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

The Holiday season is filled with tradition. At this time of year, we hold fast to our cultural tradition and practices that are ages-old or are family rituals. At times we broaden the tradition by adding our own touches. A few years ago a friend and I began the tradition of getting our Christmas shopping underway by taking time to go to lunch and later shop for the rest of the afternoon. I’ve always enjoyed this special day.

We started off with lunch at a special café. Later, we enjoyed viewing the beautifully designed Christmas displays.

I caught a glimpse inside Holt Renfrew.

The William Ashley Christmas tree is resplendent.

Tiffany's is decorated with fir and cedar.

Everyone could use a Louis Vuitton bag. I can't get enough of seeing the colour orange this year. It's warming in the cold.

For lasting pleasure, nothing is better than a diamond tennis bracelet from Birks.

Jennifer Duchene, Interior Decorator and Author

2011-11-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

My friend Jennifer Duchene, an interior decorator, home makeover professional, and author in San Francisco, continually impresses me with her brilliant talent, versatility, and professional approach. I find her to be a kind and generous person with a sophisticated background, international in perspective.

Jennifer helps her clients create delicious spaces with what they already own. Using her finely tuned expertise, she takes whatever is in the room and creates a designer feel to the space. Her advice to clients is to surround themselves with people and things they love.

Jennifer is dedicated to every one of her clients. She has one agenda, the client’s.

Jennifer has recently launched her new book Le Chic Cocoon: 7 Steps to Creating Your Selfish Space where she tells women to unleash their creativity and reach their potential. She talks about the power of design and decorating and how a woman needs a space of her own to dream and be selfish in order to reach her full potential.

On a recent call with Jennifer, I asked her some questions to capture her delightful personality, and vision.

People are often happy with their furniture and accessories but need added advice. Why do your clients choose you?

My clients choose me because they are struggling to pull the room together, and they know from my reputation that I have the vision to make the space work. They know that I can help them visualize what the room can be.

You bring excellent taste and creativity to every one of your projects. Do you ever find that you cannot work with a client’s decorative accessories? If so, what is the remedy?

Thank you. The only time I cannot work with a client’s decorative accessories is when they don’t have anything, or they have too much. If there really is not enough or some extra pieces are needed, I make suggestions and steer them in the right direction, or I shop for the client. I know exactly what to buy.

I know you grew up in South Africa and now make your home in San Francisco. I also know you have travelled extensively, to Europe, Canada, and other parts of America. Is your international experience reflected in your client work?

I like to think that my experience influences my design work. I have a different way of looking at how to create spaces. I am drawn to the history that a piece of furniture textile or decorative piece can hold.

Who are your clients?

My clients are often travellers and collectors. They are fascinating people who live rich lives. They are interesting and interested, often love music, books, good food and wine, and want their homes to be a reflection of who they are, as their best selves. They see beauty in life and love entertaining.

What is your dream project?

A client who has fabulous pieces, wonderful rooms, and the right attitude if combined with a traveling opportunity, adds a little zest. People who are open to creating a space that is a true reflection of themselves and their life with a realistic budget, and a willingness to buy that perfect piece to make the space sing while giving me carte blanche and valuing my contribution. I love the incredible thrill of pulling a room or a house together in a couple of days. I have been lucky enough to have a couple of dream jobs. Wonderful clients offer dream jobs.

Do you limit yourself to big budget projects, or do you also work on smaller ones?

I do small budget jobs too. Many times clients want one room done without buying anything new, a couple of hours of advice, hands-on suggestions or some help shopping. Sometimes people need a design plan of action. I like to think of myself as offering Design Guidance.

What is your favourite design style?

I love the mix of old and new, using textiles and color. Bringing out the personality of the pieces. Creating individual spaces that reflect the owner with a little design spark that gives the space an edge. Sophisticated yet very comfortable. I haven’t met a period I didn’t fall in love with.

Where would you most like to live?

Would it be greedy to say I want to live in two places? In a city like Paris or New York and have a cottage on the beach. I long to live in Capetown every time I go home, but I would settle in any beach-side town that has personality, artists.

Who is your favourite person in history?

Now that is a really hard question. I am not sure I have a favourite. I admire Mary Wollstonecraft greatly. I think we would have had a lot to talk and laugh about. I think the fact that she was not born into a high powered position and yet created truths we live by and struggle with today fascinate me. I am inspired by the artists, inventors and free thinkers of history, it is a long list.

What do you value most in your friends?

Their support, laughter, and companionship. Being able to talk about anything, while feeling loved and liked.

What trait do you most dislike in others?

Implacability

What do you like to do when you're relaxing?

Walking in nature, window shopping in big cities. Discovering new places, working in a garden (don’t have one right now), hanging out with friends, enjoying meals, travelling, visiting museums, interesting towns, observing people and architectural details. Reading. Listening to music. Dancing. Laughing. Watching kids play. Sitting in the sun. Learning new things. Having deep conversations. Connecting to the Spiritual essence of life. Arranging my home. Playing with paint chips. Drawing, Writing.

What do you like most in yourself?

My ability to grow and my sense of humour ( both have saved me many times).

Do you have any regrets?

Nothing in life is a waste. The past is a fertile ground for what I have become. My journey is a journey.

What is your greatest achievement?

So far it’s my book “Le Chic Cocoon”, and I like to think the lives I have inspired through my words and deeds – the rooms I have rearranged.

When your friends and clients say Jennifer Duchene, what thought would you like to come to mind?

Hope floats and joy opens doors, life and laughter matter.

You can reach Jennifer through her website www.jenniferduchene.com The Home Makeover Mixtress, blending lifestyle, laughter & Chic Cocoons.

Spadina House Garden in October

2011-10-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Pergola, 1909. The begonias and clematis terniflora are still in bloom

The garden surrounding the stately Spadina House goes back to 1818 when the Baldwin family first lived at Spadina and lives on, as it has beautifully aged through the Victorian and Edwardian periods to the present day. The design and plantings were enhanced by James Austin's family and descendants from 1866 to 1978. It is divided into a large lawn area with flower beds, a perennial garden including a kitchen garden, and an orchard with berry bushes and grapes.

The grand Victorian house we know as Spadina was built by James Austin in 1866 on the foundation of the Baldwins' house. Between 1897 and 1913, James' son Albert and his wife added late-Victorian and Edwardian extensions to the house, including the Carrère and Hastings glass and wrought iron porte-cochère in 1905. A better view of the porte-cochère is in my March 2011 blog post Spadina House.

A glimpse of the front door, and the porte-cochère, 1905

I visited in early October before the first frost and entered the garden through the stone pergola toward the front of the house where the deep red dahlias were dazzling and in full bloom.

I took time to enjoy the majesty and detail of the urns dating from 1912 on the terrace balustrade.

The large lawn area with its carefully placed trees gave me a sense of peace, and invited me to stay for a while. This is where the family and their friends played lawn tennis and croquet.

Looking toward the edge of the escarpment

The old oak trees date from prior to 1866

The land lies on the Davenport escarpment to the south where through the trees, it overlooks the old city of Toronto and Lake Ontario in the distance. It was from the edge of the escarpment that James Austin and his family watched the fireworks celebrating Canada's Confederation on July 1, 1867. In 1905, Albert Austin built a low semi-circular red brick crenellated wall around the concrete platform where the family sat to enjoy the view, and called it The Battery.

The Battery ca. 1905

Seeing the European beech reminded me again of the Austins' impeccable taste. Its magnificent crown is fitting for this grand garden.

The back of Spadina House looked imposing as I walked toward the perennial border and kitchen garden. .

Spadina House, eastern façade

The kitchen garden of perennials, cutting garden, and vegetables was in the final stages of the growing season before the imminent autumnal frost.

The red cabbages were ready for harvesting.

Beyond the cedar hedge north of the kitchen garden, I found the orchard filled with many varieties of apples. Many have had to be replaced over the years, but some of the existing apple trees were planted in 1900.

Looking back from the orchard at the dignified Victorian house, I was impressed by the superb harmonious garden design, even in this utilitarian part of the garden.

The grape arbour is on the right

When you visit Spadina House, take time to enjoy the romantic old garden. Spadina is a jewel in the city, and has become my very favourite museum.

The Facebook page Save Spadina House was created to build awareness of preserving this important museum, an historical treasure. I hope you will like the page.

Espalier at Royal Botanical Gardens

2011-09-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

Pergola in Hendrie Park, Royal Botanical Gardens

When I walked along the pergola in Hendrie Park, Royal Botanical Gardens, I was thrilled to see that the walls of the pergola were made up of vines and trees trained in espalier form. Espalier is a way of training a tree or shrub on an independent trellis, or forced flat against a wall.

Hendrie Park pergola, Royal Botanical Gardens

The formal design used here is known as palmette horizentale where symmetrical branches are forced straight out in horizontal form.

Hendrie Park pergola, Royal Botanical Gardens

The people in the Middle Ages first used espalier to grow fruit trees within the confines of town walls in order to maximize fruit production in a small space using as little space as possible.

Climbing hydrangea, Hendrie Park, Royal Botanical Gardens

The pergola in Hendrie Park shows that many non-fruiting plants plants can be espaliered for decorative reasons, including magnolias, service berries, and climbing hydrangeas.

Whenever I see espaliers, it makes me nostalgic for my childhood home where my father trained dwarf apple trees flat against the south wall of our house in a formal design known as palmette verrier. Palmette verrier has the branches symmetrically forced straight horizontally, and then bent straight up vertically to form a design resembling a candelabra or Jewish menorah. Our trees produced an abundance of fruit, were decorative, and enhanced the wall in all four seasons.

Formal Gardens

2011-09-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington ON

My favourite style of garden is a formal garden. I’m also partial to a structured garden with a mix of predominately formal elements and some informal elements. A formal garden gives a sense of calm and serenity. With its symmetry, balance, rhythm in repetition, straight lines, clipped hedging, and geometrical precision, it is attractive in all seasons. In northern regions, a formal garden is stunning during the winter season.

Casa Loma, Toronto ON

The look of a formal garden is controlled. It is a tamed landscape not found in nature. It has bones and structure made up of walls, hedges, paths and possibly statuary, all of which are more important than the plants. Form is most important and plants are secondary. Most often the plants chosen for a formal garden are those easiest to handle. The plants are arranged following rigid guidelines and only a limited number of species are planted in large quantities to add a uniform look.

Parkwood, Oshawa ON

We think of formal gardens being large but even small home gardens can be formal using a dwarf boxwood or yew hedge to enclose flowers, vegetables or herbs. To achieve a formal ambience in a small home garden, it works best to have a structured garden with a mix of formal and informal elements. This can be achieved by having clipped hedges and less formal plantings as part of the overall design.

Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington ON

Royal Botanical Gardens

2011-08-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Recently I visited Hendrie Park, one of the large display gardens within Royal Botanical Gardens not far from Toronto. Hendrie Park contains several formal, informal and natural gardens. I always enjoy visiting formal gardens because of their design elements.

The infinity edge reflecting pools are stunning and pick up the reflection of the gardens on each side. In June, when the roses are in full bloom the reflections on the water are full of colour.

I was there at the end of July when the full rose bloom had passed and found serenity in the reflecting pools when the jewel-toned water lilies take precedence showing their chiseled stalks and flowers softened by their round lily pads below, skimming the water.

Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) began as a work project during the Great Depression when it was given formal permission in 1930 from King George V to call the gardens “Royal Botanical Gardens”.

Patterned after Kew Gardens in England, RBG was created as both a tourism destination and as a regional environmental agency for the development of Conservation, Education, Horticulture and Science. RBG is an ecological treasure of 2300 acres of varied ecosystems connecting the Niagara escarpment to the western tip of Lake Ontario including land within the cities of Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario.

RBG is known all over the world for its wide-ranging display gardens of over 400 acres. Royal Botanical Gardens is one of the largest institutions of its kind in North America.

Fourth of July 2011

2011-07-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July greetings to all my relatives and friends in the U.S.A. ! I appreciate your great spirit, and I enjoy seeing the energy with which you celebrate every holiday.

Fourth of July rose blooming in my garden

Independence Day commemorates the birth of a unique new nation. All Americans greet their Independence Day with great enthusiasm and patriotism.

Strawberries and blueberries are perfect additions to the celebrations

Every year I celebrate Fourth of July in a small way with my family to honour our American relatives and friends. I love the red, white and blue colours and make sure to incorporate them into our celebrations.

Our Fourth of July dessert was white cheesecake with strawberries and blueberries

We Canadians could not have chosen better neighbours.

Happy Canada Day

2011-07-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

Parliament Buildings

Today we celebrate Canada Day. July first was known as Dominion Day until 1982 when a law was passed to change the name to Canada Day. The name is controversial because a quorum was not present in parliament when the law was passed.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Dominion of Canada was created by an Act of British Parliament in 1867. It united four British provinces in North America, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, creating a new country within the British Commonwealth. The six other provinces and three territories later joined.

The birth of the Dominion of Canada is not without controversy. For example, Halifax on July 1, 1867 draped major downtown buildings in black to signify mourning.

Changing of the Guard at Rideau Hall

Despite an inauspicious beginning, the country has not only survived, it has thrived. It is now among the eight largest industrial world economies.

