The Vintage Kitchen

    The kitchen is the place everyone gathers and wants to be, it's the heart of every home. Whether your kitchen is large or small, formal or cottage style, its important to provide function, easy access and a pretty place for everything.  Any kitchen can be made inviting by applying some old fashion traditions. When creating a vintage style kitchen, beauty is just as important as function. Find unique ways to group and display your pieces. Maybe you enjoy old kitchen utensils. Arrange them on a nice antique rack and display them in the kitchen for all to enjoy. Storing kitchen necessities in beautiful containers such as glass mason jars, vintage bread boxes, old fashion baskets, vintage tin cans, and rose porcelain pitchers are perfect for storage. To add a bit of vintage charm, look for old shelving and vintage open cabinets in place of new cabinets to hold vintage dishes and tea cups.

Vintage Table Dressing

 Cozy up any table with vintage table cloths, linens, antique white napkins, vintage china, your best silver, comfy slip covered chairs and a bouquet of fresh wildflowers is the quintessential for dressing up a vintage table setting. Do you love antique rose porcelain? Don't wait for company to break out the fine china, everyday should be made special. Pretty vintage plates and dishes are plentiful and can cost pennies at flea markets and garage sales. No need to match, simply mix & match vintage plates, tea cups and serving pieces with similar colors or patterns to create a charming look all your own.

Lovely Collections

Each collection reveals something about its collector. Those of us that have a passion for collecting know there is much truth in that statement. Collecting has become a journey of the soul for some of us. Each piece we collect has a story to tell. Every collector can tell you where and when she first became entranced by a certain piece and what it said to her heart. Collecting is emotional and sentimental. For some of us it may have been seeing a wonderful collection of teapots owned by your dear grandmother. How she would delicately pick them up and tell you where she found each piece or the person that gifted her with that particular delightful teapot. She would tell you how she was looking for a certain teapot and found it in the funniest place she never thought to look in! Like when she found one on  her dentists receptionist desk or in a friends garage. We all have stories to tell...

Collecting- Where to begin

First start with something you love, not just like, but truly something that tugs at your heart and speaks to you personally. Allow  your heart to be your guide. Maybe it is linens you enjoy collecting for their diverse patterns and textures. Pretty lace doilies, table cloths and runners can be purchased inexpensively at estate sales, auctions or when you travel. 

A pretty nook in Jean's shop filled with enchanted treasures

A Special Thank you to Jean Gresham for her gracious hospitality and feminine spirit. A true Victorian lady.

Natalie, Your an Angel!

Written by Jo-Anne Coletti and Natalie Stephens

Soft Lights Please

A stunning display of Jean's fine linens and pretty vintage china.

  Find unique ways to group and display your pieces. You may have a collection of beautiful paintings you want to mass on a large wall. Try laying them on the floor  moving them around in several arrangements before you hang them. Beautiful and such a dramatic impact they will make.