The Drill Hall Emporium

great little cafe in our Derwent Valley town! cheeky little place...

2012-02-10T12:58:00.012+11:00

Cheeky Little Place is a (little!) cafe that has been open for around a year in New Norfolk. Owner's Deb and Matthew have a passion for great local produce and are translating that into the quality and fresh food they prepare. It has become a local and visitor's favourite, that is for sure. And my personal favourite, too!

The interior is quirky and the blackboards list the beverages that are available, including good old fashion milk and thick shakes...not just for the little ones. There are stools at the bench in the front window, and some tables outside at the front and to the side of the cafe for alfresco dining.

A delicious vegetarian and ricotta tart is just one of the many savoury options that one can sample, along with gourmet pies, salads, sandwiches and a selection of other savoury pastries.

I can never resist the gorgeous sweets, from berry frangipane tartlets to gluten free choc hazlenut expresso torte. Yummy! And perfect with the great coffee they serve.

A selection of fruit and frangipane danishes...

I can't help but admire the careful presentation of these strawberry and cherry tarts. Definitely made with love and passion, wouldn't you agree?

Cheeky Little Place is a must stop little place whilst visiting the antique shops of my town, or stock up and go down to the Derwent river for a little picnic. The perfect day out!

Opening hours 8-4.30 Mon-Friday 9-4 Sunday. Closed Saturday. Burnett Street, New Norfolk.

the allure of French white porcelaine, china and linen

2012-02-03T13:28:00.029+11:00

Image via Blossoming Visions

French white porcelain is dreamy. I think it looks great en masse like in the dresser, above. And the best part of such a collection? It is functional!

Image via min lilla veranda

The French china on the table setting above is divine! It is perfectly matched with the rough texture of the linen and grey painted table. We have quite a selection of French linen in the store at the moment, and I use it myself daily at home. I read somewhere that French people are often casual with their linen tablecloths, if there are creases, who cares? I like this philosophy...anybody else?

Here is a French tureen or soupiere, as they are called in France. Also, two French porcelain jugs, with swan neck handles and comports, one of a fluted design, the other two plain. All perfect for an elegant or casual table setting.

I am unsure what this French comport was used to serve. If anyone has any ideas, I would love to know. It may have been used for seafood, a sauce could have been placed in the middle and the seafood around the edge. But I am just guessing.

This very long French porcelain platter is stealing a lot of attention in the store. I think purely due to its size! I have pictured it with a sauce boat so that you may see just how long it really is. I imagine that it was once used to serve a whole fish. But it would look equally as good as a fruit platter, or as a fruit bowl on a long table.

Here is a selection of French porcelain sauce jugs, all a little bit different. I love the elegance of the swan neck handle of the jug on the left, the other jugs all have what appears to be a lion's head motif.

Ok, this piece is not all that practical, but isn't it divine?

It is a French lait pur or pure milk jar. I guess it could hold a posy of flowers?

French patisserie table with marble top now in store!

2012-01-27T12:17:00.011+11:00

Look what we are proud to have in our store, a 19th century period French iron, brass and marble patisserie table! These are very, very rare. In fact, this is the first such patisserie table that we have ever had. It dates to around c.1860. Again, I kept this one a little bit of a secret, I didn't want to spoil all the surprises from our shipment.

Look at the age to the iron and brass work...and the marble top is original.

It is such a special piece, I am sure someone is going to fall in love with it (or a few people, maybe, myself included!).

Image by Suzanne Rheinstein via Pinterest

These tables look great as an island bench in a kitchen like this one. I can just imagine making croissants or rolling some pizza dough on the age worn marble. Sigh...

Image via Greige

Or using it as a decorative side table in a lounge room or entryway. I love the glass domes displayed on this piece.

And just as special is this marble topped patisserie counter. It too is French and dates to around c.1880. It has a painted pine base.

At the moment we have displayed a collection of French glass domes and white porcelain upon the marble top. Now all we need is a few little pastries under each dome!

French wine tables, French armoires and more

2012-01-20T15:56:00.005+11:00

As you can see, the French armoire came together. The shop is coming together too, but there is much work to do, so I must get back to it. I have taken photos of some of the unusual pieces that are new into the store, enjoy!

19th century stools with shaped seats, a pair.

English 1 and 1/2 gallon milk cans.

A French marble topped patisserie counter with French glass domes.

I love these wire storage crates, with brass labels.

A French skittles set in a French picker's basket.

A French vendange table on a buffet, and French glass bottles. Monogrammed linen. A fabulous square leather and brass bound trunk. A massive French display cabinet in soft grey tones. Right, back to work for me, 10am opening tomorrow morning and I want to be ready.

Gustavian bureau, Turkish pots, coffee dispensers and more fill the store

2012-01-16T17:56:00.009+11:00

We have been very busy in the store since unloading our shipment last week, it has been like a second Christmas unwrapping all the goodies that I had forgotten about. I have kept this 18th century Gustavian bureau a secret, but at last it has arrived in our store and I cannot stop admiring it. It is no doubt one of my favourite pieces of furniture that I found...

I love the soft blue grey colour and the handles. It would look stylish in any setting.

These coffee dispensers are quite unusual. I think they date to around c.1910. They would make a talking point in a kitchen, or would be ideal for a coffee shop.

We have two of these large Turkish oil pots. They are not a pair but still look great together.

A decorative French cast iron urn.

A French marble and silver plate cheese server, this dates to early 20th century.

And a huge French glass cloche, sizeable enough to cover a large cake. These are very hard to find.

This is the decorative top to a French mirrored door armoire. It is still in pieces and will hopefully come together tomorrow.

A chunky French chopping block, these make unusual wine or side tables.

Cream stoneware pots (there are four of these) and an earthenware bowl.

Just a reminder, we are closed at the moment while we put the shop back together. We will reopen at 10am this coming Saturday. I will post some more photos in a few days time so you can see our progress and more treasures!

a gorgeous French armoire (and closed due to shipment arrival)

2012-01-11T14:59:00.012+11:00

Our shipment has just arrived today, and I am squirming with excitment! I thought I would give you a little taste of what is due into our store with this magnificent bleached and limed walnut French armoire, above. It was one of my highlight finds on my lastest buying trip and finally it has reached our shores and our store! Look at the detail of the original 18th century hardware. And you should see the key, it is huge!

Image via Bonjour Paris

Due to the arrival of this shipment, we unfortunately have to close our doors to customers whilst we unpack, clean, sort and display our new goodies. We will be re-open at 10am on Saturday the 21st January.

I will post images of the chaos in our store over the next week so that you may hopefully see some of the treasures.

books, antique and French gifts

2012-01-06T10:51:00.025+11:00

I was absolutely spoiled at Christmas! I was given many beautiful gifts by friends and family, such as these gorgeous little succulent shaped candles in tin pots and a set of slate garden markers.

I have admired this Spode cream ware bowl for a while now in our store. And I may have put out a little hint or two that I would very much like it for my kitchen. It is just so simple and lovely, do you agree?

And you may all know now my fetish for French glass jars. I received two such jars for Christmas. One can never have enough jars. The jar on the left is going to live in the kitchen and store flour and the jar on the right has a new home in the bathroom.

My cookbook collection grew with the addition of these books, above. I am about to start making my own bread, but first I must start a yeast in order to make nice sourdough bread. Wish me luck!

I could happily live on pasta and was excited to receive a book dedicated to the topic!

Time to catch up on some gardening, with none other than Mr Paul Bangay himself. This is his latest book and can't wait to read and learn.

And the perfect coffee table book for the self-confessed Francophile...Vintage French Interiors. Someone knows me very well indeed.

The book is filled with images of collections composed with that casual French flair. My feet are getting itchy just thinking about returning to Paris flea markets and little tucked away antiquaires.

And lastly, I received this exquisite Indian silver bangle which dates from the late 1800s. It is very intricately made and has mythological bird like creatures at the clasp.

I don't think I was exaggerating when I said I was spoiled at Christmas, what do you think?

happy new year!

2011-12-31T23:59:00.005+11:00

Image via splenderosa

Thank you to all my followers and visitors for a wonderful year of comments and thoughts. I hope that I could provide a little inspiration at times. What better way to bring in the new year but with beautiful antique champagne flutes? I am not sure whether the tray is silver or pewter, but it sure suits well.

And in such an eco conscious period, I have to agree with this motto...well, for one night, maybe!

Happy new year!

antique shopping and French linen in country Victoria

2011-12-28T19:22:00.012+11:00

At the beginning of the month I had the opportunity to explore one of my favourite getaway places, the Daylesford area in country Victoria. I once again stayed at Hepburn at Hepburn (see previous post). Would you believe it if I told you that I was there for work purposes? Probably not. Especially as I did seem find the time to visit some of my favourite stores, including Lavender and Lace Living in the town of Maldon, north of Daylesford. Dianne who owns the store is surrounded by gorgeous vintage and new linens and lace for the homemaker and romantic in us all. Check out the monogrammed linen shades on the lamp, above.

I also love the detail in this panel, above, with the embroidered chickens.

Damask tablecloths are beautifully laundered and are piled up on a table. These tablecloths are becoming increasingly hard to find, I have noticed.

More antique linens stacked into a shelf. Very dreamy!

And antique floral quilts. Perfect for a little girl's room.

Another shop I couldn't wait to visit since reading about it in the April 2011 Australian Country Style was Peonies and Picnics, in the town of Daylesford. Look at the wonderful shopfront, above.

Peonies and Picnics is a delight inside, filled with all sorts of goodies including antiques, vintage wares and carefully selected gifts and home wares.

A central table in the middle of the store with soaps and other gifts.

Spanish oil jars are displayed on a sideboard.

A basket filled with brushes. I have such a brush at the sink for scrubbing potatoes and find it very useful.

And a polished milk churn.

The gorgeous window display must have great success in tempting people passing by in to the store. Who could resist?

Peonies and Picnics also stocks a selection of vintage French including ticking. Adjoining the store is a little cafe, a perfect little reward for a tiring day exploring!

merry, merry Christmas to all

2011-12-24T23:59:00.002+11:00

Image via the Paper Mulberry

As always, I can't resist a picture with antiques. And nothing suits Christmas warmth like pewter. I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas with loads of joy, I hope that many dreams come true today.

antique gifts for Christmas (that you may not have considered!)

2011-12-14T15:35:00.007+11:00

A friend suggested that I post some unique Christmas gift ideas, so here it is! A very small and inexpensive gift could be these gorgeous ceramic pudding dolls which date to around 1900. These miniature dolls were traditionally placed within the Christmas pudding. They are referred to as "feves" in France (Feve is french for Fava Bean, which originally represented the baby in French). Here are other gift ideas from our store that may just suit your hard to buy for friends and family...