Norton Museum of Art - Street Scenes

2011-05-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Maurice de Vlaminck 1876-1958 Street in Epernon, Winter, 1927

When I visited the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, I was delighted to find street scenes painted by two French painters of the early 20^th century whose work I admire. I’ve always been drawn to Utrillo and Vlaminck street scenes because of their structure and because they have the contradictory effect of being both calming, and at the same time stimulating to the imagination.

Maurice de Vlaminck 1876-1958 - this painting is an example of his Blue Period 1908-1914

Maurice de Vlaminck 1876-1958 was greatly influenced by Van Gogh and is known more for his earlier Fauvism period 1904-1908, which lasted only about five years, when he associated with Derain and Matisse. Later Vlaminck continued painting with boldness and thick textured impasto, but developed a darker toned-down palette.

Maurice Utrillo 1883-1955 Rue de Montmartre 1916/1918

Maurice Utrillo 1883-1955 was encouraged and taught to paint by his mother, Suzanne Valadon, who was an accomplished artist. He showed he had a definite artistic talent and began to paint in 1904 after a bout of mental illness. He painted what he saw in the Paris neighbourhoods, primarily Montmartre and its suburbs. By the 1920s his work received international attention. The period from 1911 to 1918 when Utrillo painted street scenes is considered his best and is called his “White Period”.

Maurice Utrillo 1883-1955 Village Church 1918/1920

The works of Utrillo and Vlaminck appeal to a nostalgia for pre-industrial simplicity.

The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach is an important cultural attraction in Florida. It houses a noteworthy permanent collection of 19th century and 20th century painting. When you go, it is worth eating at the café which offers excellent food in an inviting setting.

Vizcaya – the Gardens in March

2011-04-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

The East Façade

While I was Florida last month, I took the time to visit Vizcaya in Miami. As with many visitors before me, I was thoroughly enchanted.

Stone Barge and Tea House

James Deering built Vizcaya in 1916 in the style of Italian Renaissance and Baroque villas. He adapted it to Florida’s sub-tropical climate, and made sure to install all the modern conveniences of the early 20th century. Assisted by interior designer Paul Chalfin, architect F. Burrall Hoffman, and landscape designer Diego Suarez, he wanted the house to look as if it had been there for 400 years and furnished by succeeding generations of the same family.

Centre Island surrounded by a Reflecting Pool

When James’ family eventually sold Vizcaya to Miami in the 1950s, they also donated most of its interior furnishings that James had purchased to fill the house with the help of Paul Chalfin on their many trips to Europe. He had amassed what resulted in an important collection of 16th century to 19th century decorative arts, and antiquities.

Water Stairway

My photos are of the outside of the house and the Italian style garden with its sub-tropical Florida plantings. The taking of photos inside the house is not currently allowed.

The Casino

The casino pictured above gave guests a chance to get away from the formality of the house. The loggia offered views of the house and gardens. It contains two rooms decorated in the 18th century style, where guests could have tea.

View of the Formal Garden

Vizcaya is a combination of the validity and permanence of the Old World combined with the innovative brilliance of New World. I am now under the spell of Vizcaya, and I will return and visit it again and again.

West Palm Beach Antique Show

2011-04-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Antique shows are entertaining and provide the likelihood of finding treasures, learning something new, and being entertained. There are always interesting people to meet, many of whom have acquired great knowledge about the collections they offer. I take pleasure in having a chance to touch the past by connecting with the well-made objects of many years ago.

Lalique vases

Recently, I had the opportunity of visiting the West Palm Beach Antique Show. The Show filled the inside of a huge warehouse where many vendors displayed their booths, offering estate jewellery, textiles, furniture, glass, silver, porcelain, paintings, and other things from the past. The number of objects for sale was overwhelming.

Val St. Lambert ca. 1930

Finding a few treasures and speaking to some of the dealers was my ultimate goal. I look for things that stir my passions, are of excellent quality and have good style. My preferences are not solely objects of over 100 years of age, but most importantly objects of quality and style.

Lalique perfume bottle

Sterling silver lidded crystal jars

Gorham sterling silver overlay perfume bottle

Scott Tjaden of Tjaden Interiors

2011-04-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

My good friend Scott Tjaden, a well-known interior designer from St. Louis and Chicago, enriches my life and those of his friends and clients through his exquisite taste, aesthetic sense, and interest in history, architecture and art. Scott is also an artist, an educator at a college in Missouri, and a collector of art and antiques. He has been published in various home magazines and newspapers, and on an ongoing basis, answers reader questions for the St. Louis Post Dispatch. As a person, Scott has integrity and is thoughtful, kind, and generous. I am proud to know him.

Pictured above is a portion of a hand-made rug in Scott's private collection

I chat with Scott often, and on a recent call, I had lots of questions ready for him that I would like to share with you.

It is often confusing to find the right interior designer for a project. Why do your clients choose you?
I think that clients choose me for my use of the eclectic. Interiors I do aren't seen in catalogues.

Do you have a signature style? If so, what is it?
I don't have a signature style except for the client's style. We'll collaborate and then come to a solution as a team, with me as the team leader to help direct appropriately.

I know you lived near Chicago for most of your life and now make your home in St. Louis. Do you have a regional style?
It used to be that regions had a 'style' and to some extent that's still true, but it's changing with the use of the Internet and television shows which have heightened people's demand for design and interior products. I don't have a regional style myself, but certainly St. Louis tends to be more conservative, whereas Chicago tends to be more urban and even international.

Who are your clients?
They vary so much. I've done a 'right sizing' for a fashionable and tasteful 85-year old that ended up being a chic pied-à-terre filled with museum-quality art, to a young family's 8K home for parents, kids and pets to hang out together throughout, casually.

What is your dream project?
I'd love to do a new build in a Caribbean/Island area. I love water and I would enjoy celebrating that through design.

Do you limit yourself to big budget projects, or do you also work on smaller ones?
I do anything from color consultation from shopping with clients to doing entire houses. In this economy no matter who you are, you're watching your budget. Even if there is no budget, the client's friends/work associates notice... so they don't want to seem too rich or extravagant.

What is your favourite architectural style?
Oh it's so hard to decide…When I was younger, I preferred the Georgian style (controlled, symmetrical) and told my mother I was going to live in a house like that. And then it changed to Spanish colonial or Mediterranean... Now, I even live in a historic district, but as I get older I'm leaning towards less detail and more modern. So I'll probably retire to some Zen interior designed by Tadao Ando... right on the water.

Where would you most like to live?
I grew up on a farm so I like the wide, open spaces, but I'm probably more of an urban person at heart. So a beautiful apartment overlooking water on one level. I have lived in 3-story townhomes.. I'm tired of being on the third floor and needing something in the basement and realizing when back on three I need something from the kitchen on floor one. Ugh.

Who is your favourite person in history?
I have two:
Alexander the Great comes to mind because although he was a great military person, he allowed cultural and religious freedom even after conquering their lands.
The other is Sir Isaac Newton because I'm obsessed with color. Newton was the first to put color in a circular diagram and the first to use the word "Spectrum". He also named the seven 'named' colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet... seven because he believed there was a connection between the colors, musical notes, the planets of the solar system (there were seven planets known at that time) and the days of the week. Maybe he was off on that, but it was the springboard for what we still use today.

What do you value most in your friends?
We're honest and real with each other.

What trait do you most dislike in others?
Dishonesty.

What do you like to do when you're relaxing?
I'm laughing because I don't do that a lot. I force myself sometimes to get a massage. Other times it's dinner out with my best friends and if I'm at home, it's ok to just not do anything and rest.

What do you like most in yourself?
I'm mostly easy-going. I don't get stressed out over too much. Life is short.

Do you have any regrets?
You can have regrets, but somehow the Universe takes you to the place you need to be for reasons beyond us.

What is your greatest achievement?
I’ve learned to be honest with myself on all sorts of levels. I was able to resolve a lot of things. That is an achievement most never accomplish.

When your friends and clients say Scott Tjaden, what thought would you like to come to mind?
Great design

You can reach Scott through his website Tjaden Interiors . Good interior design is about maintaining a level of the lifestyle we choose.

Pictured above: Scott is redesigning part of his new space with Scalamandré's "Zebra" and Osborne & Little March 1 fabric.

Spadina House

2011-03-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

I visited Spadina House a few weeks ago. Spadina House is a museum of historical importance in Toronto and in the Province of Ontario. The dignified two-story mid-Victorian house epitomizes the cultural base of early Toronto.

James Austin who was a leading figure in Toronto’s business community as a financier and rentier, built the grand house in 1866 on the escarpment overlooking the growing city. The house symbolized his arrival as a prominent member of the local social élite.

When James’ son Albert took over, he and his wife renovated and enlarged the house between 1898 and 1913. Although the original contents and decoration were largely preserved by James’ descendants, there is evidence of the different tastes and times of the succeeding generations. Three generations of Austins lived here until the family negotiated with the city and the Province of Ontario in 1982 to take over and establish Spadina House as a museum.

The glass work of the front door is a beautiful example of Art Nouveau with its stylized representation of nature and flowing lines.

Some objects in the Austin collection reflect the late 19th century taste for eastern decoration. The silver eperne from 1880 in the dining room portrays a Near Eastern desert scene. The ironstone dinner service by Ashworth is in the style of Chinese porcelain.

Several of the exquisite gasoliers date back to James the original owner, and were not updated to electric light, but were maintained over the years to the present day by the gas company in Toronto.

When you go, pause for a moment to listen to the house and you'll feel that the family still lives there.

El Anatsui, Tapestry

2011-02-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

Straying Continents by El Anatsui

Over the weekend, I expected to visit the Royal Ontario Museum to look at the old textiles in its permanent collection. A friend strongly suggested I use the time instead to go to the Contemporary Culture area of the museum, and see the El Anatsui exhibition “When I Last Wrote to You about Africa”. The 60 works on display highlighted his works over a period of forty years. I was taken with the sensuality of his works in the textures of the wood and ceramic sculptures, and in the textures of the metal tapestries. Indeed, the metal tapestries, his latest works of the last eight years, command the greatest attention. At first glance they look like beautiful shimmering fabric with patterns and colours having a definite African feel. They seem to be undulating with movement and are meant to change with time and gravity. On close examination they are made of liquor bottle caps and sleeves cut, crumpled and shaped, and connected with copper wire. The liquor bottle tops make a historical reference to liquor being one of the first commodities brought from Europe to Africa in exchange for slaves and goods. The reuse of the bottle caps also emphasizes how Africans tend to incorporate foreign elements into their practices. It is also a commentary on the impact of consumer goods on the environment.

Detail of Straying Continents by El Anatsui

The exhibit shows El’s passion as he explores Africa’s past, present, and future through his art. He never gives an overt message but subtly works through some of the African people’s painful past in his art.

Detail of Straying Continents by El Anatsui

The taking of photos of the exhibit itself was prohibited. However, I did have permission to take these photos of the large splendid metal tapestry the Royal Ontario Museum commissioned for its permanent collection. It is called Straying Continents.

Detail of Straying Continents by El Anatsui

El Anatsui, is a Ghanaian sculptor born in 1944 who lives in Nigeria. The El Anatsui: “When I Last Wrote to You about Africa” exhibit is on tour for the next three years. It will be at the Museum for African Art in New York after leaving the Royal Ontario Museum at the end of February.

Interior Design Show Toronto IDS11

2011-02-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

Elte Booth IDS11

Last Friday, I attended the Interior Design Show in Toronto (IDS11). I enjoyed seeing all the bright colours in this year’s exhibits as I wandered to the booths that caught my eye. I liked seeing all the different bathroom choices with their luxurious bathtubs, the huge built-in refrigerators, the hammered copper kitchen sinks, and the new patterned tin ceiling tiles.

Elte Rugs IDS11

As I was making my way through the exhibits, I wanted to make sure to leave lots of time for the Elte booth. The Elte booth at IDS11 featured their latest line of contemporary rugs, called Second Life rugs. These are handmade rugs, primarily from Persia, that were shorn and dyed in beautiful colours. Some of them are patchwork. They are all of the finest quality wool. I turned them over to find their exquisite hand knotting generally seen only in the best of oriental rugs.

Elte Rugs IDS11

Elte is a family owned furniture and rug company in Toronto. Their name is synonymous with excellent quality and good customer service. I learned this first hand a few years ago by ordering a custom-made rug from them, a corner of which is pictured below. My custom-made rug was beautifully fashioned exactly to the agreed specifications including a border reminiscent of an ancient design. It is a cherished treasure my family and I will continue to enjoy for many years. Elte supplies many different types of rugs including broadloom, antique and hide rugs.

Chagall Windows in Chicago

2011-01-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

Last week, I visited the Chicago Art Institute with my friend Scott Tjaden of Tjaden Interiors. We made a point of visiting the stained-glass windows Marc Chagall created for the Art Institute in 1977. The windows are called "America Windows” and were made to commemorate the American Bicentennial in honor of the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.

We were dazzled by the beauty of the deep cobalt blue windows.

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) was a modernist who was associated with several related art movements from the early twentieth century until his death. His art career took him from Russia to France, and later to America. His artistic curiosity seemed insatiable. Later in life, his creativity drove him to use media other than painting in oils to express his art. His works include theatrical sets, book illustrations, sculptures in clay and stone, ceramics, mosaics, and collaborations on tapestries.

