If you miss the old days of grandma's kitchen or your own mother's old fashioned cozy home, you can reconnect here and get a flavor for all things vintage, warm, cozy, special, and memorable!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Beautiful Tablescapes using Cakeplates...and other Surprises

A beautiful dessert table scape cannot be underestimated.  During the recent Christmas holiday I was able to attend a number of holiday events and enjoy  the beautiful table displays.  People were so creative in their presentation.  I noticed that the elements utilized in the displays were elements that you or I would not normally consider in preparing a presentation. So I decided to share this blog entry which will show and discuss creating a beautiful table scape for any occasion that will add that little extra something for the guests who will be partaking of the tasty delights at your event.

I am a collector of fine china as you probably already know.  I kind of over indulged in the plates and tea cups and the many beautiful china patterns and serving ware that accompanies my many sets of vintage Noritake and Homer Laughlin china.  Recently I acquired a lovely domed cake plate created by Martha Stewart.  It was a raffle prize and I absolutely love it. It was one that I had seen before in the department store one of many that Martha Stewart created as part of her line of cakeplates and serve ware.  Her stuff is always beautiful.  But this particular line of cakeplates is one that I have been eyeing for some time and actually acquiring one through a prize raffle was exciting for me because her product line is pretty pricey.
A few years back people began to take a liking to the "shabby chic" style.  It consists mainly of light pastel colors, repurposed fancy furniture treated in a whitewash with a glaze overlay.  The furniture of this style is attractive all by itself but then designers began to add place settings and serve ware to the mix.  I think that is when the Martha Stewart line began to interest me.  Other manufacturers grabbed hold and now you can find a variety of beautiful white and glass shabby chic inspired cakeplates and accessories.  See the picture of the cakeplate I have?  It is a treasure to me.

 
I love the crisp white color, detail and
the glass bird knob on the dome of this Martha
Stewart cake plate.  I own now  this one.
You could virtually place a half of a bologna sandwich on this cake plate and it would look like a piece of art!  And wouldn't that make the person who was going to eat that sandwich just a little more enthusiastic about it?

Cakeplates and other serveware can be used to create dessert table displays as part of the overall decor for any party situation.  I admired the following as I researched for this blog entry.  I just have to share these!  I hope you are inspired to try to recreate these in your own home for your own occasion. In the first picture you see an old table set very attractively using sterling silver flatware, tin and wood elements and the color scheme of the treats is all sort of pastels.  Pretty but all functional.  Several different heights are created creating a great roam for the eye of  admirers.   This treats table would be suitable for a wedding or baby shower or even the wedding itself.
 
Rustic but with sophistication
I love the way this enhances the cupcakes
Circular tree slices as trays! How original!
The second photo to the right demonstrates beautifully the use of a picture frame and a color theme of pinks highlighting the cupcakes being served.  I looked at this and a sweet sixteen birthday party came to mind. See the way the creator of this lovely setting used candle holders as the "legs" between glass or acrylic shelving to heighten everything?  Adding dimension to a tablescape is so important.  Don't get stuck in everything being flat.  Have fun!

The bottom picture depicts another cupcake treat event.  I love the use of the round wood trays.  The color scheme is acceptable to use for both genders.  I like the way the eye has a center to focus on and then all the different trays that are around it.  What a great trip for the eye.  And again, I cannot over emphasize how creatively the designer elevated several of the trays to give the display more depth which creates more interest for the viewer. 


This is the very point of serveware.  While eating food is an everyday event sometimes making it a special event is the very thing that we need to do to keep the people we are cooking for engaged and excited to partake of the feast that would otherwise seem pretty ordinary.

Recently I have been setting up tablescapes in other places using serving ware.  Sometimes a pretty plate can be used in a bedroom to display jewelry or small photographs in pretty frames, or even display jewelry.  Take a look at the photo below.


 I have such a tray set up in my master bath.  I have a milk glass tray
I love love love this idea!  Just change out the size to
fit the space. Adding a beautiful vintage watch would make
this suitable for a men's room.
 
 
and on it I have placed three small crystal perfume bottles, a
pretty sterling silver necklace and a pearl necklace.  I also have a Swarovski element lipstick case on it.  It enhances the decor
of the bathroom and it actually makes me enjoy using the room and showing off my personality.

You can make your own cakeplate if you do not have exactly what you want.  If you have a candlestick or pretty jar that you are not using for anything you can cement glue it to the bottom of any vintage plate or tray and create a cake plate that way.  Here are some lovely examples of what you can make with a bit of glue, some charming china and a little bit of imagination.
Notice how old wooden candlesticks were put
to good use..and painted to create a whimsical as well
as colorful freeform cakeplate/dessert display.