For the homemaker...embroidered silk susani cushions from Turkey, handmade scented soy candles and silk ikat cushions, also from Turkey. These cushions have only just arrived in our store, just in time for Christmas!

For the linguist...tiny, tiny printer's stamps (you could send a message, or spell their name), leather bound Shakespeare volumes and a collection of printer's ampersands.

For the gardener...French herb pots, English watering cans and hand tools.

For the entertainer...French cheeseboards (these are a very popular gift at the moment, great for serving cheese or pizzas), French ebony handled knives, French linen harvest tablecloths, and French (of course!) chopping boards and bone handled knives.

For the cook...English cooking utensils, Mrs Beeton's home cookery book (opened at the pudding page, perhaps a recipe for next Christmas?), French linen tea towels, and big and small mortars and pestles.

For the decorator...lamps made from boot tree forms (arrived in store today), reindeer hide rugs, finger coral and sea fan coral, vintage glass fishing floats.

For the collector...chemist bottles, egg timer (this is so cute!), decoy duck, baby shoe lasts, boxed dominoes and sea urchins.

And for the very, very hard to buy for loved one, there is always our hand-stamped gift vouchers (on authentic elephant dung paper). Perfect.

new French style bakery cafe in Hobart...Daci & Daci

2011-12-08T12:30:00.009+11:00

I am very excited with the new bakery cafe that has only just opened in the last few weeks, right near Salamanca Place in Murray Street. It is called Daci & Daci, the names of the passionate duo who are currently baking their hearts out to deliver artisan breads and patisserie items to meet Hobart's demands. I called in this afternoon and bought some fig and walnut bread, green olive bread and their grainy bread, too! I didn't know which to try first...And the bread is all displayed on a 19th century French iron baker's stand. The bread has been selling out quickly, as you can see. You may recognise the baker's stand from our store. We were pretty sad to see it leave, we all loved it so much. But now I get to visit it in its new home. And the best part is it is now being used for its original purpose - to display bread!

The antique Gothic style counter has inset marble for the French style sweet pastries. I bought a traditional French escargot pastry to bring back memories of Paris.

The asparagus and gruyere tart had all but sold out. The savoury pastries and fresh sandwiches are displayed on these French style cheese boards.

Other baked items available for purchase, such as vanilla marshmallows, toasted muesli, Christmas cakes along with many other goodies, all made on site. In fact, the building was originally a bakery. There is a photo of the 19th century bakery within the cafe.

You can sit out on the deck on a nice day on these vintage French cafe chairs at original French bistro tables.

It is because of passionate people such as Daci & Daci that makes me love living in Hobart. I am pretty sure I will become a frequent visitor of Daci & Daci...did I mention that they make a great coffee?

antique inspiration in Sydney

2011-11-28T15:36:00.010+11:00

On a recent trip to Sydney, and with only a few days to spend, I couldn't resist a hunt in a few antiques stores.

This lamp has been made from an 18th century shoe. Isn't it exquisite?

And even more stylish is this lamp made from an plaster corbel. In this case, it can double as a bookend.

These light shades are actually 19th century French glass garden cloches. We have sold out of such cloches in our store, but I will be on the hunt for some more on my next overseas buying trip.

The pair of mirrors above are made from from original zinc window pediments from French châteaux which are known as oeil de boeuf or "bull's eye". These are highly sort after. I didn't check the price but they would have been pretty expensive.

I fell in love with these gorgeous marble topped side tables. They appear to be Italian and early 19th century . Wouldn't they be great as bedside tables? Or perhaps in a very decadent bathroom or dressing room...

And this little antique shop guard dog found a friend in this tiger. Hmmm. Whilst I was watching the dog sniffed around the tiger's head and then jumped back in surprise and fright as one of the tiger's whiskers happened to tickle his face. Too cute.

And we were fortunate enough to catch the wonderful Picasso exhibition at the Art Gallery NSW. It runs until March 2012. For more information visit here. A perfect way to finish a little break in Sydney.

a white (and silver) christmas countdown

2011-11-23T14:01:00.003+11:00

Image: The Laurel Hedge

I am very in love with this gorgeous knitted stocking with little crystal embellishments. It (almost) makes me want to start knitting! But I think I will leave that to the experts and try and source a ready-made version...if anyone knows of where to find, please let me know. Doesn't the colour of the wool look lovely against the white boards? It makes me feel excited about Christmas and the chance to decorate.

Image: The Laurel Hedge

I adore silvered glass baubles such as these. I can't get enough! I have seen them for sale in a store in Hobart, Store and co. I think I will have to go shopping... I am picturing them hanging from white painted branches in a galvanised tin tub. With a bit of linen thrown into the mix. Somewhere.

Image: Château de Moissac

And candles. Of course.

As my countdown to Christmas begins I contemplate how fortunate I am. I have wonderful family and friends to share the time with and can't wait to cook together, laugh together, and to give more of myself. Well, that is the plan, anyway...

new in store...French stool, baby shoe lasts, chic Eastern table, printer's blocks and French linen cushions

2011-11-16T10:25:00.009+11:00

This French limed oak stool is the most gorgeous piece in our store at the moment. It has been reupholstered in antique Belgium linen. I think I am drawn to furniture with cross frames such as this. Oh, and limed wood it seems. But then again, who isn't? These baby shoe lasts are also new into the store. I pictured them here with an adults sized last so that you may get an idea of just how small they are. I cannot see these lasting long in the shop! I love the patina on each and every piece of this antique printer's alphabet. The set includes some punctuation and also numbers. One would not need be too creative to make Christmas greeting cards with a set such as this. The unusual font would suit the French greeting Joyeux Noël. But then again, any writing in French looks good, I think. This Indian folding table is the epitome of Eastern chic. I recently took home an inlaid Indian folding table for my lounge room and I can't stop admiring it. I have placed a piece of coral on it with an Eastern lamp and it looks great. The detail in the tray top is amazing, it appears to be silver inlaid into copper and all hand engraved.

Our stocks of cushions made from handwoven grain sack linen has been replenished and are in the garden room at the moment.

And here is our version of Zoe Hoare's Hamptons style cushions (see previous post). These have been made from French harvest linen, used during wine harvests to cover the outside tables. Cushions with history, now that is what I like!

find Vogue living & Zoe Hoare Hamptons style in our store!

2011-11-07T11:23:00.009+11:00

Zoe Hoare, Australian expat and daughter of renowned London antique dealer Appley Hoare now lives in this gorgeous cottage in the Hamptons. She found this pair of 1950s bikes at a local antiques fair in the Hamptons, just one example of her keen eye for unique treasures!

She displays her antiques with flair. These are French milliner's heads, similar to ones that I showed in a previous post, on an antique dresser.

She has an amazing arched window mirror in her dining room. The chandelier is wonderful, too. What a light and airy space, the peaked ceiling painted white is stunning.

This is a rare French iron arched window mirror that we have in the store at the moment. It is currently in the garden room as I can imagine it on a courtyard wall. But it would look equally as good in a dining room as Zoe has shown.

Zoe outside with her potting bench. Note the French flower jug and watering cans, and the flower bucket...

...all available in our store!

And her Gustavian settee?

Again, available in our store! The only difference is our settee is an 18th century version, Zoe's is a reproduction available from her partner, Chris Mead's store, English Country Antiques. To visit his store, click here. Well, in actual fact, our settee is still in storage. We bought it on our buying trip earlier in the year but we have not had room for it in our store as yet. It is soon to take prime position, however!

Barnacles and simple cushions are very relaxed Hamptons style, I think.

We only have two barnacle clumps left in store, they make great decorator items.

We will be adding checked linen cushions to our range shortly, in addition to our grainsack striped pillows (above). We have acquired some lovely antique French linen of a similar design to Zoe's cushions. Watch this space!

And the decoy duck on Zoe's shelf above the Gustavian settee?

A very similar model is currently in our garden room. These decoy ducks ooze with character and charm. Do you like Zoe Hoare's relaxed style? We certainly do. (For the full article on Zoe Hoare's Hamptons cottage, see Vogue Living Australia, Nov/Dec pages 142 - 151).

new in store...spools, twine, wooden skis and shoe lasts for little people!

2011-11-01T14:23:00.003+11:00

There is just something about balls of twine, isn't there? Well I think so, anyway. Especially when you can get your hands on some quality twine like these hemp balls that have just arrived into the store. I have some similar twine on my kitchen bench at home (and some in the laundry, too) with some scissors propped inside the ball. Whilst I do use it from twine to twine (sorry, bad pun), it really is just there for looks. Take a look through your latest Country Style or similar magazine, I am sure you will see balls of twine throughout...

Hemp twine is so smooth yet textural...don't you just want to reach through your screen and touch it?

These antique rachet ended spools have only just come into store, too. We have put some jute twine around them so that they are ready to be used for the garden.

These spools are cute. They have old coloured yarn on them. And I like the brass ends. I would think these would date to around c.1900.

And these were the find of the week! Original old timber skis, they are 6 foot long!

Finally, size 8 and 10 shoe lasts for children. It is great to be back in the store working and waxing away. I have returned from our buying trip with loads of new ideas and fresh energy. I have many more photos to show you from my trip but I thought I had better first catch you up on what has been happening in store. After all, home is where the heart is and mine is firmly fixed in Tasmania.

trend alert! antique tin and copper tubs as planters

2011-10-24T15:37:00.007+11:00

I have only just arrived home from my overseas buying trip and as I was going through my pictures I noticed I was drawn to plants and trees in antique tin or copper tubs. The above olive tree has been planted into a large copper tub which has a fantastic verdigris patination. What a statement piece!

Outside a trendy antiques store in the Cotswold's are these tin tubs with numbers painted on them. They hold a bay tree and lavender but would also work well with herbs.

I saw several of these unusual slatted tubs at the trade fairs but was unsure what they could be used for. I am now kicking myself as I later saw them planted with buxus, above, to great effect. I have since learned that these are original olive buckets and that they also work well upside down as light shades! I will secure some of these on my next buying trip, don't worry.

The two larger tubs above are actually dolly tubs, used for washing clothes. They look great with buxus but I have seen them planted with olive trees and this looks amazing. We have one of these dolly tubs in store at the moment and have one on the way in our next shipment. They will hopefully make a nice pair?

fair finds...santos doll and petite French mannequin!