Chagall began his work in stained-glass windows when he was already seventy years old. The medium of stained-glass lends itself well to Chagall’s love of brilliant translucent colour. From the age of seventy over a span of twenty years, Chagall created stained-glass windows enriching many buildings and churches in Europe, Israel, and America. He created the windows of the Chicago Art Institute when he was ninety.

The History of the Distillery District

2011-01-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

Recently I went to the theatre in Toronto’s Distillery District which is a national historic site located on the eastern edge of downtown Toronto. It is a complex consisting of a limestone distillery building and a number of red brick buildings interconnected by lanes of red brick pavement. The red brick buildings seem to surround you and radiate a pleasant feeling of warmth, even on a cold winter day. The Distillery District is the home of theatres, art galleries, shops, restaurants, and a small brewery.

The historic Distillery District, which once housed the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, is North America's largest and best preserved collection of Victorian era industrial architecture.

Gooderham and Worts originally had a wheat processing business in Toronto, and when faced with a surplus of wheat in 1837, Gooderham expanded the company’s operations to include brewing and distilling of alcoholic beverages. Although the company kept its milling operations, the distilling of spirits became its main business. The distillery complex was started in 1859, and by 1862 enough alcohol was produced to serve one quarter of the Canadian consumption. In its time, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery played an important role in the growth and wealth of both the city and nation. In 1877 the Gooderham and Worts Distillery was the largest distillery in the world.

After 153 years of continuous production, the Gooderham & Worts Distillery finally closed its operations in 1990.

During the 1990s, the Distillery area became the number one film location in Canada, and the second largest film location outside of Hollywood. Over the years, more than 1700 films used the site.

Christmas Reprised

2011-01-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a lovely time at Christmas. Now that 2010 is just over, I think of what I have learned about Christmas entertaining, indeed what I have learned about life over the past year.

New Year 2011

Christmas Eve has always been important at my house. This year we were seven for dinner. I set the table with Irish linen, the good china, and sterling silver flatware. One of our guests sent a beautiful oblong centre piece of red flowers and evergreens ahead of time. To make things run more smoothly, we passed around the smoked fish canapés, and cheese appetizers before sitting down at the table. My best beau always serves the drinks before dinner, pours the wine, and takes care of the coffee after dinner. The drinks were excellent, the food was good, and the guests entertained us with their lively conversation.

Of course, there is always something I regret. This year I used everyday glassware with my best linen, china and silver so that I wouldn't have to wash the crystal by hand at the end of the evening, as I am typically up again at 6 a.m. preparing for Christmas Day dinner. I will never do this again because I sacrificed some of the table’s potential beauty. From now on, when entertaining I will be sure to use the crystal because it just wasn't worth saving the extra work. To my mind, beauty must always take precedence. There are three ingredients to successful entertaining: the people, the table setting, and the food.

Christmas Eve 2010

For the table setting, if I use the best linen, china and crystal I have, there is no decoration needed other than flowers. Restraint is key.

This morning on New Year's Day, we entertained friends for brunch. I refreshed the centre piece with fresh fir sprigs, red roses and lilies. This photo shows the table with a mix of modern and vintage crystal.

New Year's Day 2011

Among the things I've learned about life over the past year is how precious true friendship really is. I am grateful for my old friends and the new friendships I have made in 2010.
Happy New Year to you!

Christmas Dreams

2010-12-21T22:58:00.000-08:00

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and much happiness.

Christmas 2010

The meaning of Christmas is all about giving. At this time of year, we are generous with giving both gifts and our time to our relatives and close friends. Many of us also remember to give to those in need so that they and their families can enjoy a special Holiday, too. Friendship and unconditional love are among the greatest gifts we can give.

The true meaning of Christmas fills my heart at this time of year, but the child in me has hopes and dreams for the luxuries of life.

One of my hopes is for tickets to the Metropolitan Opera .

Verdi's Nabucco

I still dream of a diamond tennis bracelet from Tiffany's , a Schlumberger Lynn bracelet in 18k gold with diamonds.

I dream of adding beauty to every corner of my house with the help of excellent interior design as provided by my friend Scott Tjaden of Tjaden Interiors. Good interior design is about maintaining a level of the lifestyle we choose. Tjaden Interiors has an online program making it all possible through photographs and an online consultation where luxury and living well is only a click away, Tjaden Interiors Virtual Design Service .

I dream of an 18th century antique mirror from the exquisite Therien & Co. collections. My friend Philip Bewley is based at their Therien & Co. San Francisco gallery. This pair of Spanish neoclassic gilt mirrors is from the fourth quarter of the 18th century, and is described as the oval plate within leaf tip and garrya husk carved frame with sunflower rosettes, surmounted by ribbon cresting. The overall dimensions are 32” wide x 42½” high.

Christmas Lunch

2010-11-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

It has become an annual tradition for a few of us to have a pre-Christmas lunch and then do a little shopping, marking the beginning of the Christmas season.

This corner in Toronto is where Avenue Road turns into Queen’s Park South of Bloor Street. Looking south, the Royal Ontario Museum is on the right and you can see the Ontario Legislative building in the distance.

We often go to the Holt Renfrew café. The menu never disappoints. Some of the menu choices are on this board. If you go, you must try one of the tartines.

The Holt Renfrew Christmas window is all decorated and looking festive piled with the Holt Renfrew boxes we all love to receive.

The Hermès window is all done in orange for the men in our lives. I like the dark brown hat. Apparently, hats are back in fashion. One of these orange striped ties can make someone look somewhat flamboyant, but the look can also be toned down with a dark brown or navy blazer.

The Hermès door is the highlight of the day with its beautiful metal work.

Botanicals

2010-11-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Derby, England ca. 1796-1805, colutea frutescens

The Gardiner Museum's permanent collection features a wall cabinet displaying a collection of pieces from a botanical dinner service made in Derby, England ca. 1796-1805. Each is painted with a different flower, and all the pieces are rimmed in a warm yellow. The hand-painted botanicals on these plates remind me of the Pierre-Joseph Redouté botanical watercolour illustrations of that time.

Derby, England ca. 1796-1805

Botanical illustration has been popular for over 200 years and has never gone out of fashion.

Flora Danica is an enduring Royal Copenhagen pattern first commissioned and produced in 1804 for the Danish king. Today's Queen Margrethe II of Denmark still has the original dinner service in her possession and uses part of it on special occasions. Of the original 1,802 pieces, 1,530 still exist.

The Royal Copenhagen factory still produces the Flora Danica pattern. A vintage Flora Botanica oval serving platter is pictured below.

Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica, digitalis purpurea

One of my favourite botanical patterns still being made is Spode's Stafford Flowers. The pieces are decorated with 22 carat gilding and raised gold spots in the border. A Spode Stafford Flowers covered vegetable dish is shown below.

Spode Stafford Flowers covered vegetable dish, iris & sphaerolobium

A Visit to the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art

2010-10-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

One of my passions in life is to visit museums. Of course I like the large museums with their vast collections, but the small private museums are often real gems.

The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art is a museum opened by George and Helen Gardiner to house their large collection of ancient American artifacts, Chinese porcelain and European pottery and porcelain.

George, a stockbroker, lawyer, art collector and philanthropist began collecting ceramics in 1976 to decorate his home. His wife, Helen shared his interest and their collection grew substantially. The collection has more than 3,000 historical and contemporary pieces and gives you an understanding of the development of the ceramic process, decoration and shape.

The Museum has become an important centre for ceramics in North America.

The soup tureen pictured above is from Meissen, Germany ca. 1761, part of the 975-piece service designed by Frederick the Great of Prussia and presented by him to Field Marshall Möllendorf for his services during the Seven Years' War. It is made from hard-paste porcelain with overglaze enamels and gilding.

The ewer and basin pictured below made at Sèvres, France in 1757, is soft-paste porcelain with overglaze enamels and gilding. Warm, scented water flowed from this elegant ewer into the basin formed of overlapping water lily pads.

Pictured below is a tureen from the Russian Imperial Service, Vienna Austria, DuPaquier factory ca. 1730-35, hard-paste porcelain with overglaze enamels and gilding. This is part of a magnificent table service given by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI as a diplomatic gift to Anna Ivanovna Czarina of Russia.

If you're coming to Toronto, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art is worth a visit.

The Museum Shop in Corning

2010-09-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

I never go to a museum without visiting the gift shop because of the unique things museum shops invariably have for sale. On our recent trip to the Corning Museum of Glass, visiting the museum shop was a delight.

Chevrolet truck ready for delivery laden with huge glass pumpkins

When we were there the Hallowe’en Season had already arrived, the dark green Chevrolet truck was full of beautiful glass pumpkins. The dark green and the orange made it all look spectacular. In these crates and all over the gift shop, there were glass pumpkins of orange and other colours.

One of the many crates of pumpkins at the Museum Shop

You can buy Corning dinnerware and other kitchen glassware. Some beautiful glass accent pieces made by the artists at Corning are also on sale. The shop seems to be four in one and goes from beautiful high-end works of art in glass, to seasonal glass accents, to dinnerware, to small souvenir pieces. I could have taken an extra day visiting the shop alone.

My blue pumpkin made at Corning by artist, Glady West

I coudn't resist buying this lovely blue pumpkin at the Shop. It was made at Corning by glass artist Glady West who has worked with glass since 1982. I will incorporate this with my real live pumpkins on the dinner table on Hallowe'en.

Enjoying the Sheer Beauty of Glass

2010-09-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Stained glass window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1905, made of handmade coloured and opalescent sheet glass

On the Labour Day weekend we took a small trip to Corning in the Finger Lakes area of New York, and visited the Corning Museum of Glass. Corning is an old town surrounded by rolling hills. The main street looks like it hasn’t changed since the early twentieth century.

From left: Silesian glass 18th C., Dresden and Saxony glass 18th C., and Bohemian glass 18th C.

I was impressed by the great collection of glass that the Museum houses and spent a whole day there. I wish I’d had time to go back for a second day. The collection goes back to early times and houses pieces all the way back to ancient Greece and Rome. Besides its vast collection, the museum gives live demonstrations on glass making and has excellent exhibits on the history and uses of glass.

English Victorian glass

American art glass

If you go to Corning, it’s worth spending at least two full days at the glass museum.

Early twentieth century Lalique

Early Holiday Shopping

2010-09-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

A collection of unique treasures from ca. 1895 to 1950

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to avoid a mad rush during the 2010 Holiday season, and to start Christmas shopping early. September and October is when merchants have stocked up and are beginning to display their merchandise for the coming Season. At this time it is actually easier to find a good variety of the staple gifts such as sweaters, shirts, and gloves. The toy stores are not so jammed at this time allowing you to actually think when choosing that perfect gift for the delightful child on your list.

An evening bag that sparkles in the light, made of small steel beads, ca. 1920

Of course, for people on my list who like unique gifts, I always think of antique and vintage things, some of which might be found in my boutique. When buying an antique, always make sure it has been scrupulously cleaned, or you may clean it yourself as soon as you bring it home.

An English sterling silver evening bag/change purse, 1909

To avoid last minute gift wrapping, I always wrap gifts as soon as possible after I purchase them. An antique needs to be wrapped with extra care. If it is large, such as a piece of furniture, an attractive bow is all it needs. A small object can be wrapped in tissue paper and placed in an attractive paper gift bag tied with ribbon. Raffia tied around the handles of a brand new brown paper gift bag is especially appropriate. An antique can also be placed in a brand new box and wrapped with appropriate gift wrap. An antique or vintage gift should always be accompanied by a card or small note on parchment paper giving a full description of the object including the approximate year of origin, the place of origin, the maker, the material, and the pattern, if applicable. The addition of a history of past owner(s) is always welcome if it is available.

An English sterling silver 5 X 7 picture frame, 1954

Over the Holidays I like having favours for my guests on hand because we all become like children at that time of the year. Children’s favours are always easy to find. I will have small flashlights and tape measures for the men. I found these delightful pocket tissue packs for the women.

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Reminiscences...a Week Later

2010-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Across St. John's Harbour--a Fjord, is the Easternmost Point of North America

My son and daughter-in-law were married last Saturday in the bride’s hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland. My husband and I hosted the rehearsal dinner the night before at the Clovelly golf club in St. John’s. I had never been to Newfoundland before and needed to make all the plans from home in Toronto. Early on Friday, the day of the rehearsal, my husband, daughter, and I arrived at the club with pre-printed menus, name cards, memory runners for the two tables, and last minute instructions for the club. Our dinner was scheduled to be held in the club’s regular restaurant, but to our pleasant surprise, the events people offered us the members’ lounge exclusively for our party.

The members’ lounge is a large square masculine style room with dark furniture and paneling. There is a bar in one corner, and a grouping of wing chairs in another corner bracketed by large bay windows. Another seating area is in front of a rustic fireplace.

After the rehearsal at the church, all of us arrived at the club, the bridal couple, their ten attendants, and the bridal couple’s parents. Because it was a little cool outside, the fire was already burning in the fireplace making the room warm and inviting. Two tables were set with dark brown table cloths, the memory runners, votive candles, and flowers in long bud vases. We had a chance to bond as we lingered near the fireplace over drinks and appetizers before sitting down to dinner. My son made a gracious speech thanking everyone for their help. He and his fiancée then distributed their gifts to everyone in the bridal party. Excitement reigned and stayed with us in anticipation of the following day’s festivities.