Even mismatched odd candlesticks, some I recognize
as from the dollar store with a mismatched pretty china
plate are put to good use here.

The person who created these cake plates
even decorated otherwise plain and lifeless
drinking glasses to come up with these retro
style cake plates.
One thing you can say for sure is this:  There is no limit to your imagination in designing the perfect table scape using some very interesting elements.  Another idea you may want to consider is having friends and family of a mother to be put a few of these cakeplates together before the planned baby shower and use them as the door prizes or takeaways at the event.  I do not know anyone who couldn't use a unique and homemade designed serving piece at some other occasion in their life.  And if you are fortunate to have some of the elements around the house taking up much needed cupboard space this is the perfect way to use them.

Now if you are into cakeplates and serveware that is store bought there are many lovely options at any high end department or home store from where you can find the one that fits your needs and occasion.  And who is to say that if you thought they needed more embellishment you couldn't go crazy with it?  Take a look at the examples below and be inspired.


I found these on Amazon but if you go into
any fancy bakery they may be found there too.
I love the Shabby Chic style of these.

How could you not have this on your dessert table
at the next church luncheon or Women's Auxiliary
meeting?  Also perfect for any bridal or baby
shower!  So much more beautiful with a lovely decorated
cake or dessert underneath.

If you like the look of old world sterling silver
in your tablescape this one fits the bill. The mirrored
top throws light and will add another cool element
to your particular fancy occasion.


If you were fortunate enough to get a few of these
out of Grandma's things before they went off to
be donated then lucky you!  Nothing can take the
place of a vintage hand painted beauty to make
your tablescape the envy of all of your guests.


 










When you begin to decide what you will be serving at your next event and are deciding on color scheme and theme don't forget to plan on using a nice tablecloth or runner beneath the platters and serving trays and cake plates you use.  Here are a couple of ways to highlight your food table using color from napkins, tablecloths and other serving ware that will make your table glow.

Time to pull out your pretty china.  The Charger plate is a nice touch and
accents the theme or feeling you are trying to emulate at the brunch or fancy
family affair.  Too many glasses you say?  Of course not!  Use everything
you have.  Put those lovely wedding gifts to proper use!

I like the color combination of the flowers, light greens and pinks.  No, napkins
and napkin rings did not go out of style.  And notice the hand painted glassware?
Here is another way to personalize your presentations..show off your artsy
side!

Perfect for a little girl's birthday party. Can you imagine the look on your
children's mother's faces when they see this?  Notice the placemats
provide the inspiration for the colorful and whimsical presentation. 

Don't be afraid to pull your grandma's silver out for your next occasion. Don't
worry about appearing to be pretentious.  Having a beautiful setting adds
to the mood and enhances the guest's demeanor at an afternoon tea
or party.

This lace table runner needs to get out and breathe once
in a while so don't hold back.  Once you lay this down,
and here on a more primitive table shows your designer
instinct and will garner lots of attention!


 
I could add more here but will stop for now.  I may add more ideas later so come back from time to time and check.  If you have any comments to add please do!  I love to get pictures and feedback ...share your ideas with me. 
Have a wonderful day!

For information and a way to purchase the lovely things you will need to produce a glorious table scape, go to http://libertytabletop.com/2015/08/formal-dining-etiquette-by-liberty-tabletop/

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Redecorating a Tiny Townhouse Kitchen in the Shabby Chic Style

As you know I moved into a new townhouse a few months back. I have loved my new location and my space because it is more space than I had when I began writing this blog.   I said goodbye to one bedroom, one bath and said hello to two bedrooms two baths.  Everything is great, I love the location and am enjoying the extra room. 
With that great change in my life I decided to purge a lot of the stuff I brought with me to my new address and came across a wonderful facebook page specially created to buy/sell/trade shabby chic and country french items.  On that page I sold a bunch of stuff in just a couple of weeks things that had been advertised on Craigslist, eBay and a couple of other sites for eons.  The women I have been meeting that purchased my stuff are all into the shabby chic style as most of the things they were buying  were paint projects for them.  They were posting photos of beautiful furniture pieces and home made decorative accessories that they themselves were selling.  In just a few days of reading the daily posts on that page I was hooked to this site and became part of a very stylish family and  was inspired to change the color and style scheme in my own little galley kitchen.

Now the style of my living area and dining area is something I cannot do much about right now. But the kitchen is the room  that is more flexible and smaller so I thought wouldn't be too big of an expense and take very little effort. On this blog I will share photographs of the way it looks now and as I move along in my quest to get the space infused with the colors, finishes and style I want now I will let you know how I made each change, list the resources I utilized to get the components I needed to make the change and also comment on what I was thinking, feeling and trying to express in this room along the way. 

Day one - Photos and commentary of the way my kitchen looks now.  Ugh!  Just a recopy of the kitchen I had in the last place I lived. Definitely time for  a re-do!