2011-10-15T09:08:00.006+11:00

After a full day at a large antique trade fair I managed to find some wonderful antiques including this wooden Santos doll and a French mannequin of small proportions. Santos dolls are very hard to find, I was quite giddy when I saw it being unloaded from a stall holder's van. My favourite wicker trolley was crucial for carting my finds. Actually, I had fellow antique dealers wanting to buy my trolley from me, but somethings are just not for sale! I selected some garden antiques at the fair, including garden urns and tables. I can't wait to get them home to the store. I also happened upon some French vendage or wine harvesting tables. I bought one that has the most beautiful apple wood top, it is large and oval and flips up for storage.

The BBC were filming for an upcoming program of Bargain Hunt, featuring none other than the charismatic Tim Wonnacott. Quite an eventful and satisfying day, I must say!

French antique finds at a gorgeous showroom

2011-10-08T17:08:00.004+11:00

I have been very busy here in the UK visiting my favourite trade showrooms and thought I should show you some of my finds so far. Look at how everything is so carefully displayed, above, it all looks so interesting.

These are possibly the best stools I have ever seen! They are so tall, strong, and masculine. I have only ever seen such stools within the pages of interior magazines. They would make great breakfast stools at a kitchen bench.

I had a wonderful collection of French white porcelain to choose from. I particularly like the sauce boats and chose several of these.

These are antique French milliner's heads, used for making hats. They are very rare indeed.

Look at these painted and gilded stools - not one but a pair! The table has a lovely decorated top as well...

I bought this French long stool with a removable antique French ticking cover. It would be perfect at the end of a bed.

Polished steel shoe lasts converted to door stops, very clever!

I bought the mercurised glass jars next to the lasts as I think they would make a great pair of bedside lamps. I have been to quite a few trade fairs here too and have found some truly great pieces. More photos to come!

buying trip begins with inspiration in London

2011-10-04T17:22:00.004+11:00

Well, this may come as a surprise to some but I arrived in London this week for an antiques buying trip for the store. And we started the week off at the inspirational Decorative antiques and Textiles Fair in Battersea Park in London. Here is a collection of photos that I took at the fair (when I was focused enough to do so and not snapping my head around to look every which way I could!). I hope you find the gorgeous objects in these pictures as inspiring as I do...

It has been a very busy week travelling around. I will post more pictures over the next few weeks, especially of my favourite finds.

spring gardening

2011-09-25T16:13:00.002+10:00

This antique garden cloche was one of the treasures I found earlier in the year on a buying trip. It came from the Yorkshire dales area of the UK. I am using it to help protect basil seedlings. It is a bit too early to plant basil here in Tasmania, it is not warm enough. I am hoping that the cloche will give create enough warmth to make the basil grow! This is my dibber - the handiest tool I own, and my light weight watering can.

Rocket is growing well at the moment. The slate label was a Christmas present last year. These are available at Karen Wagner's store in Hobart. If you are like me and love gardening, visit Karen's blog here.

You may have seen these antique French garden tiles in a previous post. Oh well, you didn't see my garlic and rhubarb planted in the bed, did you? Purple garlic grows very well here in Tasmania. Plant on the shortest day of the year and harvest on the longest day of the year, or so they say. I followed this method last year and it worked for me.

I am a tad worried about my broccoli, they are not sprouting or flowering at this stage and they have been in for a few months now. I am trying to be patient but it is difficult. Advice anyone?

My bay tree is flowering at the moment, attracting much needed bees to the vegetable garden.

Tarragon and purple sage in a wire work planter against the fence with another slate marker for the Tarragon. The slate markers are very handy if you ask someone unfamiliar with herbs to go picking. I am speaking from experience, it is easy to end up with parsley when you asked for mint!

This is my trusty daisy weeder which is vying for the title of handiest garden tool. And it is coming in at a very close second. I will be on the hunt for these for the store on my next buying trip as they work very well with daisies in the lawn.

And lastly, a weeping cherry tree in the front yard and a bee at work! As worldwide bee numbers decline with the possibility of extinction, we should all be happy when we see these beautiful little creatures in our gardens.

new in store...soy candles, fishing floats and etched glass domes!

2011-09-20T13:00:00.007+10:00

We have been very busy here at the Drill Hall Emporium making our very own range of soy candles... Our first scent is "lemon verbena" which is very refreshing. We will also have gardenia, frangipane and vanilla in the range. These will be for sale in our store very soon. They are all housed in vintage preserve jars of varying sizes and all complete with tin lids. The jars are recycled and recyclable...very eco. As is soy wax which is a slow-burning and clean-burning wax, and a renewable resource. But enough about the eco-benefits...how beautfiul are they? Also just arrived are these antique glass fishing floats. We have them displayed in a large wooden bowl and I can't stop looking at them!

Each one is unique and of a slightly different colour. I have a favourite picked out already.

These gorgeous glass domes are 19th century and are etched with grapevine designs. We were lucky enough to find an entire collection of seven. But they will be sold separately to keep every one happy (well seven people, anyway). I think a collection of perfume bottles would look wonderful underneath.

greige French market basket giveaway!

2011-09-13T13:48:00.005+10:00

If you have not yet discovered Greige, now is a great time! As Christina is offering this lovely French market bag as a giveaway to one lucky reader... Below are some further images of inspiration from Greige. There is just something about books tied with string, isn't there? I also like the soft colours of the above objects. They look great all together.

This image of an industrial style kitchen is also from Greige. Do you see what I mean? A must visit blog...and one of my favourites!

finishing vintage touches to my white bathroom

2011-09-07T15:00:00.012+10:00

You may have already seen my bathroom from my previous post. As I explained, I jumped the gun and photographed the room before it was completely finished. I was still working on the blind at the time but I was so excited I became snap-happy. Now that the room has changed a little, I thought I had better update everyone on the finished product. For the blind, I took some French linen that I bought as part of a collection on my last trip overseas... The linen is actually a French wine harvest tablecloth and dates to around c.1900. I believe that the French would use such tablecloths for al fresco dining during the wine harvest season. I can just imagine it spread on a small table under an olive tree with baguette and cheeses upon it. Oh and wine, of course. And probably wrinkled, too, as French people have a relaxed approach to dining...tablecloths and napkins were often not ironed as far as I know. That is my way of life! This particular cloth had a tear near one of the edges but it was larger than I needed so it was perfect. And a perfect way to recycle an otherwise damaged piece.

Voila! The roman style blind for the bathroom window. It is lovely and textural as it is handwoven linen. I like the light coming through it (I have backed it in one pass curtain lining) as you can see the weave of the linen.

Next I brought home from the store a deerskin rug to give the room some warmth...

It is a nice contrast with the oak flooring, I think.

I painted the dark brown waste paper basket with a lime wash paint. I am not sure whether it looks good or not, but it sure looks better than the dark brown...

And finally, flowers in a vintage milk jug. I think they are freesias, but I am not totally sure. All I know is they are pretty and also have a gorgeous perfume...

Another view of the room with my finishing touches. Definetly warmer and more homely, I think. As usual, I would love to hear your your comments.

my white and vintage inspired bathroom

2011-08-23T10:35:00.034+10:00

Finally the bathroom is completed! Well, nearly...there is always a little something to be done and in this case I am still working on the blind. But I thought the room was good enough to photograph and I couldn't wait any longer! Above is the view from the hallway looking into the bathroom. The flooring is French oak with a lime wash finish. The walls are painted in an off-white colour called "Limed White" (half strength) and the trims are painted in "Antique White USA", both Dulux colours. The Victorian claw foot bath is original to the house and is against the far wall under the window. We gave it a fresh finish of paint. I am yet to use it!

The mirror above the basin is an antique. It is quite ornate but the simplicity of the rest of the room is a good contrast, I think.

This cast iron table is from the Victorian period and has a white marble top. It would have originally been used as a garden table. The towel rail is also antique.

These silvered Italian candlesticks date to around c.1800. Again, I am yet to use them but I have some candles ready.

The taps are by Nicolazzi, an Italian tap ware company with products now available in Tasmania (see previous post).

The painted cupboard is one I bought last year on one of our overseas buying trips. It has finally found its true resting place (it has been in our living room for a little while, see previous post). It is used for storage and is filled with towels, soaps, lotions etc.

An antique lavender water bottle (and original contents) that I found in New Zealand years ago. Actually, it was on my honeymoon which gives it special meaning to me.

An antique French glass jar holds soaps.

Antique jars, pots and Victorian footbaths in the painted cupboard are used for storage. I am particularly fond of this little Roger and Gallet pot above, which is French. "Creme de Savon pour la barbe" translates to shaving soap for the barber. It now holds hairpins!

These antique apothecary jars are also used for storage and are on the bottom shelf of the painted cupboard. I found these earlier in the year overseas and bought them immediately with the bathroom in mind. Most of them have their original apothecary labels on them.

This large Victorian bowl is also a recent find. It is huge! It is on top of the cupboard as it didn't fit inside as I intended. I am unsure what the "K" stands for, possibly kitchen? Or it could represent the family name. We had a smaller such bowl, also with a "K" in the store but it sold last week.

The best part about using antique furniture for storage? You can take it with you if you ever move houses.

The shower is tiled with simple white brick tiles and a pale grey grout. The tap ware and overhead rose is again Nicolazzi.

I am happy with how the room has turned out, I feel like it is in keeping with the rest of the house and is a calming, restful space. As a bathroom should be. Please let me know what you think...

new in store! antique Turkish kilim cushions

2011-08-21T14:40:00.010+10:00

We have just had a gorgeous selection of antique Kilim cushions come in to the store, some of which are above stacked on our early Indian trunk. Each one is different and has its own story. Kilims are flat weave tapestries as opposed to carpets which have a pile. It is for this reason kilims are more fragile than carpets which have pile to protect the weave from wear.

The kilims used for these cushions originate in Turkey and are mostly wool. They were either made for decorative purposes e.g. as wall hangings or to use as floor rugs, horse saddles, bed covers etc. I am particularly fond of the patchwork style cushions where pieces from various kilims are sewn together. This striped example is sitting on an English broad arm Windsor chair. The colours would certainly help to brighten a dull couch!

a visit to the greenhouse restaurant in Perth, WA

2011-08-13T19:21:00.016+10:00

I have just returned from a break in Perth and the Margaret River region of Western Australia. One of the highlights of my holiday was the Greenhouse in St. Georges Terrace, Perth. I was expecting the food to be very good as the Greenhouse has made it into the Gourmet Traveller's 2011 Restaurant Guide. But I was gobsmacked walking up to the exterior of the restaurant with its amazing vertical garden, juxtaposed directly in front of modern sky rise buildings.