The two memory runners I mentioned earlier were a surprise for the bride and proved a great success. The bride and her two sisters were thrilled; I received huge hugs from all. A twitter friend in San Francisco, Linda J. Marshall (@LindaJMarshall), designed and custom made them, replicating the design on the rehearsal dinner invitations. To make them especially meaningful, she added the first names of each member of the bridal party to the runners. She suggested the couple would use them each year on their anniversary. Think of the stories they will tell their children in years to come.

The long bud vases with yellow daisy-like flowers were not exactly what I had ordered from the florist, but we were able to group them in an attractive way on the tables. Later in the evening, I was glad the flowers worked out as they did. The bud vases were attractive, quite heavy and square in circumference. There were enough of them to give each of the ladies attending a bud vase filled with yellow daisies to take home.

The Maid-of-Honour's Keepsakes

In some future posts: more wedding photos.

Glass

2010-08-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Pressed glass basket

Glass has been produced since ancient times. Glass is made from silica, lime, and soda. Lime is the stabilizer and soda serves to lower the temperature when added to the silica.

Royal Brierley candlesticks

The way glass objects are made can be divided into four major groups: blown, mould-blown, pressed, and moulded glass. Blown glass is the traditional method where a glass blower dipped a long hollow pipe into molten glass and picked up a small glob on the end and blew into it to adjust to the correct size. The product was finishing by rolling it over a slab of marble or metal. The mould-blown method is done by blowing the glass into a mould and forcing it against the sides of the mould. The pressed glass method is forcing molten glass into moulds without using blowing power. Pressed glass was first made in 1827. Pressed glass pieces always have smooth interiors and patterned exteriors. Moulded glass objects are made in the same way as pressed glass, except that larger moulds were used.

Orrefors decanter

As I search for additions to my boutique inventory, I generally come across glass objects that originated in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Most 19th Century glass objects that have survived until today show they are lovingly made and so exquisite that they are hard to resist. During the 19th and 20th centuries, glass factories produced large quantities of glass objects. Some of the beautiful glass objects produced since the 1920s are vintage and not yet antiques. Many of them are works of art highly prized today and are destined to become antiques of the future.

Victorian enameled decanters ca. 1880

Glass is coloured through the addition of oxides to the molten glass. The other ways glass is decorated are primarily by cut, etched, engraved, painted, and stenciled decoration.

Cranberry glass ca. 1875

Highly prized is cranberry glass is named for its colour. Cranberry glass was blown, or mould-blown. The colour was produced by adding powdered gold to molten amber glass and reheated. Less expensive glass made by adding copper instead of gold can be identified by a bluish tinge in the colour of the glass. The set of glasses above are antique cranberry glass, true to the cranberry colour.

A Picnic on the Beach

2010-07-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Finds: Mid-Century Orrefors Romeo & Juliet Vase. Mid-Century Birks Regency Silverplate Candlesticks.

At this time of year, I like going to sales in the country hoping to find choice pieces for my boutique inventory. Hunting for antique and vintage treasures is what I enjoy most in what I do.

My husband likes to come along if the sale is on a weekend so that we can take some of the time to explore the area. On a recent trip, we decided to take a small picnic lunch. It is fairly easy to find a spot for a picnic in one of Ontario’s provincial parks or conservation areas. At home we normally eat from good china, but having a meal in a natural outdoor setting with few implements seems to add to the enjoyment of being on a picnic.

Finds: Spode Copeland Hand-Decorated Plates, ca. 1940. Vintage Wedgwood Creamware.

Find: Victorian Enameled Glass Decanter, ca. 1880

We found a sandy beach on the shores of Lake Ontario only one and a half hours from Toronto. There's an island on the left in the photo above, but you can’t see all the way to Rochester, New York on the other side of this huge lake. We brought my movers’ quilt that is comfortable to sit on and seems impenetrable to any ants lurking nearby. Lunch was thinly sliced left-over New York steak on thin whole-grain rye, limeade, and take-out cut up watermelon for dessert.

A Day in Stratford

2010-07-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

The summertime is an ideal time to take day trips and explore the local villages and towns in the surrounding area. Ontario is full of picturesque well-groomed farms, villages and towns. Most of them are low-key, unpretentious and charming.

Recently I visited Stratford with my husband and our daughter. Stratford is the home of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. The Festival has a world class production company and brings Shakespearean plays alive on stage every summer. Christopher Plummer who is now over 80 has regularly starred in many of their productions and is appearing there again this summer in “The Tempest”. The Stratford Shakespeare Festival also puts on other plays and musicals. Our choice was the musical “Evita” which turned out to be an excellent production.

Only two hours from Toronto, Stratford is a Victorian town with a charming old square, and lots of quaint shops and restaurants. The parkland on the Avon River banks within the town are dotted with benches and picnic tables which make you want to stay awhile and enjoy the swans, ducks and small boats.

Although there are plenty of restaurants and cafés in town, the Avon River looked like the ideal place for a picnic the day we were there. I like picnics but I hate eating at a bare rough picnic table. For that reason, the movers’ quilt or industrial quilt is an ideal tablecloth. It is thick and easy to wash. For all of you who might be interested, our lunch consisted of thinly sliced leftover pot roast on whole wheat hamburger buns, cherry tomatoes on the vine, small elegant cookies from a Toronto bakery, carbonated not-too-sweet pink lemonade from France, and apricots that I am sure were grown in Georgia.

If you go, there is free parking almost everywhere, and nothing is too far away. Be sure to visit the antique shops in town and in the nearby hamlet of Shakespeare. The Scottish shop on the main shopping street is also worth a visit.

A Weekend in Niagara-on-the-Lake

2010-07-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Have you ever visited Niagara? It is a picturesque region dotted with orchards and wineries that straddles the U.S./Canada border not far from Toronto. Whenever I go, I think of how the Falls must have looked to the native people and the early settlers before all the über-building took place.

Because we’ve seen Niagara Falls before, we tend to bypass it and go straight to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Here you can have a walk or bike ride through the strip of parkland on the Niagara parkway. Along this long stretch from the Falls, and Queenston Heights to Niagara-on-the-Lake, you can have a picnic; look at the Niagara River gorge; buy local fruit and vegetables from the orchards; visit one or two wineries; and when you get close to the town, have an elegant lunch or dinner at a restaurant or a small hotel like the Riverbend Inn.

A discreet peek through the shrubbery at a private garden with a fountain

Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL), then known as Newark, was the original capital of Upper Canada (Ontario) having the first Upper Canada legislature in 1792. The first anti-slavery legislation in the British Empire was passed here in 1793. At the end of the American Revolution it was settled by Loyalists coming to Upper Canada. Later during the war of 1812 fierce fighting took place here.

The perfect place for dinner, The Charles Inn built in 1832

The verandah at The Charles Inn

The view from the verandah at The Charles Inn

As a member of the Norbridge Tableware Collectors' Circle, I turned over the plate to examine the marks You can join here. The Charles Inn uses Tafelstern dinnerware, Germany.

We always take time to walk or ride bicycles through the quiet old streets of the town that have a predominately Georgian look and style. Some of Georgian heritage houses were rebuilt just after the war of 1812. There are also beautiful Victorian houses, as well as others of attractive mixed styles.

We like to go to the live theatre in NOTL at least once during the summer. It is the home of the Shaw Festival, a live theatre company that presents the work of George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and playwrights writing anywhere in the world during that time. This time we enjoyed Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband".

A view of the Niagara River from The Queen's Landing Inn at lunch on a rainy day.

Yes, as a member of the Norbridge Tableware Collectors' Circle, I did "Turn over the Plate". The Queen's Landing uses Oneida Espree restaurant ware, USA. Get permission to check the hallmarks wherever you go by becoming a member,
click to join--it's free.

The library at the Queen's Landing has a masculine décor.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club

Sometimes we have a round of golf at the oldest golf course in North America on the shores of Lake Ontario near the Niagara River outlet into Lake Ontario.

View from the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club patio, the outlet of the Niagara River into Lake Ontario. Fort Niagara in Youngstown NY is across the way.

Fourth of July 2010

2010-07-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July greetings to all my friends and relatives in the United States! I appreciate your great spirit, and I enjoy how much energy you put into celebrating every holiday.

I’ve added some red, white and blue to our table to commemorate the birth of a unique new nation.

Welcome to our home and garden. It is a warm evening. I’ve set the table on the patio with Wedgwood Candlelight pattern china mixed with Royal Albert Centennial Rose. The wine glasses are Waterford. The stainless steel flatware is Splendide. The placemats and napkins are of an indoor outdoor fabric made in Canada by Lady Rosedale.

I wish you a Happy Independence Day.

Walkways, Patios, Driveways

2010-07-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Laburnums and Allium at Hidcote Veranda Magazine

What is your favourite garden design? What can you live with and most importantly, what kind of garden will you be most willing to maintain?

House Beautiful Magazine Outdoor Room Design Ideas

In every garden design whether it is formal, informal or a mix, the walkways, the patio, and the driveway set the scene.

When I was a child, my father built a patio of bricks in a checkered pattern separated by cement mortar. The patio was flush with the grass and over time with the help of moss, it took on a beautiful aged look. I thought the patio was beautiful then and it is what I most miss about my parents’ house besides their espalier trees. I wonder if this spawned my love for bricks, and all stone. Alas, I don’t have any photos of the patio or the espaliers, but the driveway below reminds me of the pattern.

Recently, I went for a walk in an old neighbourhood and looked at the walkways and driveways.

I do like the brick.

Herringbone, just like at Hidcote.

I wonder what planning went into choosing the materials and designs of some of these walkways and driveways.

Brand new cobblestones.

Machine cut flagstones.

My own sandstone steps were here when we moved in. They are so warm and welcoming; I would never want to change them.

When we had our raised patio built, we wanted it to be of brick, but we found these flagstones in the garage and didn’t want to just throw them out. If possible, I like using what is already there if it is of value and is aesthetically pleasing for its purpose.

Outdoor Spaces

2010-06-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

When entertaining outdoors, being in beautiful surroundings adds to the enjoyment of relaxing with friends, and family. A small urban garden always presents special challenges because any imperfections are more apparent. Those of us with small city lots face each spring hoping to continue softening some of the hard surfaces and to cover up the unsightly areas we can do little to remedy otherwise.

In larger settings outside of the city, the utility and garbage areas are normally discreetly hidden a little away from the house by hedges, shrubbery, or fences. As I look around, I find that many people who live the middle of a large city just don’t know what to do with their unsightly garbage cans and choose to ignore them while concentrating on beautifying the rest of their outdoor areas.

Often the only solution is to hide the garbage cans in the garage. I’ve done this in the past until I found these practical cedar bins in which to store the garbage and recycling containers.

I went one more step by adding pots of flowers as attention getters for the utility area. Now, as I walk through, I tend to concentrate on the charming beauty of this part of my outdoor space. I know the simple flowers jammed into these large pots will grow to be spectacular accents as the warmth of the summer encourages their growth.

Norbridge Tableware Collectors' Circle

2010-06-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

I would like to invite all who share a passion for tableware to join my newly launched Norbridge Tableware Collectors' Circle. Your exclusive VIP membership card entitles you to the following privileges:

Your VIP Special Savings of 10% on any single item at Norbridge Antiques
“Turn Over The Plate” giving you express permission to check the tableware hallmarks on china and flatware wherever you go
Weekly electronic newsletters featuring Norbridge Antiques special guides to using your antique and vintage tableware; the art of mixing and matching for maximum elegance; how to recognize hallmarks so you know when to buy; the history of porcelain manufacturing and so much more
Exclusive previews of the latest pieces acquired for purchase in the Norbridge Antiques store, BEFORE they are listed

You can join by clicking the button on my website homepage, Norbridge Antiques.

This Week's Events June 13th to June 19th

2010-06-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July rose

Antiques, Copies, and Fakes: When Old Chairs Multiply

This lecture at Colonial Williamsburg’s DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum on Thursday, June 17th is about 18th century chairs and how to tell the differences between genuine antiques, old reproductions, and fakes.
Colonial Williamsburg’s DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum

William Baffin explorer rose

Be Our Guest: Admission Free Summer Evenings at the Concord Museum
June 16, 5:00-8:00 pm

The Concord Museum in Concord MA offers a free summer evening event which includes a visit to the Concord Museum, and a film “Exploring Concord”. It promises a visit back in time. This is one of my favourite small museums.
Concord Museum

John Cabot explorer rose

Private Pleasures

This exhibit at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto on view until September 12th gives visitors a chance to view historical Japanese porcelain and its place in the elite culture of samurai and geisha of the Edo period (1603-1868).
GardinerMuseum

Climbing hydrangea perfect flat bloom

24th Annual Garden Tour to benefit the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons

Visit Seven Gardens on June 19th in a self-guided tour located in Springs and Amagansett in the Hamptons, NY. I wish I could go. Visiting other people’s gardens is one of my favourite things because there is so much I need to learn about gardening and especially garden design.
24th Annual Garden Tour Hamptons NY

Climbing hydrangea on a fence in North Toronto

Through the Garden Gate: The Beach

The Toronto Botanical Garden is having its 23rd Through the Garden Gate garden tour on 19th and 20th . This year the tour is in the Beaches area of Toronto and promises, “A cornucopia of fabulous gardens, from postage stamp urban jewels to shady, gorgeous glades overlooking Lake Ontario to plant collectors’ havens”. Through the Garden Gate is a self-guided tour that offers shuttle buses to take you to the different gardens.
Through the Garden Gate

Container beside the back door with mandevilla, geraniums, and lobelias

I’d love to hear about upcoming events covering the week of June 20th to June 26th in your area for my next event blog post. Just leave me a comment or send me an email through my website Norbridge Antiques .