This is not a terribly ugly kitchen by any means. But  it is just so ....small.  And the cupboards are old thick fiberboard, the doors are ill fitting and they have tons of layers paint on them. I cannot really do anything about the cupboards unless I paint and then I have to change it back.  I plan on getting some kind of clearance from the management about my limitations. Maybe it would be okay with them to get a square routered out of the door just to add some depth and design. Still checking on that one!

The handles on the cupboards are just as average as the rest of the space I evaluated.
This is the right side of the galley kitchen. The
color scheme is the same all the way around.
It looked dark to me and was ready for change.
 




This is the right side of the kitchen. I do like the counter top..
it mimics granite and is cream and black in color.
While I was grateful for the black and white speckled "go with everything" Formica I saw that this kitchen looked too much like the one I moved away from in my last apartment.  Good thing that the cupboards were white and the walls were white also.  A perfect place to start changing over to the more feminine flair of a shabby chic kitchen re-do.

I began to evaluate what I could re-use in the way of accessories to decorate the space in the new scheme. I knew I could re-use the framed "kitchen prayer" hanging under the metal tray on the wall. I could even use the tray itself, but it is too big for the wall and affects the amount of space I have to work with in adding new accessories. I actually ended up selling the tray even as pretty as it was with the roses and black backdrop.














Take a look at the vignette, below,  from which I am drawing my inspiration.  I like the pink and the sage green and I like the flowery fabric. I like the off-white accessories and the gold tiny wooden picture frames.  A nice start?  I think so!
Take a look at  the footed dessert cups.  They are from the Sharon "Cabbage Rose" pattern. I collect
Fostoria etched crystal and found these ...being in pink I began collecting them
to accessorize with my pink china.  The  edge of the white china in the photo
is pieces from my other set of china that I love which is Pope Gosser "Rosepointe".
Look it up...you will love that pattern too. It lends itself well to the shabby chic
scheme I am trying to achieve in this kitchen project.

I love my Homer Laughlin "Marilyn" pink china. It has all the markings of a shabby chic
china set...flowers, delicate gold trim, and in pink!  How lucky was I to find this set
in Florida for $30 for service for 8, and have a relative pick it up for me and bring it
back to me in Michigan for just the gas to get to the seller's house.  Again, you can see
my Pope Gosser Rosepoint coffeepot which is very shabby chic.

I took all of the beautiful things I have collected over the years in the color scheme for my someday shabby chic kitchen project and put them together.  This way I could get a fix on what to add and what to take away.  Everything in this photo is an inspiration to me.  They are the colors I love.  And, too, notice the classic china and accessories...everything from the coffee pot to the tea cup and the wall art down to the little cast iron "chick" spoke to me.  The beautiful fabric you see, a thrift store find for pennies,  actually made me think about using this kitchen as the first place I would put all of these things together.  This is the way to begin any decorating project with a flavor that is specialized and designed to incorporate any of the things you collect that you love.  This vignette helped me to get started.

So I looked at the kitchen, careful to evaluate each corner.  I had a nice backdrop to begin with what with the white cabinets, the black and white speckled Formica counter tops and the cozy size.  If I could have changed anything else in the space I would have raised the ceiling a few feet and gotten rid of the dishwasher which I think was a huge waste of space since I never use it.  I would have also replaced the appliances with a french door refrigerator and a new gas stove. But I couldn't so I evaluated other ways to inject the style I wanted into the very boring space.

The light fixture change out was a huge no no...I could see that in the past there was a repair to the ceiling there. But I could at least change out the globe.  I saw that the cupboards were old and the doors were makeshift and not fitting right but they at least closed off what was inside them.  I saw the knobs were unattractive, the floor was boring linoleum which also could not be changed..and I saw that the backsplash was the same colorless white at the entire space.  So, I began looking for things to do to dress it all up. Here are some of the elements I incorporated to make the changes to the space.

I love the intricate delicate flowery detail
on this medallion. I also changed out the
globe with a $7.97 one I found at Lowe's.
I went to eBay to look for a ceiling medallion to use in the kitchen. However I saw that I did not want to mess with electrical work of any kind. This is an apartment dwelling after all and I also saw the repairs done around the light fixture in the past.  I came upon a medallion with no middle..meaning it could be mounted around the light fixture adhered to the ceiling with no electrical work involved at all.  With a little bit of liquid nails I was able to place the perfectly sized ring with the pretty detail and the fix was in!  The ring  only cost $10 by the time I was finished with shipping.  What a great way to add some charm to a boring ceiling for little or no cost and no messy electrical work involved.
I spotted a cheap lamp kit at Lowe's and bought it for the globe itself which is clear glass but looks like crystal and lended itself nicely to the lamp base which is white, so no electrical work involved.  The finished product..well pictures to follow so you can see the entire complete picture. I think it turned out beautiful.