The vertical garden consists of thousands of small terracotta pots and plants encased in the metal framework. It gives something pleasant and green for passersby to admire, the walls almost look like they are breathing.

Inside, the walls consist of raw plywood. The light fixtures are made from wound lengths of fencing wire and it was very effective in creating a relaxed and natural, almost country, atmosphere.

The breakfast menu consisted of many tempting options, including spanner crab omelette and an upside down quince cake.

But I decided upon the wild mushrooms with slow cooked eggs and grilled polenta. It was an earthy and hearty start to my day.

And I resisted the pile of doughnuts which were sitting at the bar next to me, tempting me with their sugar coated good looks.

After breakfast we were directed to the rooftop which functions as a bar area in addition to a rooftop vegetable garden.

Most of the plantings were leafy green vegetables. For more on the fabulously "green" Greenhouse, visit their website.

chateau de moissac...a French dream

2011-08-01T11:02:00.011+10:00

The most beautiful chateau in France? Quite possibly... I fell in love with these images, all from Chateau de Moissac.

Candles make an impact upon entrance.

French doors opening to a gorgeous room with a French chandelier.

The kitchen really sealed the deal for me, I could move in immediately! Note the unusual step ladder, we have almost the exact model in our store right now (and many others very similar just arrived). I particularly like the floor to ceiling cabinets stacked full of white china...

Another view through into the kitchen. The stone flooring is divine.

A rustic dining room with an antique trestle table and benches. Note the French cheese board on the table. We have a fresh supply of these boards in the store, but they are selling fast!

The urn in the corner appears to be marble or stone of some kind. The hall lantern is lovely too.

A French chaise longue in the bedroom. We found a similar chaise on our last buying trip, but it didn't fit into the shipment. We now have to wait even longer for it!

A very comfortable living room. And cosy with the open fire. I like the use of the table at the back of the sofa.

A dreamy bathroom! The double pedestal basin is unusual. And the wall sconces either side of the mirror make sense.

More antiques including a French painted oak cupboard in the corner.

The chandelier is amazing but I am more drawn to the collection of mercury glass candlesticks on the buffet.

A more formal dining room, it looks ready for a white Christmas. For more visit Chateau de Moissaic. In the meantime, we can just dream...

weekend foraging at Hobart's Salamanca market, bottega rotolo and pigeon hole cafe

2011-07-24T19:47:00.025+10:00

Saturday morning I visited the famous Salamanca market in Hobart in order to gather goodies for a special birthday dinner party I was to host that evening. Firstly I picked up a few bunches of one of my favourite flowers, tulips. I love the simplicity of tulips, the fact that you can just pop them in a simple jug or vase and they instantly look great... The menu was planned during the week. A good friend is responsible for the dessert and birthday cake, the Gateau Opera. Thank goodness! As I wouldn't have a clue how to make such a complicated layered cake. But this particular friend just so happens to have completed the "Tortes and Gateaux" masterclass at the Agrarian Kitchen cooking school. In this class she learned pastry tricks from Sweet Envy's Alistair Wise. Lucky gal!

At Salamanca market I also bought some fresh vegetables including rocket, garlic, pinkeye potatoes and green beans.

Look at the vibrant colour of these carrots!

Next stop was the recently opened Bottega Rotolo, located in Bathurst Street. It has its very own cheese room in which we bought some French cheese for the entree, twice cooked gruyere cheese souffle. They do not stock gruyere and we were supplied with comte cheese, the French equivalent instead. Sounds fine to me.

A bike at the entrance to Bottega Rotolo conjures images of Italian food markets and sunny days. Well, it does for me, anyway. Anyone else?

Look at the neat shelves! And at the range of yummy supplies. I spied bags of dried mixed forest mushrooms, perfect for winter soups as well as authentic Italian pasta, olive oils and sauces. And much more. We left with more than just cheese!

As it was nearing lunch time and we were after a guaranteed delicious meal, we headed to the Pigeon Hole next. We also bought some of Jay's now famous Pigeon Hole bread for dinner, to serve with the souffle. The fruit and seed sourdough is a special bread, it is only available on Tuesdays and Saturdays...I love it with a little bit of honey but is great with a nice cheese too.

Back home I started sorting the kitchen out to prepare for cooking. I found these vintage scoops at Salamanca market and was tempted to keep them for myself but I think they will make great pieces for prop hire available at The Drill Hall Emporium. I am drawn to their simple function and form.

The large soup tureen is French and I have only just unpacked it since its arrival in our latest shipment. It will keep my small French soupiere company on the bench. It is no secret that I am quite partial to white French porcelain.

Which is why I also bought this large French cake stand on my last buying trip. It has only just been unwrapped too! It goes perfectly with my French glass cloche that I already owned. On my next free day I will make some muffins or friands to place under the cloche.

I potted some hyacinth for the dinner table, an alternative to flowers and low enough not to block vision between diners across the table.

And a potted hyacinth for the birthday girl! In an antique French terracotta pot, of course...

reopened!...with Swedish Gustavian furniture, mora clocks and loads more

2011-07-18T13:51:00.014+10:00

I love the look of our front entrance to the store. The centrepiece is the Swedish Baroque cupboard that I featured in a previous post. It is the most wonderfully soft grey colour and the fretwork to the pediment is amazing. Needless to say, it has sold immediately (sorry!). I am disappointed too because if it didn't sell within a month or two I was planning on buying it for myself. I even had the perfect spot for it in the loungeroom. Oh well, it wasn't meant to be. To the left of the cupboard is a Swedish mora clock of very elegant lines and proportions. It too is a lovely colour. Also at the entrance is the Swedish settee that I featured in a previous post. It looks inviting with Nordic reindeer furs and a woollen blanket cushion. Do I even need a home? I could just live at the store... Two of our large tables from our shipment. The bottom table is an industrial iron table from a Belgium factory and dates to around c.1900. It is very long and is probably one of the most fabulous pieces that we found on our travels. Look at the "feet"! It has eight legs and it is very heavy. The top table is a Swedish oak farmhouse table with iron stretchers. My favourite display is upon this English open waterfall bookcase where I have arranged a collection of coral, shells, books and French glass jars. To the left is another Swedish mora clock with a scraped painted finish. I will take a better image of this clock for a future post as it has the most wonderful face.

in store...French antiques stacked up!

2011-07-15T20:40:00.006+10:00

We are nearing the completion of setting up the shop after the arrival of our antiques shipment. And boy, has it been a big job! Probably the most challenging part of the set up is literally fitting most of the new pieces in. As you can see above we are having to stack up! We are still closed and will reopen on Sunday the 17th July at 10am. I am very excited with the thought of opening the doors for all to see. But if you live far away, don't worry I will be sure to post pictures of my favourite pieces and nooks in the store. Have a great weekend! I certainly hope too...

setting up with garden urns, French cheese boards and housekeeper's cupboards

2011-07-11T09:17:00.006+10:00

Sorting, cleaning and setting up is continuing at the Drill Hall Emporium this week. But we have so many beautiful pieces to work with that we are having a great time. Cast iron garden urns on a slate and cast iron garden table. Both urns and table are English and are from the Victorian period...

We have the best selection of French cheese boards that we have ever had. They are all glowing with patina and are ready for use. These make great gifts and are wonderful for serving cheese on through summer.

A French champagne box on an iron industrial table.

A stack of French chopping boards. Some are really chunky.

Our favourite green leaf plates in a French fruitwood dresser. The dresser dates to the 18th century.

One of my own personal favourite pieces is this French cherrywood dough bin with the most beautiful carved detail. To the left is an English housekeeper's cupboard.

More work to do...

And even more work to do! I had better get into it so that we may reopen on Sunday!

sneak peek of shipment goodies!

2011-07-04T16:24:00.010+10:00

I managed to find loads of lovely French linens on the trip and I have been having fun sorting through them. There is a lot of antique monogrammed sheets which would be great reinvented as tablecloths. Heirlooms of the future. I bought a collection of child's shoe lasts that once belonged to a London cobbler. We have carefully waxed them. Each one is unique and has heaps of character.

Our mortar and pestle stocks have been replenished thanks to these lovely big examples. There is actually an even bigger one yet to be unwrapped.

French hand blown glass bottles. I can never have enough of these.

Views across the store. As you can see, we have a lot of sorting to do!

We will have quite a few sets of French skittles in store including these lovely chunky examples. These would be great fun for family days in the backyard over summer. Or they would just look great displayed on a shelf as they have a great shape and patina.

This basket is French and dates to around 1900. I love the flat weave design and the wooden branch like handle.

French shop scales with brass dishes. We also have a chic white enamel example again with the original brass dishes.

One of my favourite pieces is this French florist's jug with a brass label. We have never had anything quite like this. We are still currently closed at the moment sorting, cleaning and arranging. We will be reopen for trade on Sunday 17th July. I will update on progress late in the week with a few more pictures of how the store is taking shape.

arrived! antique shipment from overseas

2011-07-01T09:13:00.003+10:00

Our shipment has finally arrived to our store and we are busy unpacking. As such, we are closed at the moment. We will re-open at 10am on Sunday the 17th July with all of our new goodies on display. I will post some sneak peak photos over the course of the next few weeks...

new in store...winter wool cushions, feather hats and chemist's bottles

2011-06-26T13:50:00.012+10:00

Are these cushions not the most delightful cushions for winter? They are made with vintage English and Scottish wool fabrics, and vintage buttons, of course! And these checked cushions are cosy too, again made with vintage wool blanket fabric.

These vintage feather hats are also new in store. I love the vibrant colour of the velvet against the soft cream feathers in the bottom hat. And the other hat is decorated with feathers under the brim.

We also have a collection of vintage chemist's bottles with lovely simple labels. We are still awaiting the arrival of our latest shipment of antiques. I will have loads of goodies to show over the coming weeks.

Launceston boutique shopping and a great Tasmanian provincial cafe!

2011-06-17T16:18:00.018+10:00

One of my favourite stores in Launceston is The Vintage Rose which happens to be right near the Albert Hall, the venue for the Launceston Antiques Fair (see previous post for our stand at this fair). Owner Amanda has such a flair in choosing and displaying her lovely vintage and French inspired home wares and linens. Unfortunately I was too busy at the fair to visit her store on this trip to Launceston, but I took some after hour images of the great window displays... I was quite taken with the big earthenware pitchers on the ladder. For more on the Vintage Rose click here. Next stop was Gallery 54 in St John Street, Launceston a boutique showcasing the delightful jewellery designed by Katherine Brunacci. At the gallery's opening last April (see previous post) I bought some gorgeous semi-baroque pearl earrings. This time I fell totally in love with and subsequently purchased the above silver and gemstone pendant necklace titled "Lantern Pendant" from Katherine's Autumn 2011 collection. It is a truly magical piece and features moonstones around the lantern shaped pendant. It is beautifully hand crafted and is weighty, too.