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

2010-05-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

The mannequin all dressed up is looking at the traffic from the window of Ritché's on Avenue Road, a bridal dress shop in Toronto.

As soon as my son announced his engagement on New Year’s Eve, the wedding plans took on their own life. Following tradition, my husband and I decided to host the rehearsal dinner in honour of the bride and groom. Because the wedding is taking place on Canada’s east coast, I needed to book a venue I have never seen, in a province I’ve never visited. I am reluctant to ask my son’s future in-laws for help because they have a whole wedding to plan.

I am quickly coming to terms that some services we take for granted in a large city, just aren’t as easy to obtain in a smaller city. I might need to live with the colours of the tablecloths that are already there, and since they don’t provide floral services, I will have to find a florist at a long distance. On the other hand, the menu sounds wonderful. It is refreshing to see the menu offerings with “real food” choices. It’s not comfort food but food that is elegant and at the same time not too precious. We will also have the option to give our guests five main course choices including some local food options. The appetizers and desserts are also just right. The menu has not yet been finalized, and I welcome any menu suggestions.

From what I have heard the venue has a wonderful view. Although it is close to the city, apparently people sometimes see moose crossing the green. I hope we do see a moose or two; even one would be a treat.

Choosing just the right invitations was an event in itself as my husband and I leafed through all the beautiful choices in a large Crane catalogue. I chose these because they are not too formal and are not wedding invitations, and because the colours co-ordinate well with the tablecloths on the tables.

We will have white and yellow daisies with low candles on the tables. To go with the yellow theme, I think I will wear yellow. Do you think my daughter, the groom's sister, will too? I must ask.

The wedding isn't here, but if you're getting married in Toronto, Grace Church-on-the-Hill seems just right.

This Week's Events May 16 to 22, 2010

2010-05-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show is still on until May 16th in Brimfield Massachusetts. By all accounts, this is proving to be a great success for antique connoisseurs. There are hundreds of vendors offering their treasures for sale. The show is a field of tents right in the heart of a region rich in Colonial history.
Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show

Christie's is having an Important English, Continental and American Silver Auction on May 19, 2010 at 10 a.m. in New York at the Rockefeller Plaza. Viewing is at Rockefeller Center on the following dates:
May 15 10am - 5pm
May 16 1pm - 5pm
May 17 10am - 5pm
May 18 10am - 5pm
Christie's May 19th Auction

The ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) is on now at the Jacob Javits Center in New York until May 18th. Over 550 American and international exhibitors are displaying contemporary furniture, seating, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, wall coverings, accessories, textiles, and kitchen and bath for residential and commercial interiors at the Javits Center. Members of the general public are welcome on Tuesday, May 18.

One of my Twitter and Facebook friends, Maybelline Te (@maybellinete) is at the ICFF to unveil her brand new furniture line, Snug Furniture.
ICFF

You might enjoy Drawings and Prints: Selections from the Permanent Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, on until July 4th. This exhibition has a selection of European works on paper spanning the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Included is a group of eighteenth-century German and Austrian designs for altarpieces, as well as designs for the highly sculptural altars that framed these paintings.
Drawings and Prints 15th c to 20th c

If you're lucky enough to be near the Winterthur Museum in Delaware, you might enjoy Lost Gardens of Brandywine, on until to July 25th. On display are rare early colour images and garden ornaments featuring the private, historic gardens of the Brandywine Valley.
Lost Gardens of Brandywine

Family Matters: Love, Marriage and Maiolica in the Italian Renaissance is on at Toronto's Gardiner Museum to July 4th in the Focus gallery. This exhibition of Italian maiolica (brightly painted, tin-glazed earthenware produced in Renaissance Italy) shows its significance in Italian Renaissance society.
Maiolica in the Italian Renaissance

Still on until August 29th, in Toronto at the Royal Ontario Museum, is Wedgwood: Artistry and Innovation. Classic design and changing styles are featured in this beautiful exhibition of nearly 100 of the finest Wedgwood wares in Canada.
Wedgwood: Artistry and Innovation

You can discover Toronto's past from May to October by going on one of the Heritage Toronto Walks. These neighbourhood walking tours are free of charge, and no reservations are needed. They tell the stories of Toronto's people, landscapes and historic buildings. On May 16th, there are two walks. One walking tour goes through Agincourt Village at 1:30 p.m. The other walking tour, Atop the Davenport Hill in the 1920s, is also at 1:30 p.m.
Heritage Toronto Walks

Hallmarks on British Sterling Silver

2010-05-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hallmarks on sterling silver cannot be properly deciphered without learning some of the historical logic behind the coding and consulting a good reference book. This sounds difficult, but just taking a few minutes with some pieces of English sterling and a reference book will help you de-code the places and dates of origin on the hallmark stamps. I hope the background of the dating system in this lens will help get you started.

A beautiful sterling silver object has intrinsic value as well as aesthetic value making the collection of fine silver objects the prime choice of many collectors. Well-made old silver of good design will last forever if handled gently. Gently polished old silver develops a rich patina over the years adding to its beauty. Becoming familiar with the hallmarks and what they mean adds pleasure and more meaning to having a silver collection.

Hallmarks on British Silver Pre-1975

Full British hallmarks are the four marks that include the mark of origin (assay), the standard mark (depicting the sterling standard), the maker's mark, and the date mark, not necessarily always in that order. In addition, between 1784 and 1790, a duty (tax) mark was stamped on silver objects depicting the head of the current monarch. In Ireland, the duty was imposed from 1807; and, in Scotland, 1819. There were sometimes special commemorative marks added to celebrate the occasion of a coronation or a jubilee.

In 1300, the sterling standard of 925 units of silver per thousand was established. The same standard was used in objects and in English coinage. A craftsman could not sell his silver objects until they had been tested or assayed and marked with a punch depicting the assay office. The earliest assay office was London depicted by a leopard's head. Soon other assay offices were established in England, Scotland and Ireland. Most offices had their own mark of origin. In 1363, each craftsman had to add a maker's mark. From 1478, in England, a date mark needed to be added to the hallmarking. In Scotland, a date mark was introduced in 1681; and in Ireland, in 1638. The earliest sterling standard mark was the leopard's head also used as the London assay office mark of origin. From 1544, after the silver coinage was debased, the sterling standard was identified by the lion passant, showing a full figure lion looking over its shoulder and waving. After 1544, the leopard's head became known as the London assay office mark of origin.

In 1697, another standard called the Britannia standard of 95.84% purity was established. The Britannia standard marks are the Britannia figure and the lion's head erased. From 1720, the sterling standard and the standard mark of the lion passant were re-established, although objects of the higher Britannia standard continued to be marked with Britannia and the lion's head erased.

Hallmarks on British Silver from January 1, 1975 to December 31, 1998

The British parliament passed a law effective January 1, 1975 governing the remaining four assay offices of London, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Edinburgh. All silver items weighing more than 7.8 grams must be hallmarked before being described as silver. There are four hallmarks in total: the registered maker's or sponsor's mark, the standard mark, the mark of origin (assay office mark), and the date letter.

London, Birmingham, and Sheffield still use the lion passant as the standard mark. Edinburgh uses the lion rampant. All four offices use the Britannia mark on silver meeting the Britannia standard. By 1975, London still uses the leopard's head as its mark of origin, Birmingham uses the anchor, and Edinburgh uses the three-towered castle. Sheffield uses the York rose replacing the crown it had used for over 200 years. All four assay offices use the same style date letter, which is now changed on January 1 of every year.

The correct dating of an object can be determined by referring to a good reference book on the subject. The shapes of the marks, the letters and the order of the hallmarks all need to be taken into account to establish an accurate date. The assay office marks and the standard marks can also be found in a good reference book.

Hallmarks on British Silver from January 1, 1999

The Hallmarking Act, effective from January 1, 1999, changed hallmarking of precious metal to three compulsory symbols, the maker's mark, the metal and fineness mark, and the assay office mark. The fineness or purity mark is a millesimal number contained within a shield depicting the precious metal.

Reference:
Anna Selby & The Diagram Group, Antique Marks (Glasgow: HarperCollins, 2004).

This Week's Events, May 9 to 15, 2010

2010-05-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

This week, I found these events to be particularly interesting.

The Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show is scheduled for May 11th to 16th in Brimfield Massachusetts. This is sure to be a great success for the antique connoisseurs who will attend. There are often hundreds of vendors offering their treasures for sale. The show is a field of tents right in the heart of a region rich in Colonial history.

Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Vienna Circa 1780: An Imperial Silver Service Rediscovered is on exhibit from April 13th to November 7th. The display of a superb silver Sachsen-Teschen Service is
in the Wrightsman Exhibition Gallery, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, 1st floor.
Vienna Circa 1780

Ignaz Josef Wort Pair of Wine Coolers 1781

The Winterthur Museum in Delaware is featuring Flower Power: Floral Artistry until October 31st. This exhibition shows how Henry Francis Du Pont chose colours, specific flowers, and vases when he created the floral arrangements for his home.
Flower Power: Floral Artistry at Wintherthur

The Antiques and Gardening Show at Bryn Du is on in Granville Ohio, May 14th to May 16th. More than forty dealers from twelve states will offer a variety of antiques from period furniture to silver and jewelry.
Antiques and Gardening at Bryn Du

In Toronto, at the Royal Ontario Museum, until August 29th, you can go to Wedgwood: Artistry and Innovation. Classic design and changing styles are featured in this beautiful exhibition of nearly 100 of the finest Wedgwood wares in Canada.
Wedgwood: Artistry and Innovation

The Gardiner Museum in Toronto is featuring a special exhibit on contemporary ceramics in Israel. This is running until May 9th. If you go, make sure to make time visiting the permanent collection too. This small museum is a treasure in itself. It's worth spending the day.
Contemporary Ceramics in Israel

You can discover Toronto's past from May to October by going on one of the Heritage Toronto Walks. These neighbourhood walking tours are free of charge, and no reservations are needed. They tell the stories of Toronto's people, landscapes and historic buildings. On May 9th, the walking tour goes through West Toronto Junction.
West Toronto Junction

The Right Vase

2010-05-04T18:11:00.001-07:00

One of my favourite places to go early on a Saturday in Toronto is Avenue Road and Davenport.

On the west side, four flower shops all in a row have a large varied array of fresh cut flowers. These shops are open every day early in the morning ready to welcome their devoted customers who are always ready for the challenging task of finding a parking spot to buy a bouquet or two.

If we are entertaining or even for no reason, I like getting a few cut flowers to freshen up the house. In the spring, the special draw is the tulips. I enjoy their faint fresh scent and simple lines.

Last Saturday was a mild day just right for making the trip to buy fresh flowers. Although I planned to buy just a few tulips, my emotions took over when I noticed the cherry blossom branches and the peonies. I purchased a small bunch of pink tulips, two small cherry branches, and two peonies. Because I was not planning to entertain anyone but my family, I never gave a thought to how I was going to display them.

I have a collection of vases. Some are decorative on their own and some are utilitarian. Flowers can go into any container. Sometimes I use a vase of fine porcelain or crystal and sometimes I use a bowl, old jug, or cheap florist’s vase. The style, size and where the flowers are displayed are important. Imagination is important.

Flowers will last at least a week if purchased from a good flower shop. To keep the flowers fresh, a preservative can be added to the water. I always have a bottle of Star Fresh on hand for this purpose. Although cut tulips stay looking fresh, they tend to bend over in a day or two. A teaspoon of gin added to the water will help delay this.

This Week's Events - May 2 to 8, 2010

2010-05-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

English sterling silver gravy boat

If you're near Stamford Connecticut, you might enjoy Keno Auctions Inaugural Sale held May 1-2 at the Marriott Stamford Hotel. The catalogue is available for viewing online. If you are not near Stamford, you may consider bidding online.
Keno Auctions

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festivals are held monthly at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Dealers from all over the country attend. You might enjoy going on May 2nd.
West Palm Beach Auction Festival

The Winterthur Museum in Delaware is putting on display historic automobiles that graced the Wintherthur estate long ago. Each Saturday in May will feature a special display. On May 8th, the Jazz age is featured.
Winterthur Calendar

The Gardiner Museum, the ceramics museum in Toronto is featuring a special exhibit on contemporary ceramics in Israel. This is running until May 9th. If you go, make sure to make time visiting the permanent collection too. This small museum is a treasure in itself. It's worth spending the day.
Gardiner Museum

You can discover Toronto's past from May to October by going on one of the Heritage Toronto Walks. These neighbourhood walking tours are free of charge, and no reservations are needed. They tell the stories of Toronto's people, landscapes and historic buildings. On May 2nd, the walking tour goes through Thistletown.
Heritage Toronto Walks

Not this week but scheduled to run from May 11th to 16th is the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show in Brimfield Massachusetts. This is sure to be a great success for the antique connoisseurs who will attend. There are often hundreds of vendors offering their treasures for sale. The show is a field of tents right in the heart of a region rich in Colonial history.
Brimfield Antique Show

Reticulated sterling silver bowl

Finds

2010-04-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

A customer of mine who is just setting up house appreciates the value of starting out with good furniture and especially collecting antiques which she knows add special warmth and character to any home.