 I saw this clock at Lowe's and thought the colors were perfect.  I did need to have a clock. This one works with my theme and fit perfectly over the sink.  The cost was minimal...I believe it was $9.99.
The pink shade turned out to coordinate
perfectly with the theme. I also ended up
purchasing a lovely sage green jar also
which you can see in the space also.
 Lowe's provides for these sample size jars of paint.  I chose to paint the boring white backsplash with a dash of pink to set off one of the main colors in my vignette.  For about the cost of a bag of chips I was able to paint the backsplash both behind the sink and behind the stove too.  I also used the paint to paint a shelf and a picture frame to decorate the space.  I have over half of the jar left.  I used sponge tipped paint brushes so clean up was easy...they were so inexpensive I just threw them away so I did not have to mess with cleaning the brushes when I was done. 





I purchased the pink crystal knobs
from eBay for $15 for a set
of eight.  I have not changed out
the handle knobs on the doors yet but
intend to do so.
I went on eBay to look for feet for my cabinets...an easy way to dress up otherwise lifeless and boring cabinetry.  The feet I found cost almost $15 per foot on every site I was directed to.  And...they would have had to be painted by me which I was not ready to do.  I remembered that many curtain rods have pretty finials that can sometimes be purchased to screw into the wall directly as they are independent of actual rods.  It occurred to me that this would be the answer to my dilemma of getting fee added to my cabinets.  So, again, at Lowe's I was able to find these curtain finials that were being discontinues.  Usually retailing for $22 dollars a pair, I found these white fancy ones on sale/clearance for only $5.13 a pair!  I quickly scooped up three sets of two, which provided four "feet" for my sink cabinets and one set for the set of cabinets between the stove and refrigerator.  I made them fit the space by using shims.    I think they add a custom look to the kitchen and for minimal investment. 





I could not change the floor but you can see the corner of the rug I purchased in a lovely green shade to serve as a runner down the length of the kitchen space.  It covers the floor and stops the eye from dwelling on it.  I thought of a brocade rug of some kind but have not found one.  Important:  use a rubber mat under any rug you place on a linoleum floor..otherwise it will slide around. 

So now I have arrived at near completion of the kitchen re-do:

I accessorized for the purpose of this photo with my
beloved china and my silver plate flatware and
jacquard napkins.  The domed butter dish, a recent
purchase at a thrift store is useful and used every day
but it is an attractive useful object in this space.
The pink painted backsplash was a perfect choice. I can easily repaint it if I need to.  It coordinats perfectly with my china and my "kitchen prayer" that you can see hanging there and all my other decorative accessories.
The domed cake plate, one of the Martha
Stewart items I have been wanting to get
for a long time inspired my love for
shabby chic style.  The gold framed picture
works well here..a carryover from the previous
kitchen design. And look, a silver plate butter
dish...pretty!


Notice the new clear glass globe in the ceiling which replaced
the plain white one.  A great look for pennies. The shelf on the
wall was burgundy in color...I repainted it and now I can
display the Sharon Cabbage Rose footed sherbert cups.

I made this skirt out of the fabric I found at the Salvation
Army...it was originally a shower curtain in a nice cotton duck
sort of fabric. Perfect for my use and perfectly sized. I cut it in
half and just one
straight stitch to create the rod pocket and I was done!  The
rod wasn't a big investment at $2.99.  Skirts were common
in kitchens of the past used to hide ugly piping. Here it hides the
cabinet door that didn't close and a few other sins as well.

I painted out the shelf and purchased a couple of frames
that matched one another in the sage green and pink paint
samples. What should I put in the frames though?  Thinking
of printing off a couple of quotes or recipes or floral photos.


A cute feature wall space to display a couple of the
matching luncheon plates to my prize china.  Another
intricate mini gold frames features a floral picture I
cut out of a magazine. I love intricate gold frames. This one
plays nicely off of the detail of the medallion ring
that I have on the ceiling around my light fixture.

 
I will be doing some other things to this space in the future.  I intend to dress up the plain cupboard doors. I just have to figure out how and maybe find some carpentry help with that part of the project.  I will add more pictures as I go along but I think you all get the idea.  Keeping everything in this small space neat plays a big part everyday in enjoying this kitchen.  I am forever washing dishes to keep the sink empty or shoving them in the dishwasher.  I have to shake out a rug now where before I was simply sweeping.  I love waking up in the morning and coming down for tea now, before it was just a utility room...now it is an enjoyable pretty space that perks up my mood upon entering. 

I hope this post inspires you.  Please share your comments and advice.  Have a beautiful day!
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