(Images Copyright Katherine A Brunacci, not to be used without permission)

Other examples of Katherine's work. The sterling silver crucifix necklace features a handmade chain of adjustable length and the cross is inspired by a Victorian period crucifix. The winged pharaoh necklace has malachite and fire opals incorporated into the chain. Too many gorgeous pieces to choose from! A lot of Katherine's pieces are limited editions for example the Lantern Pendant of which there is only one more available. For more on the talented Ms Katherine Brunacci click here. After we had packed up at the antique fair and on our way home we stopped at the Ut Si cafe in Perth, northern Tasmania for lunch. I enjoyed a warming Jerusalem artichoke and potato soup with their famous wood fired bread. I was a little jealous of a fellow diner's mushroom and pearl barley risotto though!

A friend has started a new blog titled "touche de vintage" which will feature vintage pieces incorporated into fashion. To visit, click here.

our stall at the Launceston antiques fair!

2011-06-12T18:21:00.010+10:00

This weekend we are in north of Tasmania exhibiting some of our favourite antiques at the Launceston Antique fair. We took some garden furniture for the front of the stand including a French folding iron garden table and an English regency period garden seat with its original wheels. This piece was much admired on the opening evening on Friday night. The fair is held in the lovely Victorian period Albert Hall. A French day bed was on the other side of the stand. Barnacle clusters in a crystal pedestal bowl. The clam shell holds our business cards.

A parian figurine in the form of a semi-naked slave girl in a French bookcase.

An English globe on some leather Shakespeare volumes. And a whalebone walking stick in the foreground.

19th century French linen cushions on the day bed.

A French beaded handbag on a cabinet full of jewellery.

Colourful vintage feather hats. These have created a lot of interest at the fair.

We love our antique glassware and are showing a selection of French champagne flutes, cloches and jars at the fair.

High heeled shoe lasts.

Stoneware jars with rosemary on a French ladder.

The lady's leather riding boots are stamped by Harrod's, London.

French birdcages and a decoy duck.

19th century marble urns filled with succulents added colour to the French garden table. The fair continues on Monday the 13th June until 4pm.

revealed...antique buying trip finds...Swedish settees

2011-06-05T13:11:00.014+10:00

I was very excited to find this Swedish settee on our latest antiques buying trip. And as our goods near closer to arriving in store, I am starting to look forward to seeing all of my favourite finds again. I love the carved detail of this Swedish settee which dates to around c.1800. It is just that little bit different and I can't wait to have it in store!

We not only found one Swedish settee, we also found another! This settee is the sweetest colour and is very petite. And look at the beautiful shape of those legs. Which is your favourite?

Image via Splendid Willow

An example of a Swedish settee in the home. It looks very chic, does it not?

Image via Swedish Antiques

I have so many favourite pieces, but I don't want to give away too many surprises (there are more Swedish mora clocks on the way though)...

new in store...blanket cushions and draught stoppers for winter!

2011-05-30T14:49:00.009+10:00

Just in time for the cold season, we have a new range of cushions which have been made from vintage English wool blankets. Each cushion has vintage buttons to further add charm. I love these blue and cream chequered cushions in the French basket, they give me warm fuzzy feelings as I conjure up images of hot chocolate and log fires.

They come in two shapes...rectangular and square.

Cream and brown striped and chocolate brown blanket cushions. These are one off designs, there is only one cushion of each type with these.

These cushions are the softest! And the stripe is a subtle beige colour. Almost my favourite.

Green checked cushions with fringe and vintage button detail. The reverse of these cushions are in a simple cream blanket fabric to add contrast.

We also have a new range of linen and silk draught stoppers in store to help beat the chill.

I have saved the best cushions for last! Made from pure Irish linen, these cushions have been hand stitched with quotations. These are again one off designs.

industrial butcher's shelf trolley...from store to a Hobart home

2011-05-25T13:54:00.018+10:00

The industrial butcher's trolley sitting in our store earlier in the year. I found it very useful to display objects such as hat blocks and shoe lasts. I love the pale washed timber. The butcher's trolley as it now sits in its new home, a light filled area of a Hobart home. It is in front of French doors which lead outside to a paved courtyard...the perfect spot to put a few items that may be carried outside for al fresco entertaining in summer.

Such as a wicker cloche to cover food. There are also trays to carry condiments and an antique wooden cutlery tray for vintage cutlery.

Other unique objects are displayed including a collection of Victorian plates inset into metal warming bowls.

Two stoneware gourmet boilers are displayed together. These originally came from our store too. The No. 4 size is particularly rare...it is tiny!

Large industrial castors on the bottom on the shelf make it easy to move around.

This vintage vellum suitcase also came from our store. It has been used on the bottom shelf to conceal a few unsightly items such as bookwork and a telephone directory. Very clever. I have two such vellum suitcases myself, stacked on a chest of drawers (and hiding one or two items as well!).

A collection of pewter candlesticks, each of a slightly different form.

Overall, a very practical shelf that looks amazing with its little collections of antique objects.

And the family dog agrees!

new in store...industrial scales, linen cushions, French chopping block and more!

2011-05-19T15:20:00.017+10:00

Vintage chrome grocer's (or trade) scales on a marble base, made by Salter. I would think these would date to around the 1930's. They would look great in a cafe or a produce store.

Detail of the face of the scales. I love the red marker! They will weigh up to 30 pounds.

A collection of vintage wooden decoy ducks. They are lovely and pale in colour, one has a bit of green painted detail, the others are plain.

This industrial bottle carrier has been buried in our back storeroom for a little while. I uncovered it today and it is now out in the store on the wine cage.

This is a very chunky (and heavy) vintage French chopping block. It dates to around 1940. It has signs of a little use, but it is perfectly ready to be chopped on again!

French double handled herb choppers. I love the feel of the handles, they are so smooth with wear. I can imagine the French kitchens that these were used within and the comforting meals they helped to prepare.

Part of our latest range of cushions are these linen cushions with bird motifs. More cushion images to come!

And my favourite find of the week are these gorgeous little child's shoe lasts. The paler pair are stamped "Judi" which relates to the name of the design. Both pairs are a small size 5. How cute!

industrial and vintage at Jamie Oliver's italian restaurant, Bath

2011-05-14T16:56:00.011+10:00

I will have to admit, it wasn't all work and no play on my recent antiques buying trip to the UK. A fellow antique dealer in the Cotswolds recommended we try Jamie's Italian restaurant as were headed for Bath in Somerset. I was quite unaware that Jamie Oliver had a restaurant in Bath and when we discovered that it was a casual restaurant with no need to book, we were sold! And I love the historic city of Bath with its wonderful sweeping Regency architecture. And from my previous experiences, the city is even more alluring in the evening. I need little prompting to visit Bath on our travels, it is possibly my favourite city in the UK. I couldn't help but notice the vintage industrial pendant light fittings above the stairwell as we were shown to our table. We have had very similar shades to these in our store recently (not surprisingly, they sold almost instantly).

Image from here

Tolix metal chairs were at the tables. The industrial look works particularly well in a more casual restaurant and it can give a clean feel to the settings.

All the pasta is hand-made, of course!

The vintage inspired tea towels were used as napkins.

Lemon curd tart for dessert...on vintage inspired enamel plates.

The view from the outdoor dining area with potted herbs and olive trees. I have since learned that Jamie Oliver has restaurants all over the UK. But a trip back to Bath is not totally out of the question...

stylish French antiques at Melbourne antiques fair

2011-05-09T14:14:00.014+10:00

The inaugural annual Australian Antiques and Art Dealers Association Melbourne Antique Show was held over the weekend. I was assisting on the Tasmanian based Richmond Antiques stand but I found some time to take some photos of my favourite stands and antique pieces. Above is a French painted armoire on a very stylish stand, Patina Antiques, which specialises in French furniture. Detail of the gorgeous armoire. Richmond Antiques had a wonderful display. This French painted buffet is one of my favourite pieces and it dates to around c.1800. Detail of the naturalistic display above the French buffet on the Richmond Antiques stand. I love the use of shells, coral and in this case a mounted saw tooth to make an eye catching display.

Probably the most amazing (and most valuable) piece of furniture at the fair was this French specimen marble-topped table. Look at the detail, is is stunning. It is of exhibition quality. It was exhibited by the Perth based Brans Antiques.

Isherwood Antiques of Sydney also had a wonderful display, with loads of French eye candy. The Louis Vuitton courier trunk at the front is a particularly rare piece... As is the harp! How romantic.

French angels on Isherwood Antiques stand.

And a French 18th Century commode.

I must admit to having never seen a French circular barometer such as this one. Again, very decorative and a nice change from a painting on a wall.

An open bookshelf with a thoughtfully arranged display of coral, pictures and leather books.

A pair of 18th century bridal boots on an educational stand.

Mossgreen Gallery showed an unusual use for a copper fire extinguisher...a lamp!

Mounted whale vertebrae on a taxidermy specialist's stand.

And the floor rug that I fell in love with! The most wonderful colours one could hope for in a floor rug...just a little big for my dining room (or any of my rooms for that matter!).

at home and catching up on country style

2011-05-03T19:47:00.012+10:00

As I am now at home reflecting on all the goodies on the way, I have decided I had better catch up on all the magazines which have stacked up in my absence. On top of the pile is one of my favourite magazines, Australian Country Style. And on the front cover of the April issue is our cane chair from our store! With a very cute dog sitting upon it. The linen toile cushion behind the dog is also from our store. Fabulous. What a great start to a great magazine...

One of the articles titled "The Sweetest Thing" is about Michelle Crawford's family's move to rural Tasmania. Above is their kitchen with many vintage pieces taking a starring role. Check out Michelle's blog, Hugo and Elsa, named after her two children...very cute!

Michelle now makes cupcakes under the name C & C Cupcake Factory. The cakes are based on Tasmanian seasonal produce. And she sells them at the Tasmanian Farm Gate Market, a market I must shamefully admit to not having visited yet. My must-do in Hobart list has just been updated.

The styling feature (pages 68 to 76) featured many vintage and antique items, much to my delight. I couldn't help but notice the zinc tub from ici et la. We have a few of these coming from our latest buying trip. I imagine olive trees growing in them. I also like the French chair in the above image and the French garden table in the middle image. Oh, and the linen sofa, of course!