She is a busy young professional who moved into her first house last summer. It is a tiny house on a street lined with tall shade trees in one of Toronto’s best neighbourhoods. When she moved in, she asked if I would help her find a dining table that would not overwhelm her small space. I lent her one of my tilt-top tables and metal folding chairs while she patiently waited as I hunted for the perfect table. Both she and I had a vision of finding a table with leaves to make it larger or smaller as needed. There are also tables that can be expanded or contracted by essentially having attached leaves that are hidden under the tabletop.

During my search all over southern Ontario, I found an oval English breakfast table made in 1850. This is not exactly what we had in mind but when I saw the beauty of the inlaid burled walnut and the carved pedestal, they took my breath away. The table had been kept in a good home for generations and was nicely polished with a good French polish. I immediately sent two photos to my customer in Toronto. She loves inlaid wood and was so thrilled that she purchased it immediately. Her dining area is in an open space shared with the living-room. The dining space itself has an Ikea bookcase covering one wall, and a window on the other. Her living-room sofa is of a good quality and has a modern classic look. When the table was delivered, the entire living area was immediately transformed and took on an elegant look. The pedestal on this early Victorian table coordinates well with the pedestal on the early Victorian marble-top accent table in the living-room.

The next dilemma was finding chairs to go well with a table from 1850. Some of the brand new chairs we considered were appropriate, but I encouraged her to wait while I searched for a suitable set of antique chairs in good condition. My customer was confident that I would find the right set of chairs for her, and at first I did find two sets that might have been suitable. I quickly realized that although she wanted comfortable chairs, she wanted fairly clean lines and didn’t want them to be too ornate.

Finally, eight months after buying the table we were very excited when we found a set of eight chairs in excellent condition, and just right. The chairs were made in 1920 with burled walnut backs with mahogany sides. Four or six of the chairs fit around the table. The other two serve as accent chairs flanking a hall table. I am grateful to have a customer with such good taste, vision, and imagination.

When my customer grows into a larger home and a larger dining table, this table will serve her as a decorative piece in a library or placed against an accent wall because this English breakfast table is a tilt-top. I am so happy that these pieces will continue to be cherished for future generations to enjoy.

Many thanks to my customer who granted her permission to publish this post.

Henry Morrison Flagler Museum

2010-03-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Henry Morrison Flagler museum is a magnificent palace built in Palm Beach in 1902 that closely rivals some of the most exquisite of palaces in Europe. It is designed and decorated in the Beaux-Arts style with close attention paid to every detail.

Henry Flagler had the mansion of 55 rooms designed by architects John Carrère and Thomas Hastings, and built as a winter retreat and wedding present for his third wife Mary Lily Kenan Flagler. The mansion called Whitehall is one of the large estates built at this time that are seen as examples of a coming of age in architecture and sophistication in the United States. Besides having the elements of the great design and art of any grand house in Europe, Whitehall adds the American refinement of efficiency and comfort incorporating the latest American domestic technology available at the time.

Henry, one of the barons of the Gilded Age, was a founding partner of Standard Oil. Henry also distinguished himself as a great visionary who was the first to begin developing Florida for tourism. Besides establishing many of Florida's historical hotels, Henry succeeded in building a railroad all the way from Jacksonville to the Florida Keys. Today, many streets, buildings and other Florida sites are named Flagler, after this great developer.

The Museum and its garden areas are well maintained. When stepping inside, the museum is as clean and fresh as it must have been in its early days. The tour leaders "docents" are knowledgeable and feel truly passionate about the museum. It is a pleasure just being there. The Museum is unusual in that it allows photographs to be taken as long as flash photography is not used.

The drawing room.

My favourite corner of the drawing room.

The dining room.

The breakfast room has an English look.

The music room is lit with Baccarat chrystal chandeliers.

The ballroom is fashioned after the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

The master bedroom.

Fit for a prince.

The gate and palms.

Many thanks to my twitter friend @Maybellinete for suggesting the visit to the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. If you would like to see it in more detail, you might like visiting her blog known as Froulala by clicking on the link in the left column of this blog.

A Visit to Worth Avenue

2010-03-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

Palm Beach is a jewel in Florida with its grand hotels, and houses, many of them having a distinctive Spanish Mediterranean look. Its gardens are formal and have been kept groomed and well-manicured for decades with flowering vines and layers of hedging. The town has an overall feeling of elegance that harkens back to the early decades of the twentieth century. It seems a little as if time is standing still.

Everything about Palm Beach is special. It’s best to park the car and walk around to take in the atmosphere and enjoy just being there. Just exploring Worth Avenue stretching east from Cocoanut Row to the Atlantic Ocean will take the better part of the day even if you are not on a serious shopping trip with lots of ready cash.

At first flush, impressive in itself, Worth Avenue is full of high-end designer brand shops such as Nieman Marcus, Saks, Tiffany, Kaufmann de Suisse, Valentino, Christofle, St. John, Stubbs & Wootton, etc. But it is even more than that. There are also beautiful antique shops, shops selling art, shops with unusual gifts, and jewellery shops, all carrying the best of quality. It is known as the top shopping area in the world. Worth Avenue is truly an experience you will not want to miss. Along the street are many little laneways known as vias that take you into charming courtyards with small gardens surrounded by more shops.

If you go, you will notice that most of the people look as if they have self-consciously taken great care to wear something appropriate to the experience of walking along Worth Avenue. It might be to pay homage to the history of the street, or to make sure they are as well dressed as the friends they might meet. They are probably wearing what will be in fashion in New York later in the summer.

Lunch at the famous Taboo on Worth Avenue is one of the things to do. You might try their crab stack with a Caesar salad. While you’re having lunch, fashion models will stroll by your table wearing choice clothing, jewellery, and handbags to tempt you to the stores nearby.

You'll enjoy visiting Select Fine Art specializing in 19th and 20th Century European and American Paintings and fine quality antiques. When I was there, I saw lovely sterling silver picture frames and other exquisite sterling silver objects. Currently, there are also several beautiful tables with inlaid wood, one having a beautiful marquetry surface.

You might also enjoy visiting the Daniella Ortiz shop in the Gucci Courtyard behind Gucci and across from Tiffany and Chanel. Daniella Ortiz is a young talented designer who has launched her own line of handbags and jewellery, all designed and handcrafted in Argentina. Daniella Ortiz’s handbags and jewellery have great style and elegance. I especially like her reds and blues.

The Gucci courtyard.

A stunning display of Baccarat crystal in Mary Mahoney's window.

Florida Vacation

2010-03-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

When looking for a vacation rental in Florida, we concentrate on finding one in an area we like. Our next consideration is that the ocean, a swimming pool, golf, and tennis facilities are nearby. If at all possible, it is always convenient to have enough room for occasional entertaining of family members and friends who are visiting Florida at the same time. Of course, we expect our rental to be well-kept, clean, and pleasant.

Although I never expect the architectural design or the interior decoration to be according to my taste, it is an added benefit if the design of the house or apartment is pleasing. This year, I am happy with the design, the colours, and some elements of the interior décor of our vacation rental. Together they add to the overall enjoyment of our stay here.

The house is low-key and without pretense. The Florida seashore is the theme throughout. Here is the étagère on one wall of the kitchen dining area.

Recessed in the dining room is a wet-bar with the upper half mirrored on three sides.

The large mirrored closet, and the blue quilted seashell bedspread make the guest bedroom charming.

The guest bathroom is all white, blue, and yellow with cheerful seashore art.

The table is set with vacation rental finds for a casual lunch with friends.

Winter

2010-02-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

Up here in the north it’s part of the culture to complain about winter, especially in February when we know that winter will last at least until mid-April. We tend to complain but in our hearts, we truly enjoy winter. Otherwise, we would have moved to a warmer climate long ago. We make the most of winter by skiing, or skating. For those of us who are courageous, we play hockey. A brisk walk in the freezing cold is also invigorating and makes us feel alive. Our warm shelter--home, hearth, and a hot drink are especially pleasurable after outdoor winter exercise.

The symbol of warmth in the home is the fireplace.

This fireplace is in my house which was built in 1932. Those with an artistic eye can see that the street scene picture above the fireplace is not quite in proportion with the fireplace. It will be very soon, when I have it reframed with a slightly larger mat and frame.

In Toronto, fireplaces are standard features.

This fireplace in a friend’s home also built in the 1930s has a classic design and a restrained beauty. The old Royal Crown Derby plates on the mantle help give the focal point of the room an exquisite beauty.

An Eperne Horn

2010-01-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas, a friend gave me a small bud vase made of clear glass known as an eperne horn. With its elegant lily shape, it is made to sit solidly on a table or tray holding a single flower with water. It is the perfect addition to a breakfast tray, or breakfast table setting.

I was delighted at an estate sale last week to find a similar vase from earlier years made of pressed iridescent glass, so simple yet so beautiful.

I'll have to buy more lilies from now on.

A Favourite Aynsley China Pattern

2010-01-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

When visiting friends and relatives over the past year, I’ve noticed that people are getting away from being too casual. It seems like there is a return to dressing smartly and with polish. Many people, too, are using their good porcelain to entertain guests rather than keeping it hidden in a china cabinet. I find this trend delightful because it adds to my enjoyment and it keeps me from excessive numbers of visits to our ceramics museum and premier china shops.

After seeing and holding numerous pieces of china, I find that the different china factories have their own distinctive characteristics especially when it comes to the pattern designs.

Aynsley China is one of my very favourite English manufacturers. It dates back to the eighteenth century and is still prospering today in Longton, England. This particular china I am featuring is Aynsley from 1960. I have a service for six available for sale that I will be listing individually in my online store. The pattern is Venetian and has a pure white background with a platinum border. The design is an understated grey-blue that co-ordinates well with current interiors. Antique china, vintage china, and brand new china give us more pleasure when we use them, rather than merely putting them on display.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year. I'm looking forward to an exciting 2010.

To celebrate a casual New Year's brunch, the table is set with vintage Wedgwood Doric Platinum, Orrefors Intermezzo Blue goblets, Villeroy and Boch Vieux Luxembourg, Birks sterling silver Louis XV, and a mixture of modern and vintage crystal. Now four years old, the tablecloth is from the Lenox Shop in Freeport Maine. The napkins are paper. We're at the end of much Holiday entertaining.

Many thanks to all of my family, friends, and customers.

Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours

2009-12-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

The Tree

Special Ornaments

Collected over the years

Christmas Decorating Continues Indoors

2009-12-20T17:18:00.000-08:00

My decorating continues in stages all through to mid-December. After adding just a few decorations on the bare wreath at the side door, I decorate the mantle. I prefer using fresh natural evergreens, but since the boughs on the mantle cannot easily be kept moist, I use fake boughs. Just before guests arrive during the Christmas season, I always add a few fresh sprigs of fir to the fake boughs for a better effect.

In previous years, the thick candles decorating the mantle at Christmas time were always real beeswax candles. This year, to avoid having open candle flames so close to the wall, I decided to use battery operated candles that come with an outer covering of wax giving the appearance of real candles. In the evening, these candles radiate a similar glow.

Most of the remaining decorating in our house is done with fresh natural boughs except for the tree ornaments I have collected over the years. Last weekend we purchased the Christmas Tree at my favourite garden centre, Sheridan Nurseries. It is a Fraser fir eight and one half feet high. When buying a real tree it is always a struggle bringing it into the house and setting it up. It has become easier ever since we've had a swivel base stand. We bring the hard plastic trunk receptacle cover to the garden centre to be fitted neatly over the tree trunk. The people at the garden centre also loosely tie the tree to make it narrower for transporting. For further transport protection, the tree is placed into a long bag. When we get home all we have to do is make sure the base is ready and positioned in its designated place sitting on a plastic sheet for further protection of the floor. It takes two of us to bring in the tree bottom first. The base of our tree stand has a lever to straighten the tree in the event that it is not quite straight.

This year, we chose the perfect tree which took twenty minutes to put up from the moment we arrived home. Of course, adding the lights is the difficult part of tree decorating. A stepladder always helps. The lights are on the tree, and it is now ready for our tree trimming party on the 23rd when our dinner guests will help us hang the ornaments.

The Christmas cactus which began blooming for the American Thanksgiving continues to bloom for Christmas.

Decorating the Outdoors for Christmas

2009-12-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas, a magical and spiritual holiday, takes place at the darkest time of the year making us want to add brightness to our surroundings. The anticipation of Christmas is almost as enjoyable as the Holiday itself. During the pre-Christmas Advent season, we do so many delightful things to prepare for the celebration. My parents never wavered in making Christmas a wonderful time for us, and many of the preparations that were repeated every year became our traditions I now share with my family. Decorating the outside of the house is one of the first things we do.

The weekend of the American Thanksgiving is my marker of the beginning of the Christmas season. It is the weekend I go to the garden centre to purchase the evergreen wreaths and boughs for the entrance doors and the outdoor planters. Except for the lighting, I limit the outdoor decorations to fresh evergreens and natural accents as much as possible.

Sheridan Nurseries, the garden centre, has an outdoor area protected from the wind, rain and snow with heaters in strategic places. A welcoming pot of hot apple cider keeps the shoppers from becoming numb with cold. Sheridan’s choice of decorations is extensive and is always beautifully displayed. Their floral arrangers gladly help customers by creating outdoor or indoor arrangements ready for display.

I always buy ready-made wreaths, but I enjoy creating my own low-key arrangements for the planters. For the front, I found the largest wreath my door will allow. This year, my choice of wreath is one already decorated with cones and is made mainly of Fraser fir boughs with a few sprigs of bluish juniper, pine, and some cedar.

Two small cut fir trees are for the urns on the back patio.

Fir, pine boughs and pussy willow twigs fill the planters near our side door.

This year the earth was not yet frozen making the anchoring of arrangements in the planters and urns much easier than in previous years.

The side door is also welcoming with its small plain Fraser fir wreath that I will decorate with cones and some small faux red berries.

The last task is to add white lights to the globe cedars and square yew, the rooted living plants growing near the front door. White lights also light up the little fir trees in the urns on the back patio. This year we added timers to the lighting keeping in mind that many people in our neighbourhood walk late in the evening to enjoy the crisp fresh air and the seasonal lighting displays.

Now all that is needed is the dusting of real snow which we can expect naturally by Christmas time.

Christmas Traditions

2009-11-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

At this time of the year, many of us begin planning for the festive season. Whether we celebrate Channukah, or Christmas most of what we do and plan for the holidays is based on our religious traditions and the traditions we and our families created to make the Holidays more meaningful. These holidays in the darkest part of the winter are meant to bring joy, hope, and giving to our friends, families, neighbours, and especially to the children.

The preparations and anticipation of Christmas are part of the celebration and are in themselves enjoyable.

Mid-November marks the beginning of my Christmas traditions. Every year at this time I go to lunch in the downtown shopping area with the same group of friends. Last Saturday, our annual lunch lasted almost four hours. Although we see each other during the year, we still seem to have lots to share. We choose the restaurant for its ambience, aesthetic quality, comfort, and good food, in that order. Among the restaurants we’ve enjoyed in the past are the Courtyard Café at the Windsor Arms Hotel , and the lobby bar of the Four Seasons Hotel . This year we returned to the Holt Renfrew Café where the salads and tartines are like no other.

After lunch, we always visit a few of the stores on Bloor Street, including some of the clothing stores. As you can imagine, all of the stores are decorated for the season and filled with the excitement of the coming Holidays. When William Sonoma and Pottery Barn first came to Toronto, we were delighted and added them to our favourite spots.

One of my favourite stores is William Ashley China. One of the delightful things to see on Bloor Street is their Wall of China. They must carry every fine china and crystal pattern currently made. Can you find your favourite pattern?

Birks Jewellers, formerly Henry Birks & Sons, on the corner of Bay and Bloor is a lovely store to visit.

The teddy bear at the door of The Toy Shop has been tirelessly blowing bubbles for a number of years and seems to be as happy in the warm weather and when it’s below freezing. Look at that huge bubble in the photo.

The Lego Santa Claus greets the passersby.

Do you know a child who would like this rocking horse?

Toile de Jouy

2009-10-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

A few years ago when the carpeting on the stairs needed to be replaced I decided to go with a blue and white colour scheme. Blue and white repeat the colours in the living room, and are favourites of mine, especially blue which is a serene colour having a calming effect. At that time I had already made the decision never to buy another carpet made of synthetic fiber.
Wool lasts for a lifetime and seems to get better with age taking on a subtle sheen. It’s beautiful even when it shows a little wear. It is also easy to clean and stays clean longer. I still enjoy living with this carpet which covers the stairs, the landing and the second floor hallway. With some forethought at the time, I had three area rugs made of the same carpet for the master bedroom, planning to possibly redecorate in blue and white toile de Jouy.

Toile printing on fabric was first done in 1760 in Jouy, France. It is a repeat printing of a fairly complex theme in one colour on white or off-white fabric. The favourite themes in the eighteenth century were rural, or pastoral. Later, historical and chinoiserie themes were sometimes used. Toile de Jouy has remained popular until today and has become a classic. When it is used, a room is usually decorated with no other pattern but toile de Jouy.

Early in the summer, I finally found a colour to go with the blue in the blue and white area rugs. The colours did not need to match, but the tones needed to be compatible. I opted to have the shams, the bedskirt, the curtains for three windows, the tablecloth for the skirted table, the duvet cover, and the upholstered headboard slipcover done in blue and white toile de Jouy. The mahogany-framed headboard is an antique I purchased at an estate sale while I was purchasing inventory for my store.

The curtains for the two small windows on either side of the bed created some design questions. There is always a question of how to treat a large window with an old radiator beneath. All the windows have window shades which made an easy choice of having only panels on either side of the large window. The table lamp needs to be replaced with a clear glass lamp. I will search for a vintage one during one of my estate buying forays.

I worked with a local fabric store to get this project done. From start to finish, the project took three months with many unnecessary visits back and forth to the store. I’ve learned my lesson and will work with an interior designer the next time I have such a large project.

You’ll find a decorating project will still be within your budget when hiring an interior designer. I found that interior designers always receive sizeable discounts at the top fabric stores that include the sewing. This discount is never offered to one who deals with the store directly.

A designer will work with you to make sure you get exactly what you want. Let her know what you want and then let her take over. An interior designer will solve problems and give you lots of different options to solve the problems. Her expertise will prevent costly mistakes. She has access to a wide range of the best people to do the job and will make sure the job gets done right down to the final details.

Starting Fresh

2009-09-27T16:45:00.001-07:00

As you were first setting up house, what advice did you get from your parents, relatives and friends? The rule of thumb when setting up house is buy the best you can afford of the basic larger pieces of furniture, then add the smaller pieces as you can afford them. If you’re on a tight budget, making some of those decisions requires discipline, foresight, and vision. It makes sense to keep the old slogan in mind, “Never buy cheap unless you can afford it. Good quality assets which will last are more cost effective than buying things that are cheaply made.

When my husband and I first set up house, we very nearly depleted our budget buying a sofa, two bergère chairs, coffee table, bed, and bedroom chests of drawers. After our large initial spend, we were still without a dining table and chairs. For a table, one choice might have been a Pembroke table, a rectangular table with folding or drop leaves on each side. A Pembroke table is a good choice as a starter dining table because it fits easily in a small space with the leaves down when not in use. This type of table can later be put to use in a hall or as a sofa table.

Although we didn’t have enough room in the kitchen at that time, we did have a formal dining room space with enough room to easily accommodate a table and chairs. Because I’ve always had a great love for old houses and old well-made furniture, I decided to check the auctions and estate sales in the area. I finally found an antique round maple pedestal table that came with a centre leaf, and four oak chairs. The table and chairs were solid, well-made, and straight. The chair seats were covered in leather. The whole set cost $45.

The table and chairs served us well as a dining table for a few years until we moved to a new home relegating them to the breakfast area of the kitchen when we purchased other dining furniture. Once there, to cheer up the space, I purchased a 5/8-inch glass top for the table to put over a floor-length tablecloth. The chairs have seats and cushions to match the tablecloth. In the photo, you can see the table at which we have enjoyed many family meals, children’s creative projects, and games. At mealtimes, we usually cover the glass top with another tablecloth.

This table has given us such great joy that all four of us could not bear to replace it when we had a recent kitchen renovation. Apparently, the diameter is about four inches too large for the space. Because of the many good memories and because I always think it best to hold to something of value, decided to put up with having a table just a bit too large in our breakfast area.

I couldn't resist adding a photo of the bi-colour northern hibiscus beside our patio still in bloom in late September.

Container Gardening in North Toronto

2009-08-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Spring and summer is a special time of year where I live in the Toronto neighbourhood of North Toronto. It seems, as soon as we are sure the chance of frost is past, we go into a frenzy of gardening activity beginning with planning our containers to add instant colour to our gardens. The rule of thumb is that the final date for possible frost is Victoria Day, May 24th.Those who are both thrifty and impatient begin the process two months earlier by starting seedlings indoors. Even those who don’t normally garden are sure to display potted plants or flowers on their patio or balcony.

Beginning on May 20th for about two weeks, we head for the garden centres to buy flowers, shrubs and trees to replace, and replenish our existing plantings. My favourite garden centre is Sheridan’s on Yonge Street near Glengrove. The queues at the cash register during this time are often as long as those on December 24th. This year, I saw a woman who had rented a U-Haul truck to transport all of the purchases for her city garden.

When I visit friends during the summer I enjoy seeing how they are expressing their individual style, creativity and taste in their container plantings. Each one is different, adding colour to a door, window, or patio. Some of them even add some large pots of flowers bringing beauty to the utility area of their yard.

The two photos above show a friend's lovely green ferns she plants every May without fail in her black concrete urns. She painted them black to mimic cast iron. Her front entrance is inviting with a formal elegance.

At the right is another friend's cast iron urn brimming over with petunias and million bells. She doesn't fill her urns with the same types of flowers every year, but she loves pink and purple flowers. Typically, her urns are the first ones ready in the neighbourhood in the spring, filling us with great delight.

The container below is done with fuchsia pink geraniums and lobelia. So lovely with the blue spruce shrub.

Below is a large vase planted with vines of different colours topped off with a dramatic pink semi-tropical flowering vine. This is suitable for the dramatic front entrance.

I love visiting another friend whose garden encompasses urban sophistication and cottage garden elements. It is artistic, eclectic, and forever changing. Her garden shed's window boxes are filled with yellow begonias.

On the fence in the perfect spot near the shed is her wall fountain.

The potted vine hanging over her stone wall looks like it was just casually placed giving this garden a relaxed inviting appeal.

Another example of this is the antique coal basket used as a container to fill with perfect pink geraniums. The rush filling, and the rustiness of the coal basket give a cottage feeling to this corner of her garden.

How pleasant it is to live near the people whose container gardening I've featured. All of them have their own special artistic flair with attention to detail, giving their gardens their own brand of beauty. They help make North Toronto a very special neighbourhood.

I have two examples of my own container gardening. The globe cedars on either side of the door have survived in their vintage concrete containers for four years helped by double liners to keep the roots protected from harsh winter frosts.

Thunbergia and orange impatients at the side door.

Living in an Urban Garden

2009-07-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

It is a real pleasure to be outside in the summertime. Besides trying to keep up my tennis game, I enjoy the plant life and natural scenery at this time of year. I have always had a great passion for gardening.

Urban gardens tend to be more formal and groomed, with balanced plantings and geometrical hardscapes, than the natural country gardens. The challenge is to have a good balance between the architectural features and the plants. I try adding as much living plant material as possible to soften the hardscapes and to imitate nature while maintaining a partially formal clipped look.

A friend who has a tranquil urban garden in an older Toronto neighbourhood known for its large shade trees, inherited this vintage wrought iron table and chairs from the late 1940s / early 1950s, shown above and in the next two photos. The decoration is detailed having a good design and style without being heavy looking or too ornate. Although decorated, the style of this set is restrained with a classic look. The glass in the tabletop is not the original and needed to be replaced only once due to an overhead branch of a tree breaking and crashing into the glass top one icy January. Otherwise, the table and four chairs have survived many cold and cruel winters in Toronto with minimal upkeep. My friend inherited her ancestor’s excellent taste and created a perfect place to set them off to their best advantage.

Patio furniture adds to the bones of the hardscapes. It’s best for the patio furniture to look inviting, be well designed, and not add a cluttered look or be so overwhelming as to compete with the plants. My favourite is black or dark green wrought iron furniture. Wrought iron is practical, adding style and form to the space. A dark colour makes it recede and blend in with the space.

Ten years ago, I was delighted to have found my own round patio table with glass top, four chairs, and gliding bench (glider) made by Meadowcraft in Alabama, U.S.A. The furniture still looks like new, is of a gracious classic design, and easy to maintain. The chairs and bench are also comfortable. The chairs actually seem to be sprung and have some give when leaning back. They look inviting and pleasant all four seasons of the year.

To accommodate more guests when we entertain, we add some of the small vintage wrought iron tables and folding chairs I have stored in the garden shed.

Pictured above is my gliding bench beneath the New Dawn climbing rose in full bloom.

Meadowcraft has a longstanding reputation for producing quality wrought iron furniture of good design. They are the largest U.S. manufacturer of outdoor wrought iron furniture.

Note: Meadowcraft has given me permission to mention their company and are not paying me for giving them this recommendation. I am not related to anyone at Meadowcraft. I simply appreciate their excellent products.

Happy Fourth of July from Norbridge Antiques

2009-07-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

I wish you, my customers, relatives, friends, and neighbours in the United States of America a happy Independence Day. I often travel to the United States for business, for vacations with my family, or to visit relatives. Going to the United States is comfortable, and easy. I always feel welcome whether I am in New York, the Midwest, the West, the South, New England, California, or Florida. Every one of these regions is different but the people are all friendly, and hospitable. America is a free country with a rich culture, and a proud history. We can appreciate the Fourth of July whether we are Americans, or not.

There are many good things about the American culture I appreciate. Americans have a sense of history, and are proud of their heritage. Every region pays tribute to its historical contribution by restoring and preserving its landmarks of architectural importance. Americans are a happy and positive people who tend to celebrate each other’s accomplishments. They are industrious, productive, and enterprising. They have shown great generosity in helping other countries in the world, and by giving opportunity to their own poor. From the beginning, Americans have striven for, and championed equality for all. What I have noticed especially about Americans, is their great self-confidence from which springs their talent for innovation. Their country itself was built on principles, and a government structure that were completely new. Innovative people find solutions when faced with the most difficult situations.