As well as getting through my magazine stack, I was given a few buckets of beautiful big quinces. I love the smell of them just sitting on the bench but I decided to preserve them for use in tarts throughout the year.

I used my vintage preserving jars to bottle the cooked quinces. Look at the lovely deep red colour they turn when cooked.

Later this week I will be helping at the Melbourne AAADA antique show. The gala preview starts Thursday evening at 6 pm, but the show continues on Friday and over the weekend. I will report back with my favourite images from the show!

coming soon! Swedish cupboard c.1820

2011-04-28T10:48:00.014+10:00

I will elaborate further on this post tomorrow as there is no time now and I am just so excited about this piece I needed to share the photo. It is a Swedish baroque cupboard with the most amazing fretwork design to the top. And I adore the soft grey colour. It is one of my favourite finds on our overseas buying trip (although there are a few favourites I have to admit...). Inside it is painted a cream colour and has versatile shelves perfect for displaying white china...

Image from Blossoming Visions

Image from Cote de Texas Or it could be used to display found objects such as coral...

Image from Parterre

In fact, I am pretty sure it would look great filled with absolutely anything!

happy easter!

2011-04-24T09:21:00.002+10:00

Wishing everyone a very happy Easter. I fell in love with this little fluffy bunny in a vintage cup...I hope he makes a few people smile. Image from Ria.

more Cotswolds shopping including the famous Highgrove store!

2011-04-22T10:37:00.016+10:00

In an antique shop in the Cotswolds town of Tetbury I fell in love with the large American decoy duck in the above image. I also liked the vintage ticking mattresses folded in the background, and the French armchair at the front. Upstairs in the same store, the blue painted bench was a standout. And check out the size of the wire egg basket...I think it is suitable for ostrich eggs!

A French baker's stand with vintage bread baskets. The local florist, Twig, is perhaps my favourite florist I have ever found. It is unique and ever-changing. The chequered wooden flooring makes a wonderful backdrop for greenery.

A romantic French carved and caned bed in another antiques store.

A Gustavian bench seat. We found a similar bench seat at a fair on the trip...image to come.

A collection of white ceramics on a rustic table...

An an interesting sculpture made from vintage garden tools...

As you may know by now, I do have a current obsession with large terracotta pots, the more the better as they look great grouped together. I have found a number of these so far on my travels.

On the corner of the main street in Tetbury there is a store called Highgrove which I had not seen before. All profits go towards the Princes Charities Foundation, which makes me feel better about the fudge that I bought...for charity after all! I was taken with their store displays which incorporate vintage garden tools...

A French orchard ladder in Highgrove is used as a display shelf.

I bought these super long elm benches as I loved the figuring of the timber in the seats and also the length. And they are very sturdy, too.

touring the Cotswolds with a stop at Daylesford Organic farm shop

2011-04-17T07:21:00.008+10:00

A church in one of my favourite Cotswold villages, Burford. Burford is best to visit during the week as the weekends see many visitors to this town. Early crooked sandstone buildings line the main street and house small boutique shops and pubs.

Our point of call for lunch was my favourite farm shop Daylesford Organic near Stow-on-the-Wold. I have written about this heavenly place in a previous post. It should be on every food-lovers' must-do-while-in-the-Cotswolds list...

The courtyard of Daylesford Organic is in itself a feast for hungry eyes with a potager and plant stand both overflowing with plants. Note the watering can in the above image...it is a Hawes watering can which are the best English make. I am always on the hunt for vintage examples of Hawes cans while I am here.

Our bag of goodies before we unpacked and ate in the sun in the courtyard. There is a restaurant as part of the farm as well, but we never seem to make it past the fresh produce, patisserie and cheese area!

Towards the end of the day I bought this French day bed as a future upholstery project...one day!

antique fair finds...French fauteuils, pots, garden chairs and a stockman dressmaker's mannequin

2011-04-13T08:28:00.008+10:00

I love big pots! They are just so decorative, especially in a grouping. I have managed to find a few of these pots with a lovely lime washed finish to the terracotta. All different in shape and size.

These French chairs were found by a lovely dealer contact I have here in the UK who passed them on to me. She has a great eye for a stylish find...I love the carved wood with shabby painted finish. And there are four of them!

I bought a bolt of a neutral coloured Belgium linen for upholstery projects.

And one of my luckiest finds of the morning was this French dressmaker's mannequin which is made by Stockman.

French garden chairs were also loaded into the van. There are four of these chairs, usually one only finds pairs.

Unfortunately there was not enough room in the van at the end of the day for this gorgeous dog. And he probably was not for sale. I am not sure if the picture truly relates how large this dog is, but the gentlest creature. He really and truly made my day...

attic sale and a French chateau find

2011-04-09T07:24:00.006+10:00

Stone urns flank the entrance to the large estate of an "attic" sale that we attended.

Two Victorian period prams were up for sale...

And a gorgeous dovecote along with piles of windows...

A collection of birdcages were sold as one lot, but they were not in very good condition. Still, quite decorative.

We secured this French farmhouse table which was originally from a French chateau. My lucky stars were shining this day, it is such a beautiful table.

This dolls house is huge and covered another farmhouse table entirely. A little girl's dream dolls house (and a room filler!). Overall, I had some great finds...well worth the time spent rummaging. Just a shame the urns were not for sale!

child's pull-a-long horse, confit pots and other goodies help fill the van...

2011-04-06T16:56:00.006+10:00

These French horse toys are becoming increasingly harder to find. I have managed to find three such horses so far, including this lovely white painted model. This was at a great trade warehouse where everything is displayed to tempt the eye... This French 19th century pine plate rack is freestanding which is quite unusual. Normally they hang on the wall. It would be great on a servery in a kitchen where plates can be ready at hand.

French furniture and an iron framed mirror. The stool is stylish too.

I bought the large wicker basket in this picture - perfect for logs.

And I couldn't resist this French pine ladder. We have bought quite a few ladders so far, one for every purpose! This one could double as a bookshelf with planks put across the steps.

These French confit pots are also becoming hard to find. They date to around 1880 and each and every one is unique.

Quirky coloured watering cans and a rare child's watering can in front.

One of my favourite stores in Lewes called "Flint" selling stylish homewares, clothing and flowers.

Spring bulbs are coming out here in England including one of my favourites, hyacinths. Daffodils are blooming everywhere too, including randomly on the roadside! And Magnolias are just starting to come into their prime...I love Spring!

iconic cafe and food store featuring antiques

2011-04-03T05:24:00.007+10:00

French cafe chairs sit outside the entrance to Bill's cafe in the historic town of Lewes, Sussex. Galvanised tin bins are used for display in the front window. As I have mentioned in a previous post, tin is quite in vogue in the UK at the moment. I didn't have time to sit for a bite but I bought some fresh produce supplies for the road.

An old cart displays hundreds of oranges which are in season here.

Inside Bill's in the produce area old French picker's baskets are used to display fresh fruit. I have managed to find quite a few of these baskets on my travels which is great as we have all but sold out in the store.

A few doors along from Bill's another cafe with some antiques displayed in the window including a French cafe chair and folding bistro table.

There is no shortage of good food options in Lewes, across the road from Bill's you will find The Real Eating Company which stocks a lovely selection of cheeses. In the front window rhubarb forcers are displayed on baskets. I could easily have spent more time in Lewes. Maybe next time...

great finds at antique trade fair

2011-03-31T07:03:00.005+11:00

My first find at the trade fair was from one of my favourite linen dealers. I was able to go through his collection of hemp grain sacks and find some lovely hemp for cushions.

Just next to the linen store I picked out a lovely Turkish terracotta pot. Hard to handle but worth it!

A collection of shoe lasts on a French dealer's stand.

Zinc and galvanised tin is quite sought over here at the moment. I found a very small tin bath at this fair as well as a French tin jug, perfect for wildflowers.

I was even more happy when I bought a French grape basket from the Bordeaux region of France. These are becoming increasingly hard to find.

I bought quite a few of these preserving jars which are from America, some of them date to 1900. Such jars have been recently featured in many interior magazines over here in the UK.

This lovely pottery pancheon is huge! It balanced nicely on my basket trolley, thankfully, as I had quite a trek to the vehicle and it was too heavy to carry. My best find at the fair? The basket trolley, of course!

antique hunting in style

2011-03-28T08:19:00.003+11:00

We continued our antique hunt with a visit to one of my favourite trade stores which is always brimming with delightful and interesting antiques. And all presented with flair. Above is a 19th century rocking horse...very primitive in form but quite stylish. It is French and dates to around 1850.

The rusty French antiques sign on the exterior of the store.

I bought these vintage sweet jars in a wooden crate. It is very hard to find so many together.

Other French jars held spools of cotton of various colours. An instant collection!

I can never have enough white or cream china. Gorgeous French oyster plates in the shelf above.

A collection of wooden milliners heads in pigeon holes. I have never seen forms such as these. They are German and date to 1900. Nice shelving too...

A painted chest of drawers with character and a collection of pond yachts.

A collection of colourful drums. I bought a lovely French cherrywood elm dough bin today with lovely carving. Tomorrow I am going to a small trade fair and I hope to have more great finds!

our antique buying trip begins...with an enormous antique trade fair!

2011-03-25T17:13:00.006+11:00

We have finally touched down in the UK for our antique buying trip. And we start the hunting and gathering with a large antique trade fair. Perfect for gathering up all those pieces that we love to find...mixing bowls, watering cans, quality English tools. It was a perfect sunny day here which meant everyone was in a good mood and happy to bargain.

English garden tools are displayed in a row. I found a few Brades branded tools, known here for quality and durability.

Stone garden dogs keep guard over the frantic action.

A cute little tricycle and a lovely wagon on one of the outside stands.

Child's play...a farm yard set of animals and a barn on another stand.

And on the same stand, a bookcase filled with apothecary bottles. Mostly clear with the odd rare green one thrown into the mix.

Large gilded pub letters are displayed on the grass. This stand also specialised in lanterns.

Patience paid off when I found this French iron day bed from a French dealer. Luckily for me it folds up so it fitted into our van. Which, by the way was already filling with smaller objects, baskets, tools and the like. I love these day beds, they are very romantic and are becoming increasingly hard to find. This piece topped off my buying day and I was pretty pleased with myself!