Americans celebrate each one of their holidays with great enthusiasm and patriotism. I love the red, white, and blue colours of the Independence Day celebrations. As you can see in the photos above, I like the mixing of vintage, modern, and antique. The porcelain is my favourite china pattern, Villeroy and Boch Old Luxembourg, the water glass is Orrefors crystal Intermezzo Blue, the pastry fork is Alvin sterling silver, and the crystal and sterling silver bud vase is an English antique. The wrought iron and glass table, and wrought iron chairs were made by Meadowcraft in Alabama.

The single-flower roses in the bottom two photos are the climbing rose, Fourth of July. This climber is on my garden shed and is only a year old. The red and white stripes, the name, and its timely blossoms make it a perfect climber in our celebration of this important day.

Wall Sconces and Candles

2009-06-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

Candlesticks or candle holders have been with us for centuries. Long ago, we used them as a practical way to light our rooms at night. As we progressed and developed oil lamps, gas lamps, and electricity, all of which radiate light in a better and more efficient way, we cannot forget the charm and allure of the dimmer glow of candlelight.

Out of a sense of sentimentality or history, we use candles today to set the right mood for romance, good conversation, and social gatherings. I can’t seem to resist buying candlesticks when I see them, especially when they are of a pleasing design. I especially like those made of china, silver, or glass.

An array of recent purchases is shown above, including sterling silver, Dresden, and Coalport candlesticks, Dresden vases, a Georgian decanter, a Scandinavian crystal decanter, all waiting to be sold and brighten their new homes.

Sconces commonly known as wall sconces are bracket candlesticks attached to a wall. Most are now electrified, but it is still possible to find those that hold candles. Sconces are perfect as architectural elements and can be hung singly as accents helping to create a focal point for one, or an arrangement of framed pictures. Matching wall sconces on either side, can give importance to a mirror, a picture, a fireplace, or a door. Several matching wall sconces hung at regular intervals around a room set a special tone of formality to a principal room. Interior designers can find countless ways of decorating walls using these accessories. The gilt Florentine wall sconce shown immediately above is one of a pair, and is a full twenty-two inches long holding 12-inch candles.

This restrained Colonial style solid brass wall sconce is one of a pair flanking a fireplace wall. It is wired with electricity and gives off a dim light controlled by a dimmer switch.

On the right is a wired solid brass wall sconce in an ornate swirled two-toned pattern. This is also one of a pair, and comes with small white lampshades.

Candlesticks and sconces give a timeless, hospitable atmosphere to a room adding architectural details and sparkle.

Antique and Vintage Patio Furniture

2009-06-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Patio furniture is much more attractive if it is made of natural products such as hardwood, stone, wrought iron or cast iron. These products will eventually weather and blend in more harmoniously with the garden. My very favourite is patio furniture made of wrought iron. Wrought iron does not compete with the garden, but seems to recede into the garden allowing the viewer to enjoy the plants. Wrought iron patio furniture is especially pleasing in traditional colours of black, dark green, white, or dark brown.

The chairs and tea cart pictured are occasional pieces that can be left in a far corner of the garden, or on a patio, ready to be brought into use on their own, or to add to a larger gathering when additional chairs are needed. These pieces can be left on the lawn because the light is allowed through, and will not impede the lawn growth beneath. They are all vintage pieces, still in excellent condition, and will last forever if they are given minimum care. The china on the tea cart is Villeroy and Boch china, Vieux Luxembourg pattern.

Wrought iron patio furniture can be kept outside all year round. It does not need to be covered for the winter. Indeed, it adds to the beauty of a winter garden. In the spring, to keep wrought iron pieces in excellent condition, it should be examined for rust spots. All the maintenance that is required is to brush the rust spots with a metal brush, wipe with a clean cloth, and spot spray with a rust retardant paint making sure to protect the patio with a drop sheet. This springtime maintenance takes very little time.

Wrought iron furniture is a timeless treasure. Antique or vintage pieces can mix well with new pieces.

The chair in this corner is so loved that the owner, one of my best customers, brings it inside for the winter as a pretty accent piece within her house.

It is still possible to find affordable Victorian and Edwardian pieces as well as the understated pieces made in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.

The wrought iron railing pictured here was custom-made just two years ago to surround and decorate our raised patio. It allows approaching visitors to see through to the square concrete containers planted with ivy geraniums, annual lobelias, and clematis.

Reference: Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, McArthur & Company, Toronto, Classic Decorative Details (London, Anaya Publishers Ltd. 1994)

Onion Pattern

2009-06-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

The Onion pattern is one of the ten most popular china patterns with a proven track record. It was first designed in the eighteenth century at the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory in Saxony, fashioned after an ancient Chinese design of pomegranates, lemons, and peaches which were mistaken for onions. The Meissen factory is still producing porcelain in this pattern after 270 years. The Meissen cup and saucer pictured was made circa 1900.

Other porcelain factories all over Europe copied the pattern using it, and variations thereof, on their own porcelain. The exquisite Onion pattern on fine porcelain is elegant when used as formal dinnerware. Paradoxically, it also looks quite comfortable at the family table. Plates in the Onion pattern displayed on plate-stands look stunning as blue and white accent pieces in a room. Above is an old reticulated Royal Berlin plate made in the Onion pattern by the Royal Berlin Porcelain Manufactory.

The Onion pattern is so versatile it looks at home in a grand rococo setting, or in restrained colonial surroundings. It is also appreciated in modern decor as a blue accent to complement the yellows and oranges currently in vogue. Pictured is an affordable and practical Meakin J & G, Blue Nordic gravy boat with saucer in the Blue Nordic pattern, a variation of the old Onion pattern. The Onion pattern is timeless and will last forever.

Reference: Tim Forrest, Paul Atterbury/Little, Brown and Company, The Bulfinch Anatomy of Antique China & Silver (London, Bulfinch Press, Marshall Editions 1998)

Living with a Dutch Marquetry Games Table, ca. 1840

2009-05-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

It is a pleasure living with antiques that are aesthetically pleasing and add warmth to the house. I especially like occasional tables, such as end tables, tea tables, and games tables. Being practical of nature, I appreciate the different aspects small tables can add to a room. A tilt-top tea table, for example, decorates a corner, but can instantly come into use as a side table when guests arrive.

Being an avid card player, my very favourite table is a games table. Because our ancestors liked entertaining their guests with games after dinner, there are games tables of different eras that can still be found.

I own a Dutch marquetry games table that I have not listed as yet because I find it very hard letting go. It is from 1840 and has obviously been treated lovingly all these years. The person who sold it made me promise to sell it only to a home that would use it, because it was used all these years and never stored away. The table is straight, opens up to a round table at which four can play comfortably, and is solid. It is also breathtakingly beautiful and elegant.

I usually have it folded up as a demi-lune table against the wall with an understated lamp placed on it in the middle. My napkin ring collection is also displayed on it although with some reluctance on my part not wanting to hide the marquetry decoration. Nevertheless, I can whisk these off quickly when we are entertaining eager card or chess players.

Living with a Sterling Silver Collection

2009-05-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

As you may imagine, I have a few collections. Being fairly practical, I don't like collecting just for the pleasure of owning and amassing a treasure-trove of objets d'art.

I enjoy using what I own and sharing the pleasure with family and friends. I use my dinnerware china, crystal, and silver at mealtimes and when not in use, store them in kitchen and dining room display cabinets. I also display decorative china on side tables and cabinets as accessories whose colours co-ordinate with the colours of the room. Decorative china can make even a bedroom look warm and inviting. Because china pieces are fairly large, collecting must be done carefully. Too much can literally force you to move to a larger house. Strange as it may seem, I know of people who have done just that, in order not to be restricted from further collecting.

Among other things I collect, I especially enjoy silver. Using silver often is important to keeping it looking its best, and having it develop or keep the rich patina of old silver. Taking all of that to heart, I like napkin rings so much, they have become a must every time I set the table. At a dinner party, it is especially chic to use mismatched sterling silver napkin rings to add interest, and whimsy. It is also often a good beginning to dinnertime small talk. I rotate my mismatched sterling silver napkin ring collection by displaying a few on a sterling silver tray on a table to sparkle up a corner of the living room.

Collecting

2009-05-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

Most people are collectors. Some concentrate on one area of interest, but many have several collections. Their collections can range from Peek Frean commemorative tins, or buttons, to collecting a fleet of ships. Collectors often begin at an early age by collecting dolls, toy trucks, rocks, or video games. Collecting is like gathering and seems to be instinctual. It is passionate, sentimental and nostalgic. People love collecting because they are passionate about the objects for their personal, aesthetic, historical or the monetary value. Sometimes the collections have all four of these attributes.

Collections tell much about someone’s style, personality, and interests. Displaying collections makes a room unique and brings it to life. It is aesthetically pleasing to display collections all grouped in one cabinet or together on a table. An example is to have a collection of sterling silver napkin rings displayed together on a tray to sparkle up a room.

I began my love for delicate porcelain by enjoying the beautiful patterns of my mother’s collection of mismatched English bone china tea cups. As I grew up and began to drink tea with lemon from these cups, I realized that tea and coffee taste much better from a translucent china cup.

Top Ten China Patterns

2009-04-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

There are lists of the top ten patterns now selling well at prestigious china shops, and there are lists of the top ten china patterns currently being promoted, but the top ten china patterns that are meeting the overall test of time are Imari, Old Country Roses, Napoleon Ivy, Feuille de Choux, Haddon Hall, Spode Blue Italian, Angoulême Sprig, Onion Pattern, Willow Pattern, and Flora Danica. These designs are classic in the true sense, and are appreciated now for their aesthetic value as they were many years ago. Most of the designs are still being produced today.

Old Country Roses designed by Harold Holdcroft stands out in the top ten list as very new, having only originated in 1962. Made in England by Royal Albert China, Old Country Roses is the epitome of the English floral style and is reminiscent of an English garden.

Reference: Tim Forrest, Paul Atterbury/Little, Brown and Company, The Bulfinch Anatomy of Antique China & Silver (London, Bulfinch Press, Marshall Editions 1998)

We are currently listing several Royal Albert Old Country Roses pieces all made in England, in our online store and in our eBay store.

Meissen Porcelain Plate

2009-04-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

A great passion for collecting fine porcelain began in the eighteenth century with the royal houses, and the aristocracy of Europe. Later, as wealth grew in Europe and in the United States of America, newly rich industrialists and businessmen were anxious to begin their great collections. This enthusiasm was soon shared by the middle classes as production increased, and more porcelain factories opened in other parts of Europe making decorative porcelain and porcelain dinnerware more affordable. Great collections were passed down from generation to generation, or were donated to museums for everyone to enjoy. The fervor for collecting ceramics has not waned and continues to the present day.

Some collectors have as many as four complete sets of china, one for each season. Many of us have smaller collections and display our china collectibles as decorative accessories to brighten and add colour to our homes. A small collection of two, three or four decorative plates on plate stands can be displayed as art objects to add exquisite detail to a mantle, table, or bookcase.

We recently acquired this exquisite Meissen plate from an estate sale. It is currently listed in our online stores. The crossed swords Meissen mark in blue, and a tiny impressed number are on the bottom. The plate was made by the Porcelain Manufactory Meissen which has been producing excellent quality porcelain for the past 300 years, and is Europe's oldest producing factory.

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Antique Dutch Tiles Manganese ca. 1880

2009-04-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

We have just listed more manganese handpainted antique delft tiles in a circled landscape motif. Our online store now has 12 listed, enough to make a beautiful tiled accent above your kitchen stove. They add depth, and interest adding a feeling of old-world warmth to any decor.

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Dutch Delft Tiles Add Warmth and Permanence

2009-04-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Fireplace surrounds, or the back walls of fireplaces are sometimes tiled with old delft tiles to add traditional warmth and a sense of permanence to a room. This decoration also reminds us of the continental tile stoves that are scarce in North America. My own house is of a Tudor style built in 1930. When we decided to renovate our kitchen, the only thing I insisted on is to have a back splash tiled with hand painted old delft tiles. A factory in the Netherlands still produces tiles in the same dimensions, crackled, and handpainted, making it possible to intersperse less expensive plain tiles with the old pictured ones.

Old Dutch Delft Tiles

2009-03-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Old Dutch Delft tiles are a warm decorative addition to a kitchen wall, or they can be stunning as a fireplace surround. They can be grouped and framed, or framed singly and hung in groups. Historically, decorative tiles were used in homes as grand decorations, or in more functional areas where easy to clean surfaces were useful. Tiles were also the surfaces of the great tile stoves of continental Europe. Recently, I had the opportunity of acquiring several hand-decorated Dutch Delft tiles made circa 1880. They were brought to Canada by Dutch immigrants in the early 1950s. When I bought them, they were still carefully wrapped in Dutch newspapers dated 1952. I would love to know the story of each tile from the time of manufacture.

Norbridge Antiques, since 2006

2009-01-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

Since Norbridge Antiques started in 2006, we have been serving our customers through personal referrals, through our online store www.norbridgeantiques.com, and through our eBay store Norbridge Antiques, featuring antiques, vintage collectibles, and replacement crystal, china, and sterling silver. We have acquired a large collection of elegant, practical, and decorative objects in the best of taste to offer our customers, dating from twenty-five years ago all the way back to the Georgian period in the early 1800s. It is our pleasure to find treasures, research their manufacture and origin, and discuss them with our customers.

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