As we were leaving the fair, I snapped a picture of these tee pee structures. I assumed they were wigwams for growing peas etc. But the dealer informed me that they were made in 1928 from aluminium and thousands of them spanned the width of the River Severn to catch salmon. Now of course he sells them as wigwams to grow peas upon...

new in store...French day bed with Belgium linen upholstery and a revamped shell display

2011-03-23T15:53:00.002+11:00

This antique French day bed came from England on our last buying trip in June last year. It has waited patiently in our storeroom until it was time for it to be reupholstered. We have chosen Belgium linen as it is a nice contrast with the old carved giltwood frame. This bed started life in France then went to England. In the 1950s it went to the USA (it still has the old storage labels on it from America) and more recently returned to England where we happened upon it in the Cotswolds. It then made the journey in many pieces to Australia. What a history!

Detail of the carved giltwood leg and the bolt that holds the rail to the end. It is cleverly constructed to come apart into 6 pieces for transportation. Think of the apartment stairwells in Paris that it must have climbed!

Gorgeous double piping detail. It actually has two bolster cushions as well (these were not completed at the time I took these images but they are happily on the day bed now).

The paint has a lovely worn look, only perfected with age. The bed dates from mid 19th century. A lucky find for us and well worth the effort...this piece is certainly my favourite in store right now!

weekend pumpkin harvest

2011-03-18T16:13:00.005+11:00

I collected up my many small pumpkins this morning and cannot wait to roast some! I love any excuse to use my English trug. We are getting closer to our next overseas buying trip and I will definitely be on the hunt for more of these trugs... I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and happy gardening!

new in store...riding boot lamps, Indian table, African bowls, crystal obelisks and more

2011-03-13T15:31:00.011+11:00

How wonderful are these lamps? They have been constructed from English riding boot trees that date to around c.1900. I think they make a real statement. The are quite masculine and would certainly suit a library or study. Or a hunting lodge, maybe?

The trees (or boot lasts) sit upon ebonised timber bases.

This Indian table is very stylish. I am seeing such tables in a lot of interior magazines lately. The brass tray sits on a hardwood base which would have been folding once, but has been fixed open now.

I love the detail in the brass work. Very decorative. We have several Indian tables at the moment. The more the better, I say.

This vintage seagrass child's chair was a lucky find last week. It needed a few repairs but is now ready to be used by one lucky child. The chair is too small for me to try, but it certainly looks comfortable. We have another such chair in store but it is not as nice a shape as this one.

We actually have two of these African bowls. I am not sure how old they are, I would be just guessing with a date. But they have old repairs and have a lovely rich patina. I am also wondering what they once held?

I have an obsession for rock crystal at the moment...these obelisks came together during the week and I have put them near some amethyst crystal specimens in a French cabinet.

And lastly we were lucky enough to score a box of vintage cream jars. These two jars will be added to our props available for hire. More on prop hire later. Watch this space!

a visit to Melbourne and the Johnston collection

2011-03-09T15:27:00.010+11:00

On a little escape to Melbourne over the weekend, I visited the Johnston Collection, a collection of beautiful antiques brought together over many years by the late antiques dealer, William Robert Johnston. He generously donated his collection to the public in the form of a charitable trust which was to take effect upon his death. It is all housed within his former Georgian style Victorian period residence, Fairhall. In the image above is a wonderfully classic French Empire period commode with a marble top and a French gilt mirror. I love the light coming in through the French doors, lighting up the marble urn.

Another French gilt mirror above a Regengy period chair. The green glass Hundi lantern makes a change from plain coloured ones.

This French oak armoire dates to around c.1800 and is not going anywhere...the trims on the ceiling above it are fitted in around the top of the armoire! This piece is just outside the kitchen and would have once made a very good pantry cupboard for Mr Johnston. Although we did find out that he did not like to cook and preferred to dine out.

The kitchen is charming but definitely not a cook's kitchen. I fell in love with the French oak refectory table as it had a lovely honey colour. Windsor chairs are classic too.

This drawing room is gorgeous, especially the French doors which lead out to the little courtyard and garden. The most spectacular part of the entire room, however, is the Regency crystal chandelier (only just visible in the above picture). It is not electrified but holds candles encased by storm shades. It may have been the most beautiful chandelier I have ever seen. Again, I must get my chandelier up soon. I have nearly finished cleaning each lustre but I am now more inspired than ever to see it above the dining room table...watch this space.

For more information on The Johnston Collection, visit http://www.johnstoncollection.org/. All photos from here.

new in store...linen and grainsack cushions

2011-03-03T15:44:00.005+11:00

These cushions are made with antique handwoven grainsack linen. They are very natural to the touch and have vintage buttons to the front.

Soft colours and butterflies make these linen cushions quite dreamy!

And possibly my favourites...made from antique French linen in muted pink and red tonings, these cushions are gorgeous.

a visit to MONA, Tasmania

2011-02-25T10:07:00.015+11:00

Made from discarded plastic bottles, this urn shaped vase resembles ancient Roman glass.

One of my favourite exhibits of the entire display was titled "Tracing Time" by Clare Morgan (above, right) consisting of 10,000 dandelion seeds which were collected here in Tasmania and glued on by hand. The moment of a wren falling through the seeds and the disruption to the seeds in its wake is captured in time. Magical. As is the "Fairy Horde and the Hedgehog Host" by Tessa Farmer (above centre).

This is a Victorian period skeleton of a monkey sitting in a Rosewood chair.

More amazing exhibits... "Bit.Fall" (above) consists of water pumps that allow droplets of water to fall and form words. The sound coming from dropping water resonated throughout the lowest floor of the museum. I can still hear the wonderful sound days later.

This bust is contemporary Chinese porcelain made in Jingdezhen, Jiang Xi Province, the centre for Chinese porcelain manufacture in China. It has been decorated by hand.

These corroded bronze coins are cargo from a sunken ship and date to the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644. They have been mounted on a wall and are a piece of art in itself.

And by far my favourite theme of the museum is ancient Egyptian and Roman artifacts. From mummies, sarcophagi (or coffins), scarabs and amulets I was in ancient heaven! The collection of turquoise coloured mortuary amulets (above) are a highlight. They date from c. 664 BCE to 525 BCE and have been mounted in gold in the 20th century, possibly by Cartier. A dreamy necklace indeed. All images taken from MONA. Admission is free.

weekend picnics with vintage picnic sets

2011-02-22T14:32:00.000+11:00

I found this vintage English picnic set on the weekend and couldn't believe how complete and original it is. I particularly like the glass jars, the tin sandwich boxes and the spotty thermoses. Not to mention the suitcase style case with the original keys! I would estimate this picnic set to be from the 1950s. This is a cane set that we already had in store. The cups stack together to save room in the basket. Whilst there are four cups and plates, I would think this set would be more suited to a little romantic picnic for two.

We also have this set in store. It is an English Brexton picnic set and each piece is marked Brexton, including the base of the glass jars. Again, the cups stack neatly together, and the plates and saucers are kept safe with leather straps. It is again remarkedly complete and original. Perhaps this is because it comes from an era where hard worked-for possessions were more valued and cared for? Or because objects were made to last a lifetime? Probably both...

These sets are also made by the English Brexton company and were pictured in the Spring 2010 Donna Hay magazine. The larger set is very similar to the Brexton that we have in store, with the same bakelite swivel catches and handle. Donna Hay titled this page "picnic in style" and goes on to say "this time of year is about enjoying the outdoors in style and these vintage picnic sets are what it's all about. I'm drawn to their delicate floral patterns and elegant cutlery that suggest enjoying outdoors doesn't mean table etiquette should be left inside. I found both sets at antique stores over the years and fell in love with their demure and nostalgic appeal...".

And speaking of lasting a life time, these English picnic sets dating from the Edwardian period (c.1900) have all sold at Bonham's auction more recently. My favourite is the vellum suitcase model (the cream set). Some of these examples have sold for around $5000! Although they are ultra sophisticated and definitely worth a large sum, I think it makes our $95 set look like a real bargain!

a visit to Tricycle cafe, Salamanca place Hobart

2011-02-17T15:13:00.007+11:00

I treated myself to a little time out at the Tricycle cafe, a little tucked away cafe in Salamanca Place, Hobart. I have actually intended to go there on a previous occasion but I literally couldn't find it on my first attempt. Above is the entrance near the Peacock theatre. The tricycle lets you know you are in the right place if you were like me and a bit lost.

The interior is decorated with colourful vintage tricycles and Art deco mirrors add more interest.

My chai tea come out in a wonderfully petite vintage enamel tea pot. We once had an enamel tea pot in our store of this size, but they are very rare. I felt right at home with the old worn silverplated tea strainer and spoon. And how cute is this little sugar bottle?

Although most famous for the market that is held each Saturday, Salamanca Place is also home to many boutique shops offering unique pieces such as The Maker (above). This store had a lovely array of handmade jewellery in the window. Just half an hour spent poking about in this area made me realise you don't have to always travel to the other side of the world to be delighted with shops and cafes...sometimes the best places are right on our front doorsteps.

shopping for my bathroom...antique French jars and Italian candlesticks

2011-02-13T14:18:00.017+11:00

As my bathroom is nearing completion (finally!) I am starting to look around for a few highlight pieces. Just that little something special to make the room unique. I mentioned in a previous post that I was tempted with these Italian silvered candlesticks which look fabulous wherever they have been placed around the store. Well, they have had their chance to find another home, but it looks like they will just have to come home with me!

I love the detail. They date to around c.1800 and have a lovely red colour underneath the silver.

We once had this lovely 19th century decorated apothecary jar in store, many years ago. I was sorry to see it sell but the lady who bought it put it into her bathroom and it looked fabulous. It was her little something to make her bathroom unique.

Whilst quite a bit plainer, I have always admired these three jars that we have had in store for a while. They too are apothecary jars, French I believe. I really like the chunky ground lids. I plan to put the jars in my bathroom cabinet (the one with the glazed doors I showed in a previous post). I don't mind if I leave them empty, but the sea urchins look interesting, do they not? I may have to find some other jars to display the urchins in store.

I already have an antique mirror for my bathroom but I cannot help but think how great this early 20th century Venetian mirror would look above the pedestal basin...I will have to ponder further there, for the moment it will have to stay on the wall in the soft furnishings room as I think I have been greedy enough for one week, or two (or three!)...

new in store...French bottle lamp and carrier, director's chair, French stool and a cane chaise longue!

2011-02-09T11:23:00.011+11:00

How wonderful is this lamp? It is made from an antique French glass bottle and is currently lighting up the very back corner of the store. We will have other lamps similar to this coming into the store over the next week, including a pair of smaller bottle lamps and a large blue glass example. I am very excited...I have already worked out where in the store they will go! This French bottle carrier is a little different to most that we find as it has remnants of a green paint. These are great for carrying wine and other drinks to the outdoor table. They can also be turned on there side for a unique wine bottle display on a shelf. This is a vintage wooden framed director's chair which has been covered with a striped slip cover. These chairs are useful as they fold up when not in use and are very comfortable as well.

My favourite piece that came in this week is this French carved walnut stool. We have had it recovered in a neutral Irish linen. Very chic. I imagine this piece at the end of a bed...perfect for sitting to put shoes on.

This Art Deco period split cane chaise longue screams "lay in me and enjoy a freshly made lemonade on the veranda". This piece was a very lucky find during the week. At the moment there is no room in the store for it so it is out the front under the veranda beckoning to passers-by...

all my favourite things in Jeanne d'Arc Living

2011-02-06T13:12:00.012+11:00

I was jumping with joy like a child when these two Jeanne d'Arc Living magazines arrived all the way from The Netherlands, sent by the wonderful Ria of It's Me (thanks Ria! I love them!). But the gorgeously styled covers were only the beginning. Inside were the most beautiful European homes, all looking lived in and comfortable...and filled with my favourite things.

Slip-covered arm chairs with heavy linen cushions. Just the relaxed look our store is going for at the moment. Nice pale floors as well, very Gustavian.

I love French iron day beds and this one is no exception. Again, nice comfy looking linen covered cushions.

This dining room looks functional but still relaxed, particularly with the mismatched chairs. The glazed top dresser fills the wall really well and is perfect to display glass and china. As much as I am a fan of open shelving, glass doors keep things dust free which ultimately means more time to play and display!

I adore this chequered painted floor! Especially with the grey and white as opposed to the more commonly used black and white. It has a really soft look.

Brrr! Sometimes it is easy to forget that it is snowing on the other side of the world. I would definitely be underneath that fur, not sitting on top of it! I couldn't help but notice how similar the iron garden or bistro table is to the one we have in store at the moment. Ours is quite free from snow, however.

Another of my favourite styles of day beds...a Swedish painted daybed. I love the French basket chandelier as well. So many lovely muted colours in this room with natural light coming onto the table.

This is probably the image that struck me the most with the quote written on the wall (not to mention the table and chairs...). "RISK more than others think is safe, CARE more than others think is wise, DREAM more than others think is practical, EXPECT more than others think is possible" (Claude Bissell). I could definitely take a little of this advice.

The magazine uses vintage and often unexpected objects in its styling. And they would have pages of vintage items with prices and where to find them. Very useful for those living in Europe. I could dream a little.

And last of all, a very comfortable leather chair and footstool. The perfect spot to enjoy inspiring magazines such as Jeane d'Arc Living.

Chinese dinner party hosted by very accomplished young girls!

2011-02-02T20:53:00.012+11:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to a Chinese banquet evening hosted by my young sister and her very best friend in honour of a birthday celebration. They started the day at Salamanca market in Hobart where one can find freshly picked Asian greens perfect for a Chinese banquet. They got to work making the spring rolls. These were delightful and were great as a starter, after the chicken and sweet corn soup. It was a banquet, after all. A special Chinese message was written on an antique slate board. Usually this board relays more mundane messages such as "buy milk", but on this night it was a lovely birthday greeting written by a Chinese guest who happened to be staying.

Vintage Chinese porcelain was put into action. It made the evening feel very authentic. It is great to eat out of small decorative bowls. Mine at home are all boring and white so this made a nice change.

The table was set with the china bowls and chopsticks. The silk tablecloth in the centre was a gift from a Chinese friend.

The dining room was already decorated with Asian antiques including this gorgeous Chinese lacquered tray and a collection of antique Chinese chopsticks.

And for 16 year old girls, I think one would have to agree that they are very accomplished to create dishes such this braised vegetable dish. And for pulling off such a wonderfully special evening.

chinoiserie inspired table settings from Veranda magazine

2011-01-30T20:39:00.013+11:00

The latest edition of Veranda magazine (Jan/Feb 2011) was just as exciting as the last that I shared in a previous post. Whilst I devoured the special on Swedish inspired interiors in the previous issue, this one had my senses swimming with the feature on the most amazing alfresco Chinoiserie dinner settings, fittingly titled "Tables of Fancy". Imagine arriving at the above pagodas for dinner? In California, this is, not China! The magical setting is arranged by Hutton Wilkinson, friend and protege of the late flamboyant interior designer Tony Duquette. Little figurines of animals (including gold rats!) and Chinese men, coral and Venetian goblets are all placed upon the tables with panache. An imaginative host creates a whimsical evening for guests to remember!

amazing white Swedish schoolhouse interior

2011-01-26T10:18:00.012+11:00

When I saw these lovely Swedish painted chairs in the latest Home Beautiful magazine (February) I was sold. Well, the magazine was, actually. The home featured (pages 84 to 93) belongs to an Orrefors glass designer in southern Sweden. I adore Swedish interiors, particularly the use of worn painted furniture such as the above mix of chairs to the Gustavian couch below. Most of this interior is white, with splashes of blue. The Gustavian couch is wonderful and is a highlight in the loungeroom. We will be on the hunt for one or two of these on our next buying trip (wish us luck!). The owner made the cushions herself including hand-printing the fabric. I am not sure if I love the carpet, but it is bold, I guess. However I think an all-white interior like this is bold in itself.

What a roomy bathroom! The floor is stencilled concrete. At first glance it appears to be tiles.

The bedroom is also very roomy! It looks to be a calming place to rest the weary head each night. Overall, this home is light and airy and looks to be a delight to live in! What does everyone else think?

weekend vegetable gardening with antiques

2011-01-23T10:58:00.007+11:00

This stone cherub figure will add a touch of whimsy to the final vegetable garden. Here is my collection of antique gardening tools including a garden line, a dibber (very useful for putting holes in ground before planting seedlings) a daisy weeder (my favourite tool) a hand fork and trowel, a yard broom, a potato digger (about to be put to use when my pinkeye potatoes are ready) a spade and a garden fork. I love D-end handles, like the one on the spade.

My collection of watering cans. The large on is French and has a beautiful shower like spray. It can get heavy though if you fill it too much. The small one at the front is an English 1 and 1/2 gallon can. More my sort of size. And the green one is my favourite, not in terms of use but to look at!

A few old decorative urns, awaiting final placement when the vegetable garden is completed (this may be a year or two away). In the mean time they look decorative and hold a lemon tree and a bay tree.

I have two of these Victorian wire work planters which I luckily found in one of my favourite stores, The Vintage Rose in Launceston, Tasmania. I have various herbs planted in them.

This is a rare English rhubarb forcer which I received for Christmas one year. It is about to be put to use when I plant my rhubarb.

This is one of our latest projects which started this weekend. These are French garden tiles which I bought recently from our store (see previous post). In this garden bed we have an espalier lemon tree against the fence and plan to plant rhubarb (which I have in pots at the moment).

Harvested beetroot in an old English garden trug. We have almost sold out of these in the store but plan to find more on our next buying trip.

I plan to espalier this fig tree which is also currently in a pot. I would love to know if anyone has done this to a fig tree or can see a reason I shouldn't try it?

This poor artichoke is also in a pot! He is awaiting his own garden bed as I believe artichokes can take up a lot of room...

And lastly, here is an image of a dreamy parterre in the small Gloucestershire village of Winchcombe in the UK that I took on our last buying trip. I was very inspired by the layout of this garden, although I don't have that much space. The English sure know how to garden!

new in store...linen arm chair and an amazing trestle table!

2011-01-20T13:51:00.009+11:00

We have just had this arm chair upholstered in a neutral linen slip cover. The chair itself dates to around c.1900 and has lovely little porcelain castors. I particularly like the small proportions and also the "wings". The ties on the back make for easy removal. Linen arm chairs can fit into any setting. In fact, I would go so far as to say a nice looking arm chair can really make a room. These are rooms by the iconic designer Axel Vervoordt, from whom I take a lot of inspiration. I like the fact that he doesn't mind mismatched chairs and sofas. His rooms are very earthy and textural.

And speaking of earthy and textural, check out this early rustic trestle table that came into the store this week. It comes apart into three pieces which is probably a good thing as each piece is very, very heavy. The top is thick and has loads of character, even holes in places. This is definitely one of my favourite pieces at the moment...

baby shower with a vintage touch

2011-01-17T10:51:00.025+11:00

Yellow and rainbow spotted pompoms helped to create a baby shower atmosphere under the veranda. It was a little windy on the day and they happily danced in the breeze. I think they make a nice change from balloons. Plus they are handmade...

We got some champagne on ice early. Thankfully I remembered to take home a large silver plated punch bowl from the store! These work great to hold ice and champagne. We made a fruity punch as well, using Tasmanian sparkling apple juice.

I put these yellow calla lillies on the outdoor table, we definitely had a yellow colour scheme for the day...

As you can see from the yellow icing on these cupcakes! I cannot take credit for the icing, my younger sister's best friend did this. We displayed them on vintage glass cake stands.

She also made the custard meringues with lemon curd, cream and raspberries. She is only 16 years old and very talented in the kitchen and a steady hand with the piping bag.

I did make these lemon and raspberry tarts, though. In the background you can see the other cakes lined up on the dresser ready for afternoon tea.

This French porcelain soupiere came into use for the savoury bread sticks, fresh out of the oven. Thank you to my sister for these!

She also made these little pastry and pesto delights.

As you may already know, I love white china! This Royal Doulton tea set from the store came in handy, I didn't have enough cups and saucers myself. And I love the white cake stand with the gilded trim, this too is from the store.

One thoughtful guest brought these cornflowers. They displayed beautifully in a Wedgwood jug.

Name tags with traditional safety pins.

And finally, guests took home a bag with some shortbread baked in the shape of butterflies and prams. Thank you to The Agrarian Kitchen for the pram shaped cookie cutter!

And my younger sister hand printed the favours bags with our letter stamps from the store. It was a nice personal touch, I thought. Overall it was a great day, sunny and happy. Just as a baby shower should be!

new in store...decoy pigeon and swan, feather cloche hats, chandelier and a dress mannequin

2011-01-13T11:59:00.007+11:00

Both the swan and pigeon were originally used as decoys but now they make wonderfully unique display pieces. The swan gives off peaceful vibes.

These feather hats date from the mid 19th century. I have put one of them on an old wooden spool, an idea from a customer during the week who bought a spool to do just that.

This mannequin is an amazing shape, the waist is so small! The shapes dates it to the Victorian period when corsets were used to create such a small waist. It measures a mere 20 inches! It has been later decorated with decoupage.

We actually have two of these chandeliers. The lustres are sharply cut. The Regency gilt convex mirror in the background has also just come into the store. These are very hard to